This is part two (2) of a five (5) part series titled the “5 biggest prescription errors that nurse practitioners can make”. Today’s blog concerns dispensing drugs and devices without proper approval or supervision. Failure to adhere to the following will be an ethics violation for a nurse practitioner and subject her/him to board discipline or worse.
What Is The Proper Way For A Nurse Practitioner To Dispense Drugs And Devices In North Carolina?
First off, the nurse practitioner and supervising physician must specify in their collaborative practice agreement* that they both will be authorized to prescribe and/or dispense medication. Then, the nurse practitioner must obtain prescription and/or dispensing authority from the NC Board of Pharmacy and be in compliance with 21 NCAC 46 .1703.
It is not enough if the supervising physician is registered to dispense drugs. Nurse practitioners can only dispense drugs/devices while under the supervision of a licensed consulting pharmacist from a facility holding a valid pharmacy permit. Find a pharmacist with a valid pharmacy permit that you and your supervising physician(s) trust. Talk it over with your supervising physician as dispensing authority may not be worth your time. If this is an option for your practice, then familiarize yourself with every rule and regulation regarding dispensing drugs and devices. Make sure proper policies and procedures are in place for yourself, your supervising physician, and your staff.
*Exception to this requirement: A nurse practitioner may prescribe a drug or device not included in the collaborative practice agreement BUT ONLY upon a specific written or verbal order obtained from a primary or back-up supervising physician. The specific or verbal order must be obtained before the prescription or order is issued by the nurse practitioner. Also, the written or verbal order shall be entered into the patient record with a notation that it is issued on the specific order of a primary or back-up supervising physician. That notation must be signed and dated by the nurse practitioner and the physician.
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Nothing in this blog post establishes an attorney-client relationship. This information is not intended to be legal advice.