Massachusetts § 80E - Nurse practitioners or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists; power to order therapeutics and tests; issuance of written prescriptions

§ 80E. Nurse practitioners or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists; power to order therapeutics and tests; issuance of written prescriptions

Section 80E. (a) A nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist may issue written prescriptions and medication orders and order tests and therapeutics pursuant to guidelines mutually developed and agreed upon by the nurse and a supervising nurse practitioner who has independent practice authority, a supervising psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist who has independent practice authority or a supervising physician, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the board. A prescription issued by a nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist under this subsection shall include the name of the supervising nurse practitioner who has independent practice authority, the supervising psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist who has independent practice authority or the supervising physician with whom the nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist developed and signed mutually agreed upon guidelines.

A nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist shall have independent practice authority to issue written prescriptions and medication orders and order tests and therapeutics without the supervision described in this subsection if the nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist has completed not less than 2 years of supervised practice following certification from a board-recognized certifying body; provided, however, that supervision of clinical practice shall be conducted by a health care professional who meets minimum qualification criteria promulgated by the board, which shall include a minimum number of years of independent practice authority.

The board may allow a nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist to exercise such independent practice authority upon satisfactory demonstration of not less than 2 years of alternative professional experience; provided, however, that the board determines that the nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist has a demonstrated record of safe prescribing and good conduct consistent with professional licensure obligations required by each jurisdiction in which the nurse practitioner or psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialist has been licensed.

(b) The board shall promulgate regulations to implement this section.