Section 40. Qualifications for initial approval of prescriptive authority

An applicant for prescriptive authority shall meet the following requirements:

1. Hold a current, unrestricted license as a nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth of Virginia;

2. Provide evidence of one of the following:

a. Continued professional certification as required for initial licensure as a nurse practitioner;

b. Satisfactory completion of a graduate level course in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics obtained as part of the nurse practitioner education program within the five years prior to submission of the application;

c. Practice as a nurse practitioner for no less than 1000 hours and 15 continuing education units related to the area of practice for each of the two years immediately prior to submission of the application; or

d. Thirty contact hours of education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics acceptable to the boards taken within five years prior to submission of the application. The 30 contact hours may be obtained in a formal academic setting as a discrete offering or as noncredit continuing education offerings and shall include the following course content:

(1) Applicable federal and state laws;

(2) Prescription writing;

(3) Drug selection, dosage, and route;

(4) Drug interactions;

(5) Information resources; and

(6) Clinical application of pharmacology related to specific scope of practice.

3. Develop a practice agreement between the nurse practitioner and the patient care team physician as required in 18VAC90-40-90; and

4. File a completed application and pay the fees as required in 18VAC90-40-70.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR495-03-1 and VR465-12-1 § 2.2, eff. August 15, 1992; amended, Volume 25, Issue 05, eff. December 25, 2008; Volume 31, Issue 21, eff. July 15, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2957.01 of the Code of Virginia.