Including Physician Assistants in BC’s health care system

For years, Doctors of BC has advocated for introducing Physician Assistants (PAs) as a way to extend physician services and meet increasing patient needs. We are pleased government is taking the important step to welcome them into BC’s health care system. Having PAs work in emergency departments to help alleviate some of the current pressures and challenges is a great start, and we would hope that in time PAs would be extended to other areas of medicine that require support.

What are Physician Assistants?

PAs are healthcare professionals who provide a broad range of medical services. They work as part of a health care team, under the direction and supervision of physicians, to deliver patient care. PAs are intended to help extend the services physicians provide, reduce physician burdens, and enable patients to better access quality care in a timely manner.

What role would Physician Assistants play?

If the proposed revisions to the bylaws of the College of Physicians and Surgeons are approved, PAs would start by working within emergency departments to provide a broad range of health services including performing patient exams, ordering laboratory and diagnostic tests, prescribing medications, managing treatment plans, and advising patients on preventative care and optimal health practices, under the direction and supervision of a physician. 

When would Physician Assistants be introduced in BC?

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, in consultation with the Ministry of Health, has posted the proposed bylaws changes online for public consultation. Following this, and if approved, individuals could register as PAs in the coming months.

PAs are another set of much needed hands to help specialists and/or family doctors see more patients in communities where access is very limited or where human health resources are strained. Other provinces such as Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick have already invested in PAs because evidence shows they are a valuable part of the health care system, helping reduce wait times, improve patient care, and save health care costs.

And while Doctors of BC recognizes that PAs are not the final solution to the challenges our health care system is facing, they can help strengthen physicians’ ability to provide more access to quality care for patients.

We will continue our advocacy work with government, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, and the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants (CAPA) on this front to help bring PAs into BC.