Indiana becomes 50th US state to allow physician assistant Rxing

Mitch Daniels Governor of the US state of Indiana, has signed legislation allowing physicians to delegate prescriptive authority to physician assistants. The new bill will take effect on July 1, making Indiana the 50th state to grant this authority. "With this new change in the law, thousands of patients in Indiana will have increased access to quality patient care, provided by competent, qualified health care professionals," stated American Academy of Physician Assistants president Mary Ettari.

House Bill 1241, authored by Democrat Representative Peggy Welch, had overwhelming bi-partisan support in the legislature. The bill also changes the credential awarded by the state from a certificate to a license and authorizes a physician to delegate duties to a PA that are within his/her scope of practice. According to Rep Welch, "[This] bill will enable Indiana's physician assistants to broaden their range of health care services and, in turn, provide a new standard of patient care."