NPs and PAs' scope of practice is determined by education and experience, much like physicians. That scope is further defined by state law, hospital credentialing, and collaborating or supervising physician agreements. Where nurse practitioners (NP) are not permitted by state law to practice independently, it is important to delineate the NP's scope of practice in a collaborative practice agreement. For physician assistants (PA), a supervisory agreement is utilized to delineate scope of practice. Such written documents are utilized on initial hiring and are often required to be updated annually. These documents outline the relationship between the nonphysician provider and collaborating or supervising physician. They specify the activities that fall within that individual practitioner's scope of practice and include: types of services that can be rendered, such as H&Ps; types of medical conditions that can be treated, with or without physician consultation; whether or not a procedure requires direct or indirect supervision; ordering, performing, and interpreting lab tests; ordering and interpreting ancillary studies, such as x-rays or EKGs; prescribing and managing medications; and performing specific procedures, such as lumbar punctures.
Source: CRC News & Analysis
Nurse practitioner-pharmacist collaborations can improve patient care. Many states allow NP-pharmacist collaborative practice agreements (CPAs). CPAs can make good partnerships better—allowing the team to care for more patients. Laws may limit NP-pharmacist CPAs; removing such barriers will benefit patients. A background on pharmacist care, CPAs, and available resources is provided.Highlights
Abstract
As nurse practitioners (NPs) gain autonomous prescribing status in more states, their ability to work interprofessionally with pharmacists through collaborative practice agreements will increase. Interprofessional care provided by pharmacists and NPs can improve care, and so it is important to consider ways to make this care more efficient, such as through collaborative practice agreements. We focus on collaborative practice agreements between NPs and pharmacists in community settings or ambulatory care settings. Not all states authorize collaborative practice agreements between NPs and pharmacists, which limits the ability for both professionals to work to the full scope of their license.
Keywords
- collaborative practice agreement
- interprofessional care
- nurse practitioner
- pharmacist
- scope of practice
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Biography
Kylee A. Funk, PharmD, BCPS, is an assistant professor, Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN. She can be contacted at [email protected] .
Biography
Krystalyn K. Weaver, PharmD, is vice president, policy, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, Richmond, VA.
Biography
Mary Benbenek, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, CPNP, is clinical professor, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Biography
Jane K. Anderson, DNP, ANP-C,FNP-C, is clinical assistant professor, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Article Info
Publication History
Published online: April 03, 2019
Footnotes
In compliance with national ethical guidelines, the authors report no relationships with business or industry that would pose a conflict of interest.
Identification
DOI: //doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.03.006
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.