The majority of physician assistants (55 percent) are in favor of being able to practice independently, according to a June 30 report from Medscape based on the 2023 "Physician Assistant Career Satisfaction" report.
About 22 percent of PAs do not think they should practice independently, while 23 percent are unsure.
Younger PAs tend to be more in favor of independent practice, with 61 percent of those under 45 favoring independent practice compared to 52 percent of those over 45.
This survey comes as a handful of states, including Arkansas, are floating laws that would expand the scope of practice for both PAs and nurse practitioners.