Back to All NewsNew Bill Offers Independent Practice to NPs in Pennsylvania
Posted By American Med Spa Association, Wednesday, April 17, 2019
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A new bill introduced in Pennsylvania seeks to provide nurse practitioners (NPs) the ability to practice without the need for physician collaboration as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). The House bill is sponsored by Representative Jesse Topper and is known as House Bill 100 (HB 100). You can review the text of HB 100 in full here; the bill initially has been referred to the Committee on Professional Licensure for further consideration.
HB 100 would allow NPs to practice without a collaboration agreement or physician supervision. Currently, Pennsylvania does not have APRNs and instead recognizes “certified registered nurse practitioners” who practice in collaboration with a physician. If passed, HB 100 would do away with the “certified registered nurse practitioner” title and replace it with the “advanced practice registered nurse – certified nurse practitioner” (APRN-CNP) framework. This is similar to the APRN system adopted in other states. Current Pennsylvania nurse practitioners would be granted the new APRN license.
Under HB 100, APRNs would be certified in a population focus area and would be an independent practitioner when providing services within that focus area. The APRN would be able to prescribe medication if he or she enters a collaboration agreement with a physician. After they have been prescribing in collaboration for three years or 3,600 hours, the APRN is eligible to prescribe independently. HB 100 also explicitly allows these APRN-CNPs to form professional corporations with registered nurses and other independent health-care professionals.
The national trend has been moving towards allowing APRNs to practice as independent health-care providers without the supervision of physicians. In that regard, HB 100 is in line with that trend.
We will be monitoring HB 100 as it works its way through Pennsylvania’s legislative process this year. If you would like to contact the bill’s sponsor, he can be reached via his page on the Pennsylvania legislature’s website.
HB 100 would allow NPs to practice without a collaboration agreement or physician supervision. Currently, Pennsylvania does not have APRNs and instead recognizes “certified registered nurse practitioners” who practice in collaboration with a physician. If passed, HB 100 would do away with the “certified registered nurse practitioner” title and replace it with the “advanced practice registered nurse – certified nurse practitioner” (APRN-CNP) framework. This is similar to the APRN system adopted in other states. Current Pennsylvania nurse practitioners would be granted the new APRN license.
Under HB 100, APRNs would be certified in a population focus area and would be an independent practitioner when providing services within that focus area. The APRN would be able to prescribe medication if he or she enters a collaboration agreement with a physician. After they have been prescribing in collaboration for three years or 3,600 hours, the APRN is eligible to prescribe independently. HB 100 also explicitly allows these APRN-CNPs to form professional corporations with registered nurses and other independent health-care professionals.
The national trend has been moving towards allowing APRNs to practice as independent health-care providers without the supervision of physicians. In that regard, HB 100 is in line with that trend.
We will be monitoring HB 100 as it works its way through Pennsylvania’s legislative process this year. If you would like to contact the bill’s sponsor, he can be reached via his page on the Pennsylvania legislature’s website.
