Bus. & Prof. Code, § 3502.1.5

This chapter or any other provision of law shall not be construed to prohibit a physician assistant from administering or providing buprenorphine to a patient, or transmitting orally, or in writing on a patient’s record or in a drug order, an order to a person who may lawfully furnish buprenorphine when done in compliance with the provisions of the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act (Public Law 114-198), as enacted on July 22, 2016, including the following:

(a) The requirement that the physician assistant complete not fewer than 24 hours of initial training provided by an organization listed in sub-subclause (aa) of subclause (II) of clause (iv) of subparagraph (G) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 823 of Title 21 of the United States Code, or any other organization that the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services determines is appropriate for the purposes of that sub-subclause, that addresses the following:

(1) Opioid maintenance and detoxification.

(2) Appropriate clinical use of all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

(3) Initial and periodic patient assessments, including substance use monitoring.

(4) Individualized treatment planning, overdose reversal, and relapse prevention.

(5) Counseling and recovery support services.

(6) Staffing roles and considerations.

(7) Diversion control.

(8) Other best practices, as identified by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(b) The alternative requirement that the physician assistant have other training or experience that the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services determines will demonstrate the ability of the physician assistant to treat and manage opiate-dependent patients.

(c) The requirement that the physician assistant be supervised by, or work in collaboration with, a licensed physician and surgeon.