Alerts

• NEW: New Prescribing Laws Take Effect January 1, 2022.
  Licensees of the Physician Assistant Board with prescribing authority are subject to the e-prescribing requirements established by Assembly Bill (AB) 2789 (Wood, 2018). Beginning January 1, 2022, all prescriptions issued by a licensed healthcare practitioner to a California pharmacy must be submitted electronically. For more information on this law and its requirements, please see the AB 2789 Bulletin.

• NEW: Health Care Workers and Vaccination Requirements

• NEW: FRAUD ALERT: Scam Aimed at Licensees of DCA’s Boards and Bureaus

• NEW: On May 24, 2021, the American Academy of Physician Assistants House of Delegates passed a resolution affirming title change of the PA profession from “Physician Assistant” to “Physician Associate.” While the Physician Assistant Board is aware of the title change, it is inappropriate for PAs to hold themselves out as “physician associates” unless and until legislative and regulatory changes are made to incorporate the new title.

• NEW: CURES FEE INCREASE

  Effective April 1, 2021, the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) fee will increase from $6 to $11 annually for a period of two years. The increase will be applied to licenses expiring after July 1, 2021, and is assessed at the time of license renewal on specified licensees of the Physician Assistant Board that prescribe, order, administer, furnish, or dispense Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV, or Schedule V controlled substances.

  Most licensees will see a $22 CURES Fee due to the biennial renewal cycle. The fee covers the reasonable regulatory costs of the Department of Justice for operating and maintaining CURES, a critical element in the state’s effort to address the growing danger of opioid addiction stemming from prescription drug abuse.

  For more information about CURES, visit: https://oag.ca.gov/cures

• NEW: UPDATE: Notice Regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Administration
• NEW: Expedited Licensure for Refugees, Asylees, and Holders of Special Immigrant Visas

• Notice Regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Administration

  As the COVID-19 vaccines are distributed, the Physician Assistant Board (Board) is supporting the State’s effort to ensure that all providers follow the standards for allocating and administering COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, Board licensees must adhere to the current federal and state prioritization standards for allocating and administering COVID-19 vaccines in phases. The standards are available on the California Department of Public Health’s website at the following link: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Drafting-Guidelines-Workgroup.aspx

  For more information, please see the Vaccine Distribution Guidance.

• AB 528 – New Requirements for Reporting Dispensed Controlled Substances
• Message from Board President Grant
• DCA News Release – AB 149
• Prescribing and Reporting Rules for Controlled Substances Effective January 1, 2021
• Physician Assistant Board Appoints New Executive Officer
• The Physician Assistant Board (Board) would like to notify you that the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Health and Human Services have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers. The Board is sharing this information to provide warning to healthcare providers to ensure that they take timely and reasonable precautions to protect their networks from these threats. Please see additional information at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency website: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-302a.
• Department of Consumer Affairs Waivers
• NEW: DCA Waiver DCA-21-198 Order Extending DCA-20-04 and 20-05, Extending Two April 14, 2020, Orders Relating to Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Supervision
• NEW: DCA Waiver DCA-21-194 Order Waiving License Renewal Requirements (Division 2)
• NEW: DCA Waiver DCA-21-187 Order Extending DCA-20-02, 20-57, 20-91, and 21-165 Order Waiving License Reactivation or Restoration Requirements
• NEW: DCA Waiver DCA-21-140 Order Waiving Restrictions On Healthcare Providers With Expired, Inactive Or Lapsed Licenses Ordering And Administering COVID-19 Vaccines In Association With State or Local Vaccination Efforts
• NEW: DCA Waiver DCA-21-139 Order Waiving Restrictions On Healthcare Students Administering COVID-19 Vaccines In Association With State or Local Vaccination Efforts
• NEW: DCA Waiver DCA-21-137 Order Waiving Restrictions On Licensed Midwives, Physician Assistants, Respiratory Care Practitioners, And Veterinarians Ordering And Administering COVID-19 Vaccines In Association With State or Local Vaccination Efforts
• Guidance on Physician Assistant Supervision Requirements Waiver Under DCA Waiver-02-04
• Controlled Substance Course Certificates
  Effective June 1, 2020, the Board will not accept certificates of completion from providers not listed on our website for the controlled substance education course
• EMSA Information for California and out-of-state health care providers regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• CDPH What You Need To Know: Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
• COVID-19 Updates
• Department of Health Care Services
• SB 697
  
  Implementation of SB 697, effective January 1, 2020, amends the California Physician Assistant Practice Act. To view the California Physician Assistant Practice Act visit California Legislative Information. Submit questions regarding amendments by emailing the PA Board.
  
  Information Bulletin - SB 697 Frequently Asked Questions
• AB 149 (Cooper) Transition Period for Prescription Form Requirements Effective March 11, 2019
• Statewide Prescription Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention