New POLST Forms Take Effect January 2016 December 11, 2015 News, Physician Resource physician orders for life-sustaining treatment, AB 637, POLST 0 Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms will change on January 1, 2016, with the full implementation of AB 637, a new law endorsed by the SFMS that allows nurse practitioners and physician assistants – under the supervision of a physician and within their scope of practice – to sign POLST forms and make them actionable medical orders. The revisions to the form were approved by the Emergency Management Services Authority Commission at their December meeting. The new form is not valid until January 1, 2016. Previous versions of POLST are still valid if signed by a physician. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are advised to only use the revised POLST form (with an effective date January 1, 2016) because previous versions do not contain the necessary signature lines or clarifying language and instructions. Click here for the new form, effective January 1, 2016. Click here for a FAQ on AB 637 and POLST. Comments are closed.
