My Dr. recently hired a p a I told her I have chronic pancreatitis, a result of numerous invasive testing done on my pancreas to find out what the masses of cysts are on my pan. (IPMN) She said most people who have this disease are alcoholic (even though I don't drink) In the last 3 visits I've had with her, she has cut out most of my pain meds. I am seeing the dr. next week to find out whats going on. Does she have the power to override what the dr. innitially ordered for me.
Well, yes & no. The truth is that, at least in the States, physician's assistants must work under the supervision of physicians. So the physician still has to sign off on all his/her work and is ultimately responsible for the care provided by the PA. With that said, if the PA is experienced and has the physician's trust, the overview is typically not indepth (otherwise you're back to square one time-wise). So while the PA can't "override" the physician, the PA can make adjustments to your regimen (including starting & stopping medications written by the physician). You have a right to see who you want to see, eg physician vs PA, but that may also affect how often you see that person (typically, one hires a PA when one is too busy). Good luck!
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Posted by lynus
My Dr. recently hired a p a I told her I have chronic pancreatitis, a result of numerous invasive testing done on my pancreas to find out what the masses of cysts are on my pan. (IPMN) She said most people who have this disease are alcoholic (even though I don't drink) In the last 3 visits I've had with her, she has cut out most of my pain meds. I am seeing the dr. next week to find out whats going on. Does she have the power to override what the dr. innitially ordered for me.
lynus