Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate substitute and pass a bill that authorizes certain physicians to prescribe schedule 2 controlled substances.

Highlights:

• Authorizes an advanced practice registered nurse with at least 1 year of post-licensure experience and in good standing with the board to issue prescription drug orders for hydrocodone or oxycodone in emergency situations, under a nurse protocol agreement and in accordance with the following requirements (Sec. 2):

• Authorization is specifically included in the nurse protocol agreement;

• The advanced practice registered nurse has directly evaluated the patient;

• The prescription order is limited to an initial prescription and does not exceed a 5-day supply;

• The prescription is for an individual 18 years of age or older;

• The advanced practice registered nurse has completed 1 hour of continuing education biennially on the appropriate use of hydrocodone and oxycodone.

• Prohibits hydrocodone, oxycodone, and all schedule 2 controlled substances from being prescribed in an order with up to a 14 day supply by a provider who does not order drugs, notwithstanding the required provisions from subsection (d.1) (Sec. 2).

• Requires that, if a medical practice has an already existing and approved nurse protocol agreement and an alternate delegating physician within a similar specialty, the new nurse protocol agreement for the new delegating physician be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 2).

• Requires that, if a delegating physician submits a nurse protocol agreement for a new advanced practice registered nurse and a nurse protocol agreement with similar provisions has been previously submitted for another advanced practice nurse and was approved, the agreement be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 2).

• Requires that, if a medical practice has an already existing approved job description and the alternate supervising physician is in a similar specialty, the new description and change in supervising physician be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 3).

• Requires that, if a primary supervising physician submits a job description for a new physician assistant with similar provisions, the job description be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a physician to delegate to a physician assistant, the ability to prescribe a drug order of hydrocodone and oxycodone, if they have at least 1 year of post-licensure experience and are in good standing with the board if the following requirements are met (Sec. 3):

• Authorization is specifically included in the nurse protocol agreement;

• The advanced practice registered nurse has directly evaluated the patient;

• The prescription order is limited to an initial prescription and does not exceed a 5-day supply;

• The prescription is for an individual 18 years of age or older.

• Specifies that a licensed advanced practice registered nurse and a licensed physician assistant have the ability to provide an affidavit or a signed and dated statement for parking permits and temporary permits to disabled individuals (Sec. 4).

• Defines ‘healthcare professional’ to mean a person licensed, registered, or certified by a licensing board of a student enrolled in a school of medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, or pharmacy (Sec. 4A).

• Defines ‘licensing board’ to mean the Georgia Board of Nursing, Georgia Composite Medical Board, and the State Board of Pharmacy (Sec. 4A).

• Defines ‘professional program’ to mean a program created to address issues related to career fatigue and wellness in healthcare professionals (Sec. 4A).

• Prohibits any person or entity from being obligated to report information about a healthcare professional participating in a professional program unless they have deemed that there is reasonable probability that the participant is not competent to continue to practice or is a danger to themself or to the health and welfare of their patients and the public (Sec. 4A).

• Requires that every healthcare professional be immune from civil liability for any decision done in performance of their duties while serving as a member of or to the board (Sec. 4A).

• Requires that the proceedings of a professional program not be subject to introduction into evidence in any civil action, unless the court determines that extraordinary circumstances exist (Sec. 4A).

• Prohibits any restrictive covenant from being imposed by a hospital against any physician, nurse, or healthcare staff (Sec. 4A).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a substitute bill that authorizes certain physicians to prescribe schedule 2 controlled substances.

Highlights:

• Authorizes an advanced practice registered nurse with at least 1 year of post-licensure experience and in good standing with the board to issue prescription drug orders for hydrocodone or oxycodone in emergency situations, under a nurse protocol agreement and in accordance with the following requirements (Sec. 2):

• Authorization is specifically included in the nurse protocol agreement;

• The advanced practice registered nurse has directly evaluated the patient;

• The prescription order is limited to an initial prescription and does not exceed a 5-day supply;

• The prescription is for an individual 18 years of age or older;

• The advanced practice registered nurse has completed 1 hour of continuing education biennially on the appropriate use of hydrocodone and oxycodone.

• Prohibits hydrocodone, oxycodone, and all schedule 2 controlled substances from being prescribed in an order with up to a 14 day supply by a provider who does not order drugs, notwithstanding the required provisions from subsection (d.1) (Sec. 2).

• Requires that, if a medical practice has an already existing and approved nurse protocol agreement and an alternate delegating physician within a similar specialty, the new nurse protocol agreement for the new delegating physician be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 2).

• Requires that, if a delegating physician submits a nurse protocol agreement for a new advanced practice registered nurse and a nurse protocol agreement with similar provisions has been previously submitted for another advanced practice nurse and was approved, the agreement be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 2).

• Requires that, if a medical practice has an already existing approved job description and the alternate supervising physician is in a similar specialty, the new description and change in supervising physician be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 3).

• Requires that, if a primary supervising physician submits a job description for a new physician assistant with similar provisions, the job description be automatically approved by the board upon submission (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a physician to delegate to a physician assistant, the ability to prescribe a drug order of hydrocodone and oxycodone, if they have at least 1 year of post-licensure experience and are in good standing with the board if the following requirements are met (Sec. 3):

• Authorization is specifically included in the nurse protocol agreement;

• The advanced practice registered nurse has directly evaluated the patient;

• The prescription order is limited to an initial prescription and does not exceed a 5-day supply;

• The prescription is for an individual 18 years of age or older.

• Specifies that a licensed advanced practice registered nurse and a licensed physician assistant have the ability to provide an affidavit or a signed and dated statement for parking permits and temporary permits to disabled individuals (Sec. 4).

• Defines ‘healthcare professional’ to mean a person licensed, registered, or certified by a licensing board of a student enrolled in a school of medicine, osteopathic medicine, nursing, or pharmacy (Sec. 4A).

• Defines ‘licensing board’ to mean the Georgia Board of Nursing, Georgia Composite Medical Board, and the State Board of Pharmacy (Sec. 4A).

• Defines ‘professional program’ to mean a program created to address issues related to career fatigue and wellness in healthcare professionals (Sec. 4A).

• Prohibits any person or entity from being obligated to report information about a healthcare professional participating in a professional program unless they have deemed that there is reasonable probability that the participant is not competent to continue to practice or is a danger to themself or to the health and welfare of their patients and the public (Sec. 4A).

• Requires that every healthcare professional be immune from civil liability for any decision done in performance of their duties while serving as a member of or to the board (Sec. 4A).

• Requires that the proceedings of a professional program not be subject to introduction into evidence in any civil action, unless the court determines that extraordinary circumstances exist (Sec. 4A).

• Prohibits any restrictive covenant from being imposed by a hospital against any physician, nurse, or healthcare staff (Sec. 4A).

Full Bill Text