PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

Physician Assistants (PA’s) are persons who have attained a baccalaureate or master’s degree from an approved program of instruction in primary health care or surgery. PA’s are licensed by the Board of Medicine and perform only under the supervision and control of a supervising physician. They have passed the NCCPA exam and are currently certified. A physician assistant may not perform any service which his or her supervising physician is not qualified to perform. A physician assistant may be authorized by the Board to issue written or oral prescriptions for certain drugs if the following conditions are met: the PA has performed patient care for a minimum of two (2) years immediately preceding the submission of an application requesting limited prescriptive privileges: Provided, That to meet this condition, the first year of patient care may be as a student in an approved physician assistant program; and the PA has successfully completed 4 semester hours of instruction in clinical pharmacology.

Applications for Physician Assistant Licensure

The licensure application fee is $200.00 and must accompany the application when it is sent to the Board of Medicine office. This non-refundable fee covers the cost of processing the application and the licensure fee until the next renewal period. All physician assistant licenses expire on March 31 of odd-numbered years. The renewal fee is $100.00.

Requirements for Physician Assistant Licensure

• Proof of graduation from an approved program of instruction in primary health care or surgery.

• Successful completion of NCCPA and evidence of current certification.

• Good moral character.

• Proof of attained baccalaureate or master’s degree, as evidenced by a diploma.

• Results of self-query from NPDB and HIPDB.

Board meetings are held every other month, beginning in January. When your application is processed, you will receive a letter notifying you of what documentation is outstanding. When all documentation has been received, you will be mailed information to schedule your interview. Your application must be complete, before you may schedule your interview with a Board Member. This interview must be completed at least fifteen (15) days before the next scheduled Board meeting for your name to be placed on the Board’s agenda for consideration. However, if you answer "yes" to any Personal Data question on page two (2) of the application, you may be required to appear before the Physician Assistant Committee.

Temporary Approval:

Physician Assistant temporary licensure is permitted when any graduate of an approved program submits an application to the board for a physician assistant license, accompanied by a job description, a $50 temporary license fee, and is waiting to sit for or gain the results from the national commission on certification of physician assistants' certifying examination.  In this circumstance, the Board shall issue to that applicant a temporary license allowing that applicant to function as a physician assistant until the applicant successfully passes the national commission on certification of physician assistants' certifying examination.  In the event of failure of that examination, the temporary license shall expire and terminate automatically, and the Board shall so notify the physician assistant.

Such temporary licensure is permitted also under the same circumstances when the graduate of an approved program has successfully passed the NCCPA certifying examination.

All other new applicants must wait for the next scheduled meeting of the Board to gain licensure.

Once a physician assistant is approved for licensure by the Board, he or she may apply for:

• Change of supervisor at the same job location

• Change of job location with the same supervisor

• Change of job location and supervisor

• Additional job location and supervisor

• Additional job location with the same supervisor

• Prescriptive writing privileges

The physician assistant must request an application from the Board office to make any of the above changes and/or additions. Along with the application, the physician assistant must submit a new job description signed and dated by the PA and each supervising physician, and a $50.00 fee, if applicable. A physician assistant may not begin working under the requested change or addition until the PA has received written notice of approval from the Board Office.

For Physician Assistant applications or any questions you might have, contact:

Charlotte Jewell (304) 558-2921, ext. 210 or charlottejewell@wvdhhr.org

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PROCESS MY APPLICATION?

This time will vary with each application. You may speed the process by making sure you have read and followed directions and all supporting documents are submitted to the Board as quickly as possible, in accordance with the directions set forth in the application packet.

DO I HAVE TO HAVE A SUPERVISING PHYSICIAN IN ORDER TO HOLD AN ACTIVE LICENSE?

Yes. When you no longer have a supervising physician, you will be unlicensed. If you are unlicensed for less than a year, you may apply for reinstatement of your license. If longer than a year, you must apply as if you are a new applicant.

DOES THE BOARD CONTACT THE NPDB & HIPDB ON MY BEHALF?

No. You must contact the NPDB & HIPDB and request the "Practitioner Request for Information Disclosure" self-query forms.

IS A TEMPORARY LICENSE AVAILABLE OR DO I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING?

See Temporary Approval, above.

TO WHICH STAFF MEMBER SHOULD I DIRECT MY QUESTIONS?

You should contact Charlotte Jewell at (304) 558-2921, ext. 210.

WHEN MAY I APPLY FOR PRESCRIPTIVE WRITING PRIVILEGES?

After you have performed patient care services for a minimum of two (2) years, you may apply for prescriptive writing privileges.

SHOULD I LET THE BOARD KNOW IF I AM NO LONGER WORKING UNDER THE SUPERVISING PHYSICIAN (S) FOR WHICH I APPLIED?

Yes. Also, the supervising physician must notify the Board in writing of any termination of the employment of his or her physician assistant with ten (10) days of the termination.

HOW MANY SUPERVISING PHYSICIANS MAY I HAVE?

You may have no more than three (3) supervising physicians at one time.

MAY I HAVE TEMPORARY APPROVAL TO WORK UNTIL I PASS THE NCCPA EXAMINATION, IF I HAVE SAT FOR AND FAILED THE EXAM?

No.  No applicant shall receive temporary licensure who, following graduation from an approved program, has sat for and not obtained a passing score on the exam.

VARIOUS APPLICATIONS FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD:  CLICK HERE