Permissible Tuberculin Skin Test Tasks for Pennsylvania Medical Assistants

I recently received the following question: 

I am a CMA (AAMA) working in Pennsylvania. What does Pennsylvania law allow medical assistants to do in regard to tuberculin skin tests? 

To answer this question, note the following from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Bureau of Human Services Licensing: 

Question: Are medical assistants permitted to read an individual’s TB [tuberculosis] skin test? 

Answer: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a TB skin test should be read by a “health-care worker trained to read tuberculin skin testing (TST) results.” Therefore, a medical assistant who has been trained to read TST results is considered qualified and is permitted to do so under the regulations. 

The laws of other states vary greatly concerning what medical assistants are permitted to do in regard to tuberculin skin tests. Please email me at DBalasa@aama-ntl.org with questions about specific states.