Can a physician assistant inject or prescribe in Louisiana?
Who treats · part of The Practice Perimeter
Short answer
Yes — a PA may prescribe, order, and administer drugs and inject local anesthetic subcutaneously, but only as delegated by the supervising physician; perineural, epidural, intrathecal, or IV local anesthetics are off limits unless the PA is also a CRNA.
Louisiana is unusually explicit about the needle, and the carve-out cuts both ways. “a physician assistant may inject local anesthetic agents subcutaneously, including digital blocks or apply topical anesthetic agents when delegated to do so by a supervising physician.” But “nothing in this Part shall otherwise permit a physician assistant to administer local anesthetics perineurally, pericurally, epidurally, intrathecally, or intravenously” unless that physician assistant is also a certified registered nurse anesthetist. On drugs: “A physician assistant may prescribe, order, and administer drugs to the extent delegated by the supervising physician”, subject to the anesthetics provision.
La. Rev. Stat. § 37:1360.31(A)(2), (C)(1) (Services performed by physician assistants) · verified Sep 8, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice
Related Louisiana rules
And the authority is entirely derived, with one stated exception. “a physician assistant may perform those duties and responsibilities that are delegated to him by his supervising physician.” “A physician assistant is considered to be and is deemed the agent of his supervising physician in the performance of all practice-related activities”. “The practice of a physician assistant shall include the performance of medical services within the scope of his education, training, and experience, which are delegated by the supervising physician.” “A physician assistant shall not practice without supervision except in life-threatening emergencies” and disaster relief. “The level and method of supervision shall be at the physician and physician assistant level, shall be documented and reviewed annually, and shall reflect the acuity of the patient care and the nature of a procedure.”
La. Rev. Stat. § 37:1360.31(A)(1), (B) (delegated practice; annual review of supervision) · verified Sep 8, 2026
"Advanced practice registered nurse" or "APRN" means a licensed registered nurse who is certified by a nationally recognized certifying body, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center, as having an advanced nursing specialty as described in this Part and who meets the criteria for an advanced practice registered nurse as established by the board.
La. Rev. Stat. §37:913(1) · verified Sep 3, 2026
How other states answer this
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Related Louisiana questions
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- Can a nurse practitioner treat without a supervising physician in Louisiana?
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