Employer resistance to state authorized prescriptive authority for NPs. Results from a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Nursing Practice
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Historically, state regulations restricted nurse practitioners' (NPs) medication prescribing authority.
• Recent legislative reforms have aimed to expand NP prescribing privileges across many states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of legislative reforms on NP prescribing practices.
• To identify ongoing barriers to full NP prescribing implementation post-reform.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of state regulatory changes concerning NP prescribing.
• Examination of employer-imposed practice restrictions on NPs.

Main Results:

• The majority of states have lifted restrictions on NP prescribing.
• Despite legislative changes, some employers continue to enforce arbitrary practice limitations on NP prescribing.

Conclusions:

• Legislative reforms have progressed, but employer-driven restrictions impede the full realization of NP prescribing authority.
• Continued monitoring and advocacy are necessary to ensure regulatory changes translate into practice.