Pennsylvania Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) Collaborative Practice Regulations
49 Pa. Code Subchapter C. Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (pacodeandbulletin.gov)
49 Pa. Code § 21.285. Prescriptive authority collaborative agreements. (pacodeandbulletin.gov)
PA Code requires CRNPs to have a collaborative practice agreement in place with a collaborating physician. There is a further requirement for prescriptive authority collaborative agreements, which requires at least one substitute physician to provide collaboration if the collaborating physician is unavailable.
Key details for CRNP collaborative practice and prescriptive authority collaborative agreements:
- Collaborating physician must hold a current license in Pennsylvania.
- There is no state limitation on the number of Nurse Practitioners a physician can collaborate with.
- Prescriptive authority collaborative agreements require at least one substitute physician to provide collaboration if the collaborating physician is unavailable.*
- Must be reviewed and updated by the parties at least once every 2 years or whenever the agreement is changed.
- Must specify the amount of professional liability insurance that covers the CRNP.
- The CRNP shall notify the Board, in writing, whenever a prescriptive authority collaborative agreement is updated or terminated, and, when appropriate, shall file the “Change of Prescriptive Authority Collaborative Agreement” form and the amended prescriptive authority collaborative agreement with the Board and pay the fee set forth in §21.253 (relating to fees).
- The Application for CRNP Prescriptive Authority will be accepted as the collaborative agreement for a CRNP who has prescriptive authority. Forms can be found here: CRNP (pa.gov)
Key details for prescribing, administering, and dispensing:
- CRNP may perform and sign the initial assessment of methadone treatment evaluation, provided that any order for methadone treatment shall be made only by a physician.
- CRNP may not prescribe or dispense Schedule I controlled substances.
- CRNP may prescribe Schedule II controlled substance for up to 30-day supply as identified in the collaborative agreement.
- CRNP may prescribe Schedule III or IV controlled substance for up to a 90-day supply as identified in the collaborative agreement.
*NOTE: PA is considering Senate Bill 25 (SB25), which will change the CRNP licensure to an APRN-CNP and remove the requirement for the collaborative practice agreements once the APRN-CNP has met a three-year, 3,600-hour physician collaboration requirement. Bill Information (History) - Senate Bill 25; Regular Session 2021-2022 - PA General Assembly (state.pa.us)
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