Patient holds a pill in one hand and a prescription bottle in another
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4 Min Read

House, Senate bills would expand pharmacists’ scope of practice

The legislation would allow pharmacists to diagnose and treat patients without having received the necessary education or training to do so.

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Scope of Practice
Fighting for Physicians
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8 Min Read

Aug. 8, 2025: State Advocacy Update

Recent AMA activity on scope of practice and more in the latest State Advocacy Update.

Advocacy Update
Surgeon on an eye surgery
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5 Min Read

Let optometrists do eye surgery? That's going to be a no

New Mexico’s governor vetoes bill that would have set a “dangerous precedent for allowing optometrists to perform surgical procedures.” The AMA is fighting scope creep.

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Scope of Practice
Fighting for Physicians
Stack of papers
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5 Min Read

“Volume” of bills is 2025’s biggest scope of practice trend

The AMA fights for physician-led teams by harnessing the best evidence and collaborating with state medical and national specialty associations.

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Scope of Practice
Fighting for Physicians
Two health care workers working together on a digital tablet
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5 Min Read

Effort to end doctor supervision of nurse practitioners fails

Mississippi legislation would have let nurse practitioners provide medical care independently after completing time-limited collaborative requirement. 

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Scope of Practice
Fighting for Physicians
AMA in Action: Fighting scope creep
UPDATED
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3 Min Read

Advocacy in action: Fighting scope creep

Inappropriate scope-of-practice expansions threaten patient safety. Patients deserve care led by physicians, and the AMA’s here to stop scope creep. Download PDFs of infographics.

Scope of Practice
Rebekah Bernard, MD
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6 Min Read

Training gaps between physicians, nonphysicians are significant

Two MDs who previously worked as nonphysician providers say there’s no comparing the caliber of education—making physician-led care teams essential. 

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Scope of Practice
Fighting for Physicians
Erin Shriver, MD
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4 Min Read

Seeing the risks of letting optometrists do eyelid surgery

Over a dozen states let optometrists wield a scalpel on the eyelid, opening up patients to missed cancers, unsafe procedures and more.

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Scope of Practice
Fighting for Physicians
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4 Min Read

Dec. 20, 2024: Advocacy Update spotlight on scope of practice advocacy

Another big year for scope of practice advocacy and more in the latest Advocacy Update spotlight.

Advocacy Update