Medical Assistant Scope of Practice

Every profession involves a certain set of skills, duties and daily routines, and certain occupations are regulated and overseen by the state, or a licensing board and professional associations. When such professionals practice their skill they are required to stay within their occupational scope of practice; meaning, they must adhere to certain boundaries and professional conduct in relation to other discipline. This is especially true in allied health care and medical occupations where similar activities go hand-in-hand, such as between doctors, nurses and medical assistants caring for patients. However, the same goes for beauticians, electricians, plumbers, firefighters, counselors, doctors, dentists, nurses, nurse’s aides and medical assistants.

A plumber cannot practice as a beautician and a firefighter cannot practice as a nurse. Anyone who, for some reason, steps outside their scope of practice, and for example, practices medicine without a doctor’s license, or installs electrical wires without an electrician’s license is putting their name, reputation, future and worse of all, other people at risk. A professional’s conduct affects their entire career and once someone has broken the rules they are not only endangering themselves and others, they may also open themselves up to legal consequences, perhaps even jail, and will be seen in a different light by their peers and potential employers from then on forward.

Regulations that Govern the Medical Assisting Discipline

Regulations governing the scope of practice for medical assistants in the USA vary from state to state; aside from general laws and regulations, the medical assisting discipline is typically governed and overseen by the State Medical Board/Medical Examiner and the State Board of Nursing and US Department of Health.

Every medical assistant, whether certified or non-certified, formally trained or trained on the job, must practice their skill only under the direct supervision of the doctor (M.D., PhD), licensed healthcare practitioner, or nurse practitioner who hired them. While each medical assistant can and will be held directly responsible for their own actions in a court of law should something go wrong, their employer might also face serious consequences should laws be disregarded and rules be broken.

What Medical Assistants Are NOT Allowed to Do:

Medical assistants are prohibited from making patient health assessments or judgments regarding medical treatment and may not:

• independently triage patients
• interpret diagnostic test results
• dispense medications without a prescription
• administer medications without doctor’s orders
• administer medications directly into the vein

In addition, the medical assistant is generally prohibited from performing invasive procedures, which typically may include urinary catheter insertion and cosmetic laser treatments, administering Botox injections and giving chemotherapeutic, or narcotic drugs.

For more on the medical assistant’s scope of practice click link.