While NPs have prescriptive authority in several states, many are also restricted to the requirement of physician involvement. For example, Missouri regulations state that NPs are only allowed prescriptive authority under a collaborative agreement with a physician. Similar standards are present in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and numerous others as provided by the American Medical Association’s (AMA) State Law Chart: Nurse Practitioner Prescriptive Authority.
Only a few (including states such as Alaska, Idaho, and Minnesota), don’t require physician involvement. However, this is no substantial research indicating that NPs prescribe medication in a manner that is dangerous or ineffective. The truth is a lot more positive.
The Stanford Study
Despite the reasoning behind prescriptive restrictions, NPs keep showing positive outcomes regarding patient care that are in line with the quality of physicians.
In a study of 73,000 respondents comprising both primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, researchers analyzed each profession’s prescribing performance. Despite NPs over-representing low performers, they also over-represented the best performers within this study—suggesting NPs are not inferior, but actually just as effective as physicians in prescribing medication.
While there is mention of low- prescribing performance among NPs, this, unfortunately, occurs across the healthcare field, and the conclusion from this study was for all providers to address unsafe prescribing.
Causes of unsafe prescribing can stem from a lack of communication, inadequate training experience, or pressures from time constraints and large patient numbers. These are all issues that can occur and be addressed across the healthcare professions.
The Benefits of NP Prescriptive Authority
NPs don’t just provide a quality of prescriptions that is equal to that of physicians; they can also provide extra benefits to patients that will help them.
Here are just a few advantages that come with NPprescriptive authority.
Improving Access to Care
NPs don’t just provide a quality of prescriptions that is equal to that of physicians; they can also provide extra benefits to patients.
However, the NP profession continues to grow, providing another option for patients to receive care, especially in rural and underserved areas. With prescriptive authority, NP won’t have to refer patients to physicians, prolonging (and potentially worsening) their medical complications. By immediately prescribing the needed medication, they can provide patients with the care they need right when they need it, preventing further harm that would come to them due to waiting times.
Treating Patients in a Timely Manner
Chronic conditions require ongoing medical attention as complications can arise at any point in time. Waiting for physician approval on medications to address these complications risks damage to the patient’s health. Allowing NPs to respond and prescribe medications as needed allows patients to receive better care for their chronic conditions and adjustments to their medication as complications arise.
Providing Consistent Care
Allowing NPs prescriptive authority means they can provide seamless treatment plans and adjust medication as needed without any required approval, which would prolong the treatment process. This consistency that comes with both managing and providing prescribing treatments helps to foster a supportive patient-provider relationship that builds trust and loyalty within their community of patients.
Lowering Healthcare Costs
When patients can only get their prescriptions from physicians, it’s not just waiting times that increase. It also affects healthcare costs. Requiring patients to visit multiple providers results in more appointments than what is necessary as well as more consultation costs to cover. This also adds more stress to physicians’ workloads as they are already struggling during a national shortage. NPs with prescriptive authority can streamline patient care, lessen costs for patients, and reduce the burden on physicians.
The Impact of NPs
Research shows that NPs prescribe in a safe manner with quality that is comparable to those of physicians. NPs with prescriptive authority can support access to healthcare, physician workloads, and patient satisfaction without compromising quality.
