Advocating for you — Putting patient safety first by preventing scope creep

We continue to fight against non-physician scope of practice expansion efforts across the country that jeopardize patient safety. But even with the rise in non-physician clinicians attempting to add dermatology to their services, we know that board-certified dermatologists know the specialty best.

The AADA advocates against state legislation that weakens the quality and safety of specialty care. In 2021, in partnership with state dermatology and medical societies, we defeated scope expansion bills in:

• Louisiana, where physician assistants and nurse practitioners could have been allowed to practice independently;

• Mississippi, where advanced practice registered nurses could have been allowed to practice independently after completing 3,600 transition-to-practice hours;

• South Dakota, where physician assistants could have been allowed to practice independently after only 520 practice hours; and

• Virginia, where naturopaths could have mischaracterized their education, training, and licensing.

We know that, ultimately, your patients are the ones at risk when scope is expanded for non-physician clinicians who do not have the same education and training as dermatologists, and we will continue to fight for the integrity of your specialty and your expertise.