IS YOUR SUPERVISION DATA
FORM UP TO DATE?
&
Recent PA Council Audit
Indicates Many Are Not!

The PA Council recently conducted a spot audit of the PA Supervision Data Forms on file with the Department. The result was less than a good report card on our profession. You must report any change in employment status. That means if you change primary or alternate supervising physicians for any reason, change practice locations, or change specialties then you must submit a new Supervision Data Form. This includes the Prescribing Privileges forms that the physicians sign to notify the Department of their delegation of prescribing authority to you. Any change means just that, any change.

Florida statutes regarding the Supervision Data Form state that “upon employment as a physician assistant, a licensed physician assistant must notify the department in writing within 30 days after such employment or after any subsequent changes in the supervising physician. The notification must include the full name, Florida medical license number, specialty, and address of the supervising physician.” Reference is FS458.347 (7)(e).

To clarify this statute, Florida Administrative Code 64B8-30.004 on “Change in Employment Status” states:
(1) The supervising physician of any physician assistant who is terminated from employment or otherwise ends employment as a physician assistant shall notify the Council in writing within 30 days of such occurrence.
(2) Each physician assistant shall submit changes to the Department on the form approved by the Council and Boards, and provided by the Department within 30 days of any change in employment status.
(3) Upon any change in employment status the licensed physician assistant’s prescribing privileges shall immediately be stayed until such time as a new written agreement is entered into pursuant to Rule 64B8-30.007 or 64B15-6.0037, F.A.C., and a new form is filed with the Department.

As a result of this recent audit a "number" of Florida licensed PAs will be receiving citations and administrative fines of $125 for failure to update their supervision data form. The Department compared Supervision Data Forms with listed supervising physicians (primary and alternates) to the physician database. If your Data Form includes a physician who is deceased, has moved, retired, or changed practice addresses then you will be subject to disciplinary action. This disciplinary action is in accordance with F.A.C. 64B8-30.014, Citation Authority.

The bottom line is you have 30 days to notify the PA Council of any changes for any reason of primary or alternate supervising physicians. It is your responsibility to do so and if you do not do it or have not done it yet and get caught, be prepared to pay the bucks! If you receive a citation: pay the fine, submit the new Supervision Data Form as instructed. Failure to do so in the time frame specified could bring fuerther disciplinary action. Some may ask can you appeal it? Well, yes you can but the appeals process may incur further costs if you lose the appeal. Chose your battles wisely.

This article prepared by Ron Pace, PA-C in conjunction with Mixon and Associates, Inc., November 10, 2004.