The American Medical Association is tracking 60 pieces of legislation that would expand the scope of practice for medical providers, including nurses and pharmacists, allowing them more responsibilities without a physician present, according to a Feb. 17 article on the organization's website.
While 95 percent of U.S. voters believe physicians should be involved in treatment decisions, these pieces of legislation would expand non-physicians' scope of practice, according to the article.
The AMA opposes these expansions, warning they could threaten patient safety. Nurse practitioners can complete their level of education more quickly than physicians and do not need to go through a residency or fellowship, and the AMA warned that their training might not be enough to expand practice scope.
The AMA said it has succeeded in previous fights against scope-of-practice expansion, collaborating with 105 national, state and specialty medical associations.