Scope of Practice
What is a physician associate's scope of practice?
- Taking medical histories from patients
- Carrying out physical examinations
- Seeing patients with long-term chronic conditions
- Formulating differential diagnoses and management plans
- Performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
- Developing and delivering appropriate treatment and management plans
- Requesting and interpreting diagnostic studies
- Providing health promotion and disease prevention advice for patients
Roles and Responsibilities
- Manages undifferentiated, undiagnosed cases by history taking, physical examinations and clinical decision-making to establish a working diagnosis and management plan
- While they currently do not have prescribing rights, they can prepare prescriptions for GPs to sign
Are physician associates regulated?
PAs are set to be regulated by the GMC in January 2022. Prescribing rights are expected to follow this.