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Arizona Medical Assistants Scope of Practice Act

This bill amends Arizona law to expand the scope of practice for medical assistants by allowing them to place and remove urinary catheters under the general supervision of certain licensed healthcare professionals, after appropriate training. The bill clarifies that medical assistants can perform various tasks both under direct supervision (such as taking body fluid specimens and administering injections) and without direct supervision (like scheduling, billing, and recording patient information). The Arizona Medical Board is given the authority to prescribe additional medical procedures that medical assistants may perform and to establish training requirements for medical assistants. The bill defines "general supervision" as overall direction and control by a healthcare professional without requiring their physical presence during the procedure. Using the title "medical assistant" is restricted, and violations can result in a class 3 misdemeanor. The changes aim to provide more flexibility in healthcare settings while maintaining standards for medical assistant training and performance.1