Medical board ends unannounced PA practice visits

The North Carolina Medical Board will discontinue its practice of conducting annual, random site visits at physician assistant (PA) practice locations.

According to a press release from the Board, random site visits were held to verify compliance with laws and rules related to PA supervision and practice. PAs practicing in North Carolina must do so under a supervisory agreement with a physician. The supervising physician must ensure that the PA’s scope of practice is clearly identified, and that the delegation of the medical tasks is appropriate to the skills and competencies of both the supervising physician and the PA. A licensed physician assistant may form their own practice to render the professional services they are licensed to provide. 

Earlier this year, the North Carolina Medical Board’s Advanced Practice Provider and Allied Health Committee recommended ending the site visit program, noting that mostly only minor administrative issues were found during the visits. Out of 300 site visits conducted since 2010, only 12 enforcement cases had to be opened. Of those, only four cases have been opened since 2014.