Part II. Requirements for Practice As a Physician's Assistant
18VAC85-50-40. General requirements.
A. No person shall practice as a physician assistant in the Commonwealth of Virginia except as provided in this chapter.
B. Except as provided in § 54.1-2952 C of the Code of Virginia, all services rendered by a physician assistant shall be performed only in accordance with a practice agreement with one or more doctors of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry licensed by this board to practice in the Commonwealth.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR465-05-1 § 2.1, eff. February 1, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 20, eff. August 1, 1990; Volume 8, Issue 12, eff. April 8, 1992; Volume 8, Issue 25, eff. October 8, 1992; Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; Volume 19, Issue 18, eff. June 18, 2003; Volume 37, Issue 13, eff. March 16, 2021; Volume 37, Issue 26, eff. September 15, 2021; Volume 39, Issue 4, eff. November 9, 2022.
18VAC85-50-50. Licensure: entry requirements and application.
A. The applicant seeking licensure as a physician assistant shall submit:
1. A completed application and fee as prescribed by the board.
2. Documentation of successful completion of an educational program as prescribed in § 54.1-2951.1 of the Code of Virginia.
3. Documentation of passage of the certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
4. If licensed or certified in any other jurisdiction, verification that there has been no disciplinary action taken or pending in that jurisdiction.
B. The board may issue a license by endorsement to an applicant for licensure if the applicant (i) is the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the Commonwealth, (ii) holds current certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, and (iii) holds a license as a physician assistant that is in good standing, or that is eligible for reinstatement if lapsed, under the laws of another state.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR465-05-1 § 2.2, eff. February 1, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 20, eff. August 1, 1990; Volume 8, Issue 12, eff. April 8, 1992; Volume 8, Issue 25, eff. October 8, 1992; Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; Volume 14, Issue 21, eff. August 5, 1998; Volume 36, Issue 1, eff. October 2, 2019; Volume 38, Issue 13, eff. April 1, 2022.
18VAC85-50-55. Provisional licensure.
Pending the outcome of the next examination administered by the NCCPA, an applicant who has met all other requirements of 18VAC85-50-50 at the time his initial application is submitted may be granted provisional licensure by the board. The provisional licensure shall be valid until the applicant takes the next subsequent NCCPA examination and its results are reported, but this period of validity shall not exceed 30 days following the reporting of the examination scores, after which the provisional license shall be invalid.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2949 through 54.1-2953 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 21, eff. August 5, 1998.
18VAC85-50-56. Renewal of license.
A. Every licensed physician assistant intending to continue to practice shall biennially renew the license in each odd numbered year in the licensee's birth month by:
1. Returning the renewal form and fee as prescribed by the board; and
2. Verifying compliance with continuing medical education standards established by the NCCPA.
B. Any physician assistant who allows his NCCPA certification to lapse shall be considered not licensed by the board. Any such assistant who proposes to resume his practice shall make a new application for licensure.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 and Chapter 29 (§ 54.1-2900 et seq.) of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; amended, Virginia Register Volume 18, Issue 21, eff. July 31, 2002.
18VAC85-50-57. Discontinuation of employment.
If for any reason the physician assistant discontinues working with a patient care team physician or podiatrist, a new practice agreement shall be entered into in order for the physician assistant either to be reemployed by the same practitioner or to accept new employment with another patient care team physician or podiatrist.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997; amended, Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 21, eff. August 5, 1998; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 33, Issue 1, eff. October 5, 2016; Volume 37, Issue 13, eff. March 16, 2021.
18VAC85-50-58. Inactive licensure.
A. A physician assistant who holds a current, unrestricted license in Virginia shall, upon a request on the renewal application and submission of the required fee, be issued an inactive license.
1. The holder of an inactive license shall not be required to maintain certification by the NCCPA.
2. An inactive licensee shall not be entitled to practice as a physician assistant in Virginia.
B. An inactive licensee may reactivate his license upon submission of:
1. The required application;
2. Payment of the difference between the current renewal fee for inactive licensure and the renewal fee for active licensure for the biennium in which the license is being reactivated; and
3. Documentation of having maintained certification or having been recertified by the NCCPA.
C. The board reserves the right to deny a request for reactivation to any licensee who has been determined to have committed an act in violation of § 54.1-2915 of the Code of Virginia or any provisions of this chapter.
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2912.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 13, eff. April 11, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 1, eff. October 17, 2007.
18VAC85-50-59. Registration for voluntary practice by out-of-state licensees.
Any physician assistant who does not hold a license to practice in Virginia and who seeks registration to practice under subdivision 27 of § 54.1-2901 of the Code of Virginia on a voluntary basis under the auspices of a publicly supported, all volunteer, nonprofit organization that sponsors the provision of health care to populations of underserved people shall:
1. File a complete application for registration on a form provided by the board at least five business days prior to engaging in such practice. An incomplete application will not be considered;
2. Provide a complete record of professional licensure in each state in which he has held a license and a copy of any current license;
3. Provide the name of the nonprofit organization, the dates and location of the voluntary provision of services;
4. Pay a registration fee of $10; and
5. Provide a notarized statement from a representative of the nonprofit organization attesting to its compliance with provisions of subdivision 27 of § 54.1-2901 of the Code of Virginia.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 18, eff. June 18, 2003; amended, Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 24, eff. September 3, 2008.
18VAC85-50-60. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR465-05-1 § 2.3, eff. February 1, 1989; amended Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 20, eff. August 1, 1990; Volume 8, Issue 12, eff. April 8, 1992; Volume 8, Issue 25, eff. October 8, 1992; Volume 10, Issue 9, eff. February 23, 1994; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 21, eff. August 6, 1997.
18VAC85-50-61. Restricted volunteer license.
A. A physician assistant who held an unrestricted license issued by the Virginia Board of Medicine or by a board in another state as a licensee in good standing at the time the license expired or became inactive may be issued a restricted volunteer license to practice without compensation in a clinic that is organized in whole or in part for the delivery of health care services without charge in accordance with § 54.1-106 of the Code of Virginia.
B. To be issued a restricted volunteer license, a physician assistant shall submit an application to the board that documents compliance with requirements of § 54.1-2928.1 of the Code of Virginia and the application fee prescribed in 18VAC85-50-35.
C. The licensee who intends to continue practicing with a restricted volunteer license shall renew biennially during his birth month, meet the continued competency requirements prescribed in subsection D of this section, and pay to the board the renewal fee prescribed in 18VAC85-50-35.
D. The holder of a restricted volunteer license shall not be required to attest to hours of continuing education for the first renewal of such a license. For each renewal thereafter, the licensee shall attest to obtaining 50 hours of continuing education during the biennial renewal period with at least 25 hours in Type 1 and no more than 25 hours in Type 2 as acceptable to the NCCPA.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. March 5, 2008.