By: Renee E. Coover, JD, Associate, ByrdAdatto

Last year Illinois passed a bill granting full practice authority to nurse practitioners, joining 23 other states and the District of Columbia. We'e been getting a lot of questions regarding the status of this law and when people will be able to apply. Unfortunately, although the bill has been passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, Illinois NPs must still wait for the final rules to be established.

Renee Coover, JD, associate with the law firm of ByrdAdatto spoke with the executive director of the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing (ISPAN) to try and gain some insight into how the process is moving along. She learned that, at this time, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is still developing these rules, and is getting close to a first comment period.

This means that, as of this writing, no NPs in Illinois can apply for full practice authority so until the rules process is complete all APRNs in the state are still required to have a written collaborative agreement with a physician. According to ISPAN the goal is to have rules available for release on or before January 1, 2019.

Click here to see the ISPAN update from January outlining the rule-making process and noting some of the pertinent information that is available, including:

• The attestation form necessary for attesting to the 4000 hrs of practice and the 250 hrs of CE and training will be developed and distributed by IDFPR.
• An APRN who applies for Full Practice Authority will have a license # that begins with 309.
• An APRN with FPA who prescribes controlled substances will need to apply for a controlled substance license, not a mid-level CLS (that license number will begin with 310.

See AmSpa Founder/Director Alex Thiersch's thoughts on the bill shortly after it was signed by the governor.

For more information on what full practice authority might mean for Illinois APRNs ones the rules are finalized watch AmSpa's webinar on what full practice authority means for Illinois nurse practitioners.

Renee E. Coover, JD, is an associate with ByrdAdatto, a law firm focusing on business, healthcare, and aesthetics. She has a unique background, blending litigation with healthcare law. A former litigator in high-stakes employment cases, Renee has extensive experience with counseling and representing businesses in employment matters, policies, and contract disputes, and defending business owners in state and federal trials. She has also served as General Counsel for the American Med Spa Association, advising health care professionals on regulatory and legal issues governing the medical spa industry.