Bill Would Let Nurses Prescribe Medicine on Their Own, Without Consulting Physicians

Measure could help ease shortage of primary care doctors, limit impact of federal healthcare reform.

New Jersey’s advanced practice nurses would be able to prescribe medication on their own, without needing a formal agreement -- or joint protocol -- with a consulting physician, under a bill that's being introduced into the Legislature. The measure (S-2354) would make it easier for advanced practice nurses, or APNs, to establish their own practices. It also would eliminate the difficulty of finding a doctor who's willing to sign a joint protocol. Advanced practice nurses have taken an increasingly large role as primary care providers, one that is expected to grow as a result of the federal Affordable Care Act. ACA will extend health insurance to a number of currently uninsured New Jerseyans and expand the Medicaid rolls. The first is …

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