Purpose

In order to strengthen access to medical services, and in recognition of the advances in the delivery of medical services, the participating states of the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact have allied in common purpose to develop a comprehensive process that complements the existing authority of state licensing boards to license and discipline physician assistants and seeks to enhance the portability of a license to practice as a physician assistant while safeguarding the safety of patients. This compact allows medical services to be provided by physician assistants, via the mutual recognition of the licensee’s qualifying license by other compact participating states. This compact also adopts the prevailing standard for physician assistant licensure and affirms that the practice and delivery of medical services by the physician assistant occurs where the patient is located at the time of the patient encounter, and therefore requires the physician assistant to be under the jurisdiction of the state licensing board where the patient is located. State licensing boards that participate in this compact retain the jurisdiction to impose adverse action against a compact privilege in that state issued to a physician assistant through the procedures of this compact. The Physician Assistant Licensure Compact will alleviate burdens for military families by allowing active-duty military personnel and their spouses to obtain a compact privilege based on having an unrestricted license in good standing from a participating state.