Bill > S870

This bill, titled the "Consumer Access to Health Care Act," significantly alters the regulations surrounding advanced practice nurses (APNs) in New Jersey by removing the requirement for them to have a joint protocol with a physician to prescribe medication. Previously, APNs needed a "collaborating physician" and had to adhere to specific joint protocols outlining how they would work together, especially concerning controlled substances, and their prescriptions or orders often required the physician's name and signature alongside their own. This bill eliminates the definition of "collaborating physician" and introduces "collaborating provider" which can be a physician or another APN, and clarifies that APNs can now use "global signature authority," meaning they can sign documents that would typically require a physician's signature, within their scope of practice. While APNs will still need to complete continuing education in pharmacology, including specific hours for controlled substances, and those with less than two years of experience will need a formal collaborating agreement for prescribing, the overarching requirement for a physician's direct involvement in every prescription is removed, aiming to improve patient access to care by allowing APNs to practice more independently.