LICENSURE

What are the currently requirements for
PA licensure in Illinois?

Applicants for PA licensure in Illinois must be NCCPA board certified PAs, and must not be licensed or permitted as a separate class of provider (e.g., physician, dentist) as defined by the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

Do Illinois PAs need a Collaborating Physician to practice?

Not necessarily. PAs may provide services in a hospital, hospital affiliate, licensed ambulatory surgical center, or Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) without a written collaborative agreement, as long as they are granted clinical privileges by the medical staff office, physician committee, or consulting medical staff committee (or equivalent).

PAs providing services in all other settings must have a collaborating physician on file with the State of Illinois.

PRESCRIBING & MEDICATIONS

Can PAs in Illinois write prescriptions?

Yes, PAs in Illinois can write prescriptions for patients and order medications in hospitals. In most settings, prescriptive authority is delegated by a collaborating physician. PAs who prescribe medications have an Illinois controlled substance license and Federal DEA license in their own name. Some PAs who only order medications in hospitals may not need a controlled substance license or DEA number.

Does my collaborating physician’s name need to appear on prescriptions that I write as a PA?

In some cases yes, but usually not.

For PAs who have their own Illinois controlled substance and Federal DEA licenses, there is no requirement to include the name of the collaborating physician on any prescription in Illinois law.

PAs who do NOT have their own prescriptive authority (e.g., if they practice in a hospital, hospital affiliate, ambulatory surgical center, or FQHC) may still prescribe controlled substances at the time of discharge, with certain limitations. These include the requirement to list the name of the Attending Physician with whom they are collaborating in the care of the patient on the prescription.

The pharmacy is telling me that they won’t fill my prescription unless they have the name/DEA/NPI/etc. of my collaborating physician. Is this correct?

For PAs that hold a valid Illinois controlled substance license and federal DEA, there is no legal requirement to provide this information on your prescription.

However, pharmacists are allowed to decline to fill prescriptions based on their professional judgement. If this happens to you, we recommend providing the requested information to the pharmacy and contacting the IAPA to report the concern.

COLLABORATION

How many PAs can collaborate with an individual physician?

Under Illinois law, the rules concerning how many physician assistants (PAs) a physician may collaborate with are as follows:

  1. General Limit: A physician may collaborate with a maximum of 7 full-time equivalent physician assistants. The term "full-time equivalent" refers to 40 hours per week per individual PA​.

  2. Exemptions: This 7 PA limit does not apply in the following settings:

    • Hospitals

    • Hospital affiliates

    • Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

    • Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Centers

    In these settings, the collaborative ratio restriction is waived, allowing physicians to collaborate with more than 7 PAs if they are able to provide adequate collaboration​.

  3. Additional Flexibility: A physician may also collaborate with more than 7 PAs outside these exempt settings if the services are provided in a federal primary care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) with a HPSA score of 12 or higher, as determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In such cases, appropriate documentation must be maintained and available to the Department upon request​.

  4. Adequate Collaboration Requirement: Regardless of the number, the physician must be able to provide "adequate collaboration" as defined in the written collaborative agreement, taking into account the complexity of the practice, the patient population, and the experience of each PA​.

  5. Disciplinary Risks: Entering into an "excessive number" of collaborative agreements that impair the ability to adequately collaborate may result in disciplinary action against the physician​.