Related Experiment Videos
Nurses and prescriptive authority: a legal and economic analysis
American Journal of Law & Medicine
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Nurses in 26 jurisdictions can legally prescribe drugs, with some acting as physician substitutes and others collaborating. Legal reforms should promote nurses as substitutes for economic efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Health Law
- Nursing Practice
- Health Policy
Background:
- Examining the legal landscape of nurse prescriptive authority across 26 jurisdictions.
- Differentiating between independent nurse prescribing and physician-supervised collaborative prescribing roles.
Observation:
- Nurses are authorized to prescribe drugs in 26 jurisdictions, categorized by the level of physician supervision.
- Analysis of historical Nurse Practice Acts, including the Connecticut statute, and their economic impact.
Findings:
- Two models of nurse prescribing exist: independent substitution for physicians and complementary roles with physician collaboration.
- Current regulations may create artificial constraints on labor substitutability in healthcare services.
Implications:
- Legal reforms are proposed to enhance economic efficiency in healthcare delivery.
- A two-part reform includes an 'authorized prescriber' statute and elimination of 'unauthorized practice' provisions.