Section 334.506

Title XXII OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

Chapter 334

Effective - 28 Aug 2004, 5 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  334.506.  Physical therapists may provide certain services without prescription or direction of certain health care professionals, when — limitations. — 1. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a physical therapist, whose license is in good standing, from providing educational resources and training, developing fitness or wellness programs for asymptomatic persons, or providing screening or consultative services within the scope of physical therapy practice without the prescription and direction of a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, except that no physical therapist shall initiate treatment for a new injury or illness without the prescription or direction of a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a* chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing.

  2. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a physical therapist, whose license is in good standing, from examining and treating, without the prescription and direction of a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, any person with a recurring, self-limited injury within one year of diagnosis by a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, or any person with a chronic illness that has been previously diagnosed by a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, except that a physical therapist shall contact the patient's current physician, chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist, within seven days of initiating physical therapy services, pursuant to this subsection, shall not change an existing physical therapy referral available to the physical therapist without approval of the patient's current physician, chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist, and shall refer to a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, any patient whose medical condition should, at the time of examination or treatment, be determined to be beyond the scope of practice of physical therapy. A physical therapist shall refer to a person licensed and registered as a physician and surgeon pursuant to this chapter, as a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, as a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or as a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, any person whose condition, for which physical therapy services are rendered pursuant to this subsection, has not been documented to be progressing toward documented treatment goals after six visits or fourteen days, whichever shall come first. If the person's condition for which physical therapy services are rendered under this subsection shall be documented to be progressing toward documented treatment goals, a physical therapist may continue treatment without referral from a physician, chiropractor, dentist or podiatrist, whose license is in good standing. If treatment rendered under this subsection is to continue beyond thirty days, a physical therapist shall notify the patient's current physician, chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist before continuing treatment beyond the thirty-day limitation. A physical therapist shall also perform such notification before continuing treatment rendered under this subsection for each successive period of thirty days.

  3. The provision of physical therapy services of evaluation and screening pursuant to this section shall be limited to a physical therapist, and any authority for evaluation and screening granted within this section may not be delegated. Upon each reinitiation of physical therapy services, a physical therapist shall provide a full physical therapy evaluation prior to the reinitiation of physical therapy treatment. Physical therapy treatment provided pursuant to the provisions of subsection 2 of this section, may be delegated by physical therapists to physical therapist assistants only if the patient's current physician, chiropractor, dentist, or podiatrist has been so informed as part of the physical therapist's seven-day notification upon reinitiation of physical therapy services as required in subsection 2 of this section. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as to limit the ability of physical therapists or physical therapist assistants to provide physical therapy services in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and upon the referral of a physician and surgeon licensed pursuant to this chapter, a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person licensed or registered as a physician or surgeon licensed pursuant to this chapter, a chiropractor pursuant to chapter 331, RSMo, a dentist pursuant to chapter 332, RSMo, or a podiatrist pursuant to chapter 330, RSMo, or any licensed and registered physician, dentist, or podiatrist practicing in another jurisdiction, whose license is in good standing, from acting within the scope of their practice as defined by the applicable chapters of RSMo.

  4. No person licensed to practice, or applicant for licensure, as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant shall make a medical diagnosis.

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(L. 1999 H.B. 343 merged with S.B. 8 & 173, A.L. 2004 S.B. 1122 merged with S.B. 1181)

*Word "a" does not appear in original rolls.