Governor McMaster to sign physician assistant bill today

(ABC Columbia) Governor Henry McMaster

(ABC Columbia) Governor Henry McMaster

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – Governor Henry McMaster will sign a bill that will give physician assistants more authority in their jobs.

The “Physician Assistant Act of 2019” will be signed at the State House at 11:30 a.m. today.

The bill will give assistants many perks like allowing them to prescribe up to five days of Schedule II drugs, instead of three previously.

The Post & Courier reports that under the new law, assistants will also not have to be located a certain distance from their supervisors.

The legislation also doubles the number of assistants physicians are allowed to have.

However, the new law won’t allow assistants to practice independently, which requires a licensed physician to supervise them.

Lawmakers voted to pass the act earlier this year.