Scope of practice & truth in advertising

The Academy works with medical organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), and state policymakers to ensure that dermatologists’ scope of practice is consistent with their education and training.

Non-physician clinicians are being incorporated into dermatology practices nationwide. The Academy believes the optimum degree of dermatologic care is delivered when a board-certified dermatologist provides direct, on-site supervision to all non-dermatologist personnel and the credentials of each member of the care team are made clear to patients. We know how frustrating it can be to see physician assistants and nurse practitioners practicing outside their scope and threatening patient safety.

We advocate to ensure that each member of the care team is practicing at a level consistent with their training and education — and oppose scope of practice expansions for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other non-physicians that threaten patient safety by allowing them to practice independently and advertise as skin experts.

Each state has its own scope of practice laws governing what non-physicians can do, whether supervision is required, and how they can represent their training, both in advertising and in a medical practice.

The Academy supports appropriate safeguards to ensure patient safety and a focus on the highest-quality, appropriate care as the non-physician workforce expands.

The AADA has achieved major legislative wins in many states on these issues. So far in 2025, our team has fought against scope expansion, with the assistance of the AMA partnership, in the following:

• Optometry scope expansion failed in New Mexico and West Virginia.

• Naturopaths scope expansion including prescribing authority failed in Wyoming, Colorado, Maryland, and Indiana.

• Pharmacist test, treat, and prescribe failed in West Virginia, Mississippi, and Indiana.

• Nurse practitioner independent practice failed in Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.

• Physician Assistant independent practice failed in Kentucky and New Mexico.