CRNA prescribing practices: the Washington State experience

One year after implementation of a 2005 Washington State law that granted Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) authority to prescribe schedule II through IV controlled substances, only 30% of CRNAs held prescriptive authority. The purpose of this study was to describe Washington State CRNA prescribing practices and workforce and practice characteristics. A questionnaire was mailed in 2006 to CRNAs licensed in Washington with addresses in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. A typical respondent was 51 years old, white, and equally likely to be male or female, with 19 years of experience. More than half (52.2%) of the CRNAs were employed by hospitals, and 22% were in solo practice. Forty-one percent of the sample had prescriptive authority; however, 11% had prescriptive authority without Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration. Respondents without prescriptive authority used the Nurse Practice Act provision to "select, order and administer" as the foundation for practice. Of CRNAs with prescriptive authority, 94.7% prescribed anesthetics, 60% prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, and just 53.3% prescribed narcotic analgesics. Professional and policy controversies about autonomous prescribing for CRNAs are discussed. Further research is needed to determine the factors that limit CRNA prescribing and the transition to a new scope of practice.