Sec. 10.32.12.04. Scope of Delegation

A. A physician may not delegate to an assistant technical acts which are exclusively limited to any individual required to be licensed, certified, registered, or otherwise recognized pursuant to any provision of the Health Occupations Article and the Education Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

B. A physician may delegate technical acts consistent with national standards in the medical community and the approved policies and procedures of the sites for the delivery of health services in the following categories:

(1) Surgical technical acts that the delegating physician directly orders while present, scrubbed, and personally performing the surgery in the same surgical field; and

(2) Nonsurgical technical acts while the assistant is under the physician's direct supervision or on-site supervision if the assistant performs the act in accordance with procedures of the site.

C. At sites included in Health-General Article, §§19-114 and 19-3B-01(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, or any unit of those sites, a physician may delegate technical acts in compliance with State regulations and the policies, procedures, and supervisory structures of those sites.

D. At sites not included in Health-General Article, §§19-114 and 19-3B-01(b), Annotated Code of Maryland, when providing the following specified levels of supervision, a physician may delegate to an assistant technical acts which include but are not limited to:

(1) Without on-site supervision:

(a) Patient preparation for physician examination;

(b) Patient history interview;

(c) Collecting and processing specimens, such as performing phlebotomy and inoculating culture media;

(d) Preparation of specimens for selected tests including:

(i) Pregnancy tests,

(ii) Dipstick and microscopic urinalysis, and

(iii) Microbiology (rapid streptococcal testing and throat cultures);

(e) Laboratory tests that the physician is satisfied the assistant is qualified to perform under State and CLIA regulations;

(f) Clinical tests such as:

(i) Application of tuberculin skin tests,

(ii) Electrocardiography,

(iii) Administering basic pulmonary function tests; and

(iv) Visual field tests;

(g) Transmitting prescriptions to a pharmacy;

(h) Providing sample packets of medication, selected by a physician who is physically present at the time of selection, to patients as directed by the delegating physician and in conformance with Health Occupations Article, §12-102(a), (d), and (f), Annotated Code of Maryland;

(i) Preparing and administering oral drugs; and

(j) Microdermabrasion;

(2) With on-site supervision:

(a) Preparing and administering injections limited to intradermal, subcutaneous, and intramuscular (deltoid, gluteal, vastus lateralis) to include small amounts of local anesthetics;

(b) Establishing a peripheral intravenous line; and

(c) Injecting fluorescein-like dyes for retinal angiography; and

(3) With direct supervision, injecting intravenous drugs or contrast materials.

E. A physician who possesses a dispensing permit may delegate the dispensing functions in accordance with the requirements of COMAR 10.32.23.

F. A physician may not delegate to an assistant acts which include but are not limited to:

(1) Conducting physical examinations;

(2) Administering any form of anesthetic agent or agent of conscious sedation other than topical anesthetics or small amounts of local anesthetics;

(3) Initiating independently any form of treatment, exclusive of cardiopulmonary resuscitation;

(4) Giving medical advice without the consult of a physician; and

(5) Providing physical therapy.