site.btaBulgarian Association of Physician Assistants and Feldshers Established by Law

Amendments to the Act on the Professional Organizations of Nurses, Midwives and Associated Medical Specialists, Physician Assistants, Dental Technicians and Assistant Pharmacists passed on second reading on Wednesday. The changes provide for the establishment of a Bulgarian Association of Physician Assistants and Feldshers (BAPAF).

The bill was moved by Kostadin Angelov (GERB-UDF), Vasil Pandov (CC-DB) and other MPs. It was supported unanimously by 104 votes in favour.

Up until now, physician assistants in Bulgaria did not have a professional organization, although the law entitles them to perform certain medical activities in urgent, emergency and primary outpatient medical care.

Under the amendments, BAPAF will be the professional organization of physician assistants. Nurses, midwives and associated medical specialists, as well as physician assistants, dental technicians and assistant pharmacists, who are practicing as such, will be represented by the respective professional organization. The amendments do not change the status of the professional organization of nurses, midwives and associated medical specialists, called Bulgarian Association of Health Professionals in Nursing, and establish a professional organization of physician assistants. This creates conditions to provide up-to-date information to physician assistants and to set rules of ethics and good practice for them. The quality of physician assistants' services will thus be raised and it will be easier to control them.

The National Assembly resolved that until this law enters into force, feldshers will have the rights of physician assistants holding a bachelor's degree, provided that they have practiced a medical profession for at least two years in the last 30 years. The physician assistants' profession will be practiced by holders of a bachelor's degree who are entered in the register of the professional organization.