The following information was published by the Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners Medical Licensure Commission newsletter in the April-June 2011 edition (Volume 26, Number 2).  As one can see, the prescriptive authority extended to our PA colleagues in Alabama is extremely restrictive.  This is the ‘same deal’ that was offered to Alabama NPs but declined, during the 2010 legislative session, because the BME would not allow the Alabama Board of Nursing to be our Certifying Body. Please read the below article:

"PAs controlled substances prescribing protocol

A standard protocol was adopted for PAs prescribing controlled substances pursuant to a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate. The protocol states as follows: 1. The quantity of a controlled substance initially prescribed by a Physician

Assistant (PA) shall be limited to a fourteen (14) day supply, and any refill must be authorized by the supervising physician. The supervising physician must see the patient before authorizing a refill.

2. If a prescription for a controlled substance is initiated by the supervising physician, the P.A. may authorize only one (1) refill for a thirty (30) day supply of the medication.

3. A PA may make a verbal order for a con- trolled substance under the circumstances stated in this protocol."

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