Joanna A. Diaz Cruz
Case Study
University of Phoenix
Prof. Keegan

Physician’s assistants and medical assistants both perform vital acts in a physician’s office. However, both positions differ significantly in scope of practice, ethical and practical duties, responsibilities, and legally authorized extensions. Physician’s assistant duties, scope of practice and the laws applicable to each of these areas varies from state to state. While physician’s assistants perform their duties under the direct supervision of a licensed physician in any area of primary care including surgical and surgical subspecialties, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, etc. Nevertheless, physician assistants in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have authorization to prescribe medication (Hooker, 2010). Although this policy evolution occurred over the objections of some physician organizations about expanded prescription authority, the reality is that this change is codified (Hooker, 2010). Because of their intermediary placement within spheres of primary care and medicine itself, physician’s assistants are not immune from ethical dilemmas and/or malpractice, negligence and/or liability (PAC, 2011).
Physician’s assistant share many duties, responsibilities as their supervising physician, based upon their training, their experience in the practice, ethical duties given the following case study situation. Although medical assistants perform complementary as administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, these duties and responsibilities are of lesser scope (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). Medical assistants should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician, they require less training and more