Bill > HB1963

This bill clarifies the prescriptive authority of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) when prescribing stimulant medications. Under the existing law, an APRN can only prescribe a stimulant if the original prescription was initiated by a physician, the physician evaluated the patient within the past six months, and the APRN is treating the same condition as the original prescription. The new provisions allow APRNs to substitute a therapeutically equivalent medication for the originally prescribed stimulant. A therapeutically equivalent medication is a drug that has the same medical effect as the original prescription but may have a different chemical composition. When an APRN makes such a substitution, they are now required to notify the original prescribing physician about the change. This modification provides APRNs with more flexibility in medication management while maintaining communication with the patient's primary physician to ensure continuity of care.

Health and Social Services

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1963&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R