Virginia Bills

Establishes requirements for licensure and practice as a doctorate of medical science. The bill provides that it is unlawful to practice as a doctorate of medical science unless licensed by the Board of Medicine (Board) and requires that an applicant for licensure, among other requirements, (i) hold an active unrestricted license to practice as a physician assistant in the Commonwealth or another jurisdiction and be able to demonstrate engagement in active clinical practice as a physician assistant under physician supervision for at least three years and (ii) be a graduate of at least a two-year doctor of medical science program or an equivalent program that is accredited by a regional body under the U.S Department of Education and an accrediting body approved by the Board. The bill provides that doctorates of medical science can practice only as part of a patient care team at a hospital or group medical practice engaged in primary care and are required to maintain appropriate collaboration and consultation, as evidenced in a written or electronic practice agreement, with at least one patient care team physician. The bill requires the Board to establish the scope of practice for doctorates of medical science and to promulgate regulations regarding collaboration and consultation among a patient care team and requirements for the practice agreement. The bill outlines the prescriptive authority of doctorates of medical science. The bill also authorizes various powers and requires various duties of a doctorate of medical science where such powers and duties are, under current law, given to and required of physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Requires the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, state and local law-enforcement agencies, emergency medical services agencies, and hospitals to report information about overdoses of controlled substances within 120 hours of receiving such information to the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and for the Secretary to make such information available to public health, law-enforcement, and emergency medical service agencies and fire departments and companies within 120 hours of receiving the information. The bill also requires the Secretary to report this information quarterly to the Governor and for such report to be made available to all public health, law-enforcement, and emergency medical services agencies in the Commonwealth. The bill is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health. This bill was incorporated into