New Law Expands PA Role to Improve Access to Care in Kentucky

By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

A new law will significantly expand the range of services Kentucky physician assistants can provide — and it’s a change supporters say is especially important in a state where many rural communities face persistent healthcare shortages.

Senate Bill 116, signed into law in April, will now allow physician assistants (PAs) to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances within the framework of a collaboration agreement with a physician. The measure also allows credentialed PAs to sign completed driver’s license vision testing forms.

“I believe PAs are a part of the solution to the health care shortage in Kentucky,” said Virginia Valentin, DrPH, PA-C and Chair of the Physician Assistant Studies Department at the University of Kentucky. “I am excited to see this legislative step towards expanding access for patients in Kentucky.”

The law does maintain key guardrails. It does not grant independent practice authority to physician assistants, does not limit a physician’s ability to define practice parameters, and does not allow PAs to bill patients independently.

But healthcare educators and practitioners say the update brings Kentucky closer in line with national trends emphasizing team-based care.

Hannah Anderson, MSPAS, PA-C, and a faculty member at the University of Kentucky who has worked with the Kentucky Academy of Physician Assistants, called the measure a “big change” for the state.

“Prior to this legislation, PAs haven’t been able to prescribe Schedule II medications, which includes treatment for behavioral health needs such as ADHD or certain pain medications,” she said. “It is challenging to provide efficient patient care when you need someone else to sign prescriptions. Patient care will now be smoother, and PAs will be more efficient in providing care to our Kentucky communities.”

It is also a step forward for state leaders, who educators say must understand the critical need for PAs in the Commonwealth. 

In summer 2025, Valentin and Daniel Potter, MA, a research analyst for UK’s departments of Physician Assistant Studies and Physical Therapy, published an article in The Southern Medical Journal entitled “Bridging the Gap: Examining Physician Assistant Practice Patterns to Address Kentucky’s Health Care Workforce.”

“Kentucky is behind other states when it comes to the PA workforce,” Valentin said. “Our PA faculty have been working hard for years to advocate for the PA profession and build the PA workforce in the state. We are very proud of how much progress we have made over the last decade in this work.”

The new legislation also aligns Kentucky more closely with the “Optimal Team Practice” model promoted by national PA organizations, which emphasizes flexible, physician-led collaboration and reduced administrative barriers.

Lawmakers backing the bill say the changes will help healthcare teams operate more efficiently while maintaining patient protections — a balance they argue is critical as Kentucky works to improve access to care statewide.

“In many parts of Kentucky, especially in rural communities, access to healthcare providers remains a real challenge,” said Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, who sponsored the bill. “This legislation helps ensure physicians and physician assistants can work together effectively so patients receive timely, high-quality care while maintaining strong physician oversight.”