Amendment ID: S2609-12

Amendment 12

Nurse practitioners II

Mr. Pacheco moves that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following sections:-

SECTION _. The definition of “Practitioner” in said section 1 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:-

(d) a nurse practitioner registered pursuant to subsection (f) of section 7 and authorized by section 80E of chapter 112 to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to or use in teaching or chemical analysis a controlled substance in the course of professional practice or research in the commonwealth.

SECTION _. Said section 7 of said chapter 94C is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “podiatrist”, in line 122, and in lines 125 and 126, each time it appears, as so appearing, the following words:- , and nurse practitioner.

SECTION _. Subsection (g) of said section 7 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the second paragraph.

SECTION _. Said subsection (g) of said section 7 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the last paragraph.

SECTION _. Section 9 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “podiatrist”, in line 1, the following words:- , and nurse practitioner.

SECTION _. Said section 9 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 3, the words “, nurse practitioner”.

SECTION _. Section 18 of said chapter 94C is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 10, 39 and 72, as so appearing, the words “to practice medicine” and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- and authorized to engage in prescriptive practice.

SECTION _. Said section 18 of said chapter 94C, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the word “physician”, in lines 25, 38, 72 and 74, and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following word:- practitioner.

SECTION _. Said section 80B of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the seventh paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

The board shall promulgate advanced practice nursing regulations which govern the provision of advanced practice nursing services and related care including, but not limited to, the ordering and interpreting of tests, the ordering and evaluation of treatment and the use of therapeutics.

SECTION _. Said section 80B of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 64 and 65, the words “in the ordering of tests, therapeutics and the prescribing of medications, to” and inserting in place thereof the following word:- to.

SECTION _. Said chapter 112 is hereby further amended by striking out section 80E, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

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

A nurse practitioner 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 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 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 has a demonstrated record of safe prescribing and good conduct consistent with professional licensure obligations required by each jurisdiction in which the nurse practitioner has been licensed.

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

SECTION _. Section 80I of said chapter 112, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second and third sentences.

SECTION _. Said chapter 112 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 80I the following 2 sections:-

Section 80J. The board shall promulgate regulations, which shall be subject to approval by the commissioner, to ensure that nurse practitioners under the board of registration in nursing are subject to requirements commensurate to those that physicians are subject to under the board of registration in medicine pursuant to the sixth and seventh paragraphs of section 5 and sections 5A to 5M, inclusive, as they apply to the creation and public dissemination of individual profiles and licensure restrictions, disciplinary actions and reports, claims or reports of malpractice, communication with professional organizations, physical and mental examinations, investigation of complaints and other aspects of professional conduct and discipline