Napa (Nederlandse Associatie Physician Assistants)

Physician Assistant, shortly PA, is the name of a relatively new profession in the Netherlands, introduced in 2000. using the extensive experiences from the United States of America. The PA profession is positioned in the medical continuum. De PA works under supervision of a physician en offers professional medical care. We expect the introduction of the PA to result in both continuity and higher quality of medical care and to improve efficiency and productivity in pre-hospital and hospital care. At this moment we count about 400 PA’s working in the Netherlands. A lot of PA’s are NAPA member.This website informs you about the PA profession, the professional organization and links to other web locations with relevant information about the PA and the PA programs. We are proud to let you know the legislation concerning physician assistants in the Netherlands is accepted. November 1st 2011 the Upper House accepted realignment of activities from the Physician Assistant. There’s a temporarily competence (5 years). Competence to indicate and perform procedures as described in Order in Council. For example prescribing medication, having consulting hours and perform common surgical procedures. Furthermore the legislation makes it possible, by ammendments at the Individual Health Care Professions Act (Wet BIG), for PA's to work abroad. The legislation has passed the Council of State and has taken effect from January first 2012.