News

  • 13 Mar 2019 1:20 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    SB 44 hearing TOMORROW Thursday, March 14 @ 1:30pm

    Location: SenateLabor and Commerce Committee.

    Committee Members are:

    Chair- Sen. Lora Reinbold –Eagle River area

    Sen. Costello – Sand Lakearea

    Sen. Click Bishop – Fairbanksarea

    Sen. Chris Birch – Anchoragelower hillside

    Sen. Elvi Gray Jackson –Anchorage Fairview area

    If you are a PA residing in these areas, or are directly impacted by telehealth legislation please reach out to a Committee Member above before the meeting.

    If you are in Juneau and can attend in person: http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/31?Root=sb44

    If you can make time to call to testify please contact Jane Conway TODAY at jane.conway@akleg.gov or by phone at 907-465-3623 for call-in information. 

    If you call or attend in person be prepared to give a 1-2 minute testimony on why you support SB 44, what issues it will solve, etc. Also, you may get questions on what PAs do, their education, underserved areas, etc.


  • 13 Mar 2019 1:16 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has announced a new SHARP-1 loan repayment opportunity for selected healthcare practitioners including physician assistants. Application forms will be available starting Monday, April 1, 2019. 

    For more information on this program please click here.  


  • 25 Jul 2018 1:50 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    More states are lifting restrictions and regulatory hurdles to allow physician assistants to work more “collaboratively” with physicians as the team-based approach to healthcare takes hold.

    Historically, states have required physicians to more closely monitor physician assistants (PAs) in what some have said led to redundant tasks or slowed the ability of patients to get the care they needed in a timely fashion.

    But physician assistants -- like nurse practitioners -- are successfully convincing lawmakers and governors to break down regulatory hurdles to their patients for a variety of reasons, including the physician shortage and general comfort U.S. patients have with being treated by someone other than a doctor. Such changes to regulations, or scope of practice laws, are the result of state legislative sessions that are just wrapping up this spring.

    To read the complete article click here.

  • 07 May 2018 9:25 AM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    The division reviewed all public comments relating to the proposed fees for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Originally proposed at $50.00 for initial registration and renewal, the fee amounts have since been reassessed and reduced. Effective April 22, 2018 and required by 12 AAC 02.107, a $25.00 initial and $25.00 renewal registration fee will be required by all pharmacists who dispense and practitioners who prescribes, administers, or directly dispenses a schedule II – IV controlled substance before initial or continued access to the database is granted. Submission of PDMP registration fees will be integrated into the license renewal process; no PDMP fees are due from existing users prior to April 22, 2018. Please click HERE for PDMP fee FAQs and click HERE to review the regulation filing notification.

    • Initial Payment Form
    • Renewal Payment Form
    • (Only submit at license renewal time. Click here for license expiration dates.)
  • 21 Mar 2018 1:50 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Physician Assistants (PAs) have been around for about 50 years, after being birthed by the midwives of the profession, also known as MDs. We PAs have always had a close and formal connection to MDs, which has made us unique in the medical world.

    Over the years, there have been several efforts to put a little more space between PAs and MDs, including several efforts to have our professional association, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), endorse a different title. Many PAs, young and old alike, have chafed under the word “assistant,” often feeling that this misrepresents and belittles our profession and the work we do.

    Click here to read more.

  • 09 Feb 2018 3:34 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    The Department proposes to establish fees for registration with the Alaska prescription drug monitoring program's controlled substance prescription database (PDMP) by a pharmacist who dispenses or a practitioner who prescribes, administers, or directly dispenses a schedule II, III, of IV controlled substance under federal law as required under AS 17.30.200. 

    The AKAPA is actively working on a response to the proposed changes. Questions, comments and concerns can be directed to info@akapa.org. Updates will be sent to members as they become available including the AKAPAs formal response and information on how individuals can respond as well. 

    Click here to review full proposed regulation changes

    Click here PDMP Regulation Fees FAQ

  • 09 Feb 2018 3:21 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)












    New Law Permits PAs to Provide Hospice Care to Medicare Patients

    Contact: Berit Mansour, bmansour@aapa.org

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Feb. 9, 2018) – This morning, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law two improvements to Medicare that represent significant victories for PAs and the patients they serve.

    The first improvement will allow PAs to manage and provide hospice care to terminally-ill Medicare patients; another will allow PAs to supervise cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under the Medicare program.

    Specifically, the new law modernizes outdated Medicare law with language specific to PAs in the Medicare Patient Access to Hospice Act.

    “Literally hundreds of PAs have made the case to members of Congress about the necessity to eliminate the unwarranted restrictions which have prevented PAs from providing hospice care to their Medicare patients. Too many PAs have patients that have been under their care for years who have been forced to choose between continued care and hospice,” said L. Gail Curtis, PA-C, MPAS, DFAAPA, president and chair of AAPA’s Board of Directors. “This new law will empower PAs to offer continuity of care at a time when patients and their families are most vulnerable.”

    Click here to read the full article.

  • 17 Mar 2017 1:34 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    On June 21, 2016 Governor Walker signed Senate Bill 74. This Bill involved multiple components and professions, including the Board of Pharmacy and the PDMP. Because SB74 outlines specific mandates in regards to the PDMP we wanted to provide you with some early FAQ’s. In addition, the Board of Pharmacy is currently working on writing regulations to fully comply with SB74 so please continue to review the Board website for updates.

    The state has provided a document with useful links and frequently asked questions that can be downloaded by clicking here.  

    As of December 2016 250 of 611 licensed PAs were registered users. 


  • 17 Mar 2017 1:24 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    The results of the Joint Task Force’s survey regarding its Full Practice Authority and Responsibility proposal are now available.  Over 12,000 PAs, retired PAs and PA students participated in the survey, and 72 percent of respondents said they support the proposal overall.

    A summary of the survey results can be found here.

    Here is a link to read the full survey report, as well as the many comments (over 12,000!) that are provided as an addendum.  For a quick overview and visual representation of the results, please take a look at the slides. All of these documents are available in the AAPA News Center.

    You can direct any questions regarding the survey to fparfeedback@aapa.org


  • 23 Sep 2016 9:19 AM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    NCCPA Revises Potential Changes to the PA Recertification Exam

    September 19, 2016

    NCCPA advised AAPA, PAEA and ARC-PA at our meeting in Atlanta on September 6 that it is considering an alternative to its previous proposal for recertification testing. NCCPA did not ask the organizations present to endorse its proposal, nor did we offer to do so. We – AAPA, PAEA and ARC-PA – agreed to give NCCPA time to make an official announcement to the PA community before reaching out to our respective stakeholders. NCCPA distributed the alternative they are currently considering by email to PAs on September 9. Over the coming weeks, AAPA’s board will evaluate the new NCCPA proposal in light of AAPA policy, the views of our constituent organizations (COs) and those of individual PAs.

    Click here to read more.

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