An applicant for an initial certificate of prescriptive authority shall:

1. (1) Be currently licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse in Arkansas;
2. (2) Provide evidence from the national certifying body that differential diagnosis and prescribing practices are recognized as being within the scope of practice for the applicant’s certification category;

3. (3)

   1. (A) Provide documentation of successful completion of pharmacology coursework, which shall include:

      1. (i) Pharmacokinetics principles and their clinical application; and

      2. (ii) The prescription of pharmacological agents in the:

         1. (a) (a) Prevention and treatment of illness; and
         2. (b) (b) Restoration and maintenance of health.

   2. (B) The coursework shall contain a minimum of:

      1. (i) A three (3) graduate credit hour pharmacology course offered by an accredited college or university within two (2) years immediately prior to the date of application to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing;
      2. (ii) Forty-five (45) contact hours (a contact hour is fifty (50) to sixty (60) minutes) in a pharmacology course that includes a competency component, offered by an accredited college or university, within two (2) years immediately prior to the date of application to the board; or
      3. (iii) A three (3) graduate credit hour pharmacology course, included as part of an advanced practice nursing education program, within five (5) years immediately prior to the date of application to the board;

4. (4)

   1. (A) Provide documentation of a minimum of three hundred (300) clock hours preceptorial experience in the prescription of drugs, medicines, and therapeutic devices with a qualified preceptor, to be:

      1. (i) Initiated with the pharmacology course; and
      2. (ii) Completed within one (1) year of the beginning of the course.
   2. (B) Preceptorial experience completed as a part of the formal educational program in which the pharmacology course is taught will meet the three hundred (300) clock hour requirement;

5. (5)

   1. (A) Submit a collaborative practice agreement, unless exempt by 17 CAR § 123-701 et seq., with a practicing physician who is licensed under the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, Arkansas Code § 17-95-201 et seq., § 17-95-301 et seq., and § 17-95-401 et seq., or a podiatrist licensed by the Arkansas Board of Podiatric Medicine under Arkansas Code § 17-96-101 et seq., if employed by the podiatrist, and who has training within the scope, specialty, or expertise of the advanced practice registered nurse.
   2. (B) APRNs who will prescribe controlled substances shall seek a collaborative practice with a physician or podiatrist who has an unrestricted Drug Enforcement Administration registration number.

   3. (C) The collaborative practice agreement shall include, but not be limited to:

      1. (i) Availability of the collaborating physician, physicians, or podiatrist for consultation or referral, or both;
      2. (ii) Methods of management of the collaborative practice, which shall include the use of protocols for prescriptive authority;

      3. (iii) Plans for coverage of the healthcare needs of a client in the emergency absence of the:

         1. (a) (a) Advanced practice registered nurse;
         2. (b) (b) Podiatrist; or
      4. (c) (c) Physician;
      5. (iv) Provision for quality assurance;
      6. (v) Authorization for the APRN to prescribe hydrocodone combination products, which were reclassified from Schedule III to Schedule II as of October 6, 2014, if expressly authorized by the collaborating physician;
      7. (vi) Authorization for the APRN to prescribe drugs listed in Schedule II subject to the provisions in 17 CAR § 123-604 if expressly authorized by the collaborating physician or podiatrist; and
      8. (vii) Signatures of the advanced practice registered nurse and collaborating physician, physicians, or podiatrist, signifying mutual agreement to the terms of the collaborative practice; and
6. (6) Submit the nonrefundable processing fee with the application for a certificate of prescriptive authority.

Codification Notes: “APRN” means advanced practice registered nurse.