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Physician Assistants

Physician assistants support physicians in a range of health care settings to provide patient care. In Alberta, all physician assistants must work under the supervision of a physician registered for independent practice in Alberta (on the General Register or Provisional Register Conditional Practice).

In follow-up to government direction, the College has now created a voluntary, non-regulated membership category for physician assistants.

Our responsibility regarding physician assistants:

The College only registers physician assistants that meet the registration criteria (see more information below).
The College maintains a list of registered physician assistants. The list includes a) Name, b) Credentials and c) Public Contact Information.
The College has standards of practice in place for physicians who wish to use physician assistants in their medical practice (Standard #4 – Supervision of Restricted Activities).

It is important to understand what is NOT the College's responsibility regarding physician assistants. The College:

DOES NOT verify the source of the information provided by physician assistants interested in registering.
DOES NOT regulate the physician assistant profession.
DOES NOT have authority to mandate a physician assistant to register with the College.
DOES NOT have any authority to discipline or regulate the conduct, training or performance of physician assistants.

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Hiring a physician assistant -- things to consider
A Physician Assistant shall only work under the supervision of a regulated member on the General Register or the Provisional Register Conditional Practice, and that regulated member will take responsibility for the clinical performance of the Physician Assistant (Bylaw 24 (6), passed by Council December 4, 2010)

For more information about working with physician assistants refer to the Canadian Medical Association's Physician Assistant Toolkit.

When hiring a physician assistant, the physician, as prospective employer, should consider having the candidate provide the following information:
- Currency of training or practice
- Scope of practice
- Criminal record check
- Fitness to practice issues, such as:
  - Transmissible blood borne infections
  - Serious health issues that impair or have impaired the ability to provide safe patient care
  - Medical conditions that impair judgment, cognition, sensory, or motor function
  - Any involvement in a sexual or inappropriate personal relationship with a patient
- Disciplinary actions taken by any employer or regulatory authority that has authority over the candidate
- Liability protection for acts or omissions of the candidate working under the supervision of the physician
Note to physicians:
For advice on employing and compensating physician assistants please contact the Alberta Medical Association.
Registration criteria for physician assistants
The following registration criteria was approved by Council:

A graduate of a physician assistant training program meeting one of the following criteria:
- training provided through the Canadian Forces Medical Services School,
- accredited by the Canadian Medical Association Conjoint Accreditation Process in Canada, or
- Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) in the United States of America,
AND

A certified Physician Assistant with one of the following credentials:
- Canadian Certified Physician Assistant (CCPA), granted by the Physician Assistants Certification Council of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, or
- Physician Assistant – Certified (PA-C), granted by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants in the United States of America
Bylaw permitting physician assistant registration

On December 3, 2010, Council of the College passed a bylaw pertaining to the registration of Physician Assistants as non-regulated members.

Note to physicians: For advice on employing and compensating physician assistants please contact the Alberta Medical Association.

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Contact

Email registration@cpsa.ab.ca

Information For...

Physician Assistants

More Information

Hiring a physician assistant -- things to consider

Registration criteria for physician assistants

Bylaw permitting physician assistant registration

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