Prescription Privileges

Assignment Details

Compose a 3- to 4-paragraph summary in which you answer the following questions:

The advanced practice nurses in California are under the jurisdiction of the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). For a nursing practitioner to be certified as an advanced practice nurse, he or she must also be licensed as a registered nurse. However, some states have strict rules and regulations, making it more difficult to practice as a nurse. California is one of such states with other added hoops to jump over for nurse practitioners who look for opportunities to maximize their scope of practice. For instance, in the Golden State, nurse practitioners are not allowed to prescribe Schedule II controlled Substances like Percocet without fulfilling certain requirements (NursingLicensure.org, 2020). The purpose of obtaining prescriptive privilege is to enable nurse practitioners to prescribe psychotropic medications for the treatment of mental health disorders. There are steps that an advanced practice nurse must follow to obtain prescriptive privilege in California, as outlined below:

For a nurse practitioner to obtain a furnishing number for the prescriptive privilege in the California, the practitioner must complete a master’s or post-masters advanced pharmacology course. The course obtained must also meet the standards outlined in the application packet. Notably, the nurse practitioner does not necessarily need to take the course in a California institution. The BRN can accept courses obtained from nationally accredited advanced practice nurse programs. After completing the educational requirement, one must apply to get a furnishing number before one can be allowed to obtain the prescriptive privilege (NursingLicensure.org, 2020). The furnishing number application must be submitted with a $50 fee and educational verification. Besides, an advanced practice nurse who completed their course more than five years are required to provide additional documentation of their qualifications. The BRN will seek employment verification, a copy of the out-of-state certificate, a copy of other state’s regulations for prescriptive authority, as well as a copy of the DEA identification card.

Advanced practice nurses with furnishing numbers are allowed to prescribe in California. However, to prescribe the controlled number, the practitioner must apply for a DEA number. The last step is to apply for a Schedule II Furnishing license by completing a Schedule II prescribing education and letting the BRN know. One must then submit a written request for Schedule II prescribing privileges accompanied by a copy of the advanced education completion certificate. One must note the furnishing license number on the request.

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of having a DEA license as a Nurse Practitioner?

As a nurse practitioner, the DEA number has some advantages. First, having the DEA license will enable one to expand his or her scope of practice and be allowed to prescribe a group of medication known as controlled substances. Besides, with a DEA license, nurse practitioners are permitted to write for controlled substances. On the other hand, the DEA license has some limitations. First, obtaining DEA is cumbersome because it requires the nurse practitioner to do a lot of paperwork that follows graduation (MidlevelU, 2020). Apart from studying and passing the exam, nursing practitioners are required to go through the long process of a credentialing process that involves more stressful paperwork. Besides, applying for the license and waiting for the new job to begin can be costly.

References

MidlevelU. (2020). Do Nurse Practitioners Really Need a DEA Number? | Retrieved 1 March 2020, from https://midlevelu.com/blog/do-nurse-practitioners-really-need-dea-number

NursingLicensure.org. (2020). California APN Certification Requirements | How to become a Nurse Practitioner in CA. Retrieved 1 March 2020, from https://www.nursinglicensure.org/np-state/california-nurse-practitioner.html#script