Medical Assitant's Responsibilities

The responsibilities of medical assistants may vary from state to state, facility to facility, and office to office. However, one thing that never changes is that all medical assistants must stay within their scope of practice, pay attention to detail, and always carry themselves in a highly professional manner. Naturally, having compassion is also very high on the list! Medical assistants are dealing with people in adverse conditions and with diverse health concerns. Nowhere, is the need bigger for empathy, caring, professionalism, and proper conduct.

List of Duties

The medical assistant's responsibilities will always include pulling and filing medical charts, preparing patients to be seen by the doctor, explaining upcoming medical and diagnostic procedures, and often taking vital signs, setting up therapeutic devices, helping during examinations, monitoring patients, maintaining equipment, answering phones, calling in prescriptions to the pharmacy, and administering medications as ordered by the doctor.

On 04/29/2008 Illy shared the following with us:
"CMAs are very vital to a clinic or hospital. We do it ALL. I room up to 30 patients a day by myself. When I am not rooming, I am helping the receptionist answer multiple phone lines, medical records, faxing prescriptions, filing, preparing charts for future appointments..."

My list is long:

• Maintain patient’s safe passage in and out of the medical office, and ancillary services
• Greet, and register patients for their appointments
• Verify insurance coverage, and referrals
• File paperwork, lab slips, and insurance information into the medical charts
• Obtain past medical and surgical history, family history, social history, vital signs
• Review present medications, allergy history, chief complaint, and take a brief history
• Act as a liaison between doctor and patient
• Explain medication, side effects, treatments, diets, and disease processes
• Update patient's medication list and current problem list
• Prepare and assist patients for examination, treatment, or procedure by medical staff
• Anticipate needs of patients, and the doctor under whom I work
• Monitor patients during examination, or procedures
• Maintain and sanitize patient care areas and equipment
• Stock and order supplies as needed
• Respond to patient’s concerns in person or by telephone while simultaneously documenting the problem
• Protect patient's privacy and confidentiality
• Participate in continued education and skill advancement workshops
  

MAs Administering Controlled Substances

Wherever controlled substances are used in a medical office, or facility, medical assistants can only administer such drugs under a physician’s direct order, control, and supervision. Direct supervision requires the physical presence of the supervising doctor in the office before, during, and after the administration, and includes the diagnosis, authorization, and evaluation of the patient. Any other use and means is illegal and will be taken very seriously, with very SERIOUS consequences. It has been asked whether a medical assistant can be entrusted with the key to the controlled substances locker. This decision is left up to the discretion of the supervising physician. Read: Medical Assistant Scope of Practice.