To better delineate and explain the requirements on a physician who desires to enter into a collaborative practice agreement with an advanced practice nurse, the Arkansas State Medical Board states affirmatively that the licensed physician must comply with Arkansas law as stated hereinabove, as well as the following:

1. (1) The collaborating physician must be licensed to practice in the State of Arkansas and be in the active clinical practice of medicine located within the State of Arkansas, or in a state which borders Arkansas and in a county in such state contiguous to the State of Arkansas;
2. (2) The collaborating physician must be easily in contact with the APN by radio, telephone, electronic, or other telecommunication device;
3. (3) The collaborating physician must be engaged in the active practice of medicine and have a practice comparable in scope, specialty, or expertise to that of the advanced practice nurse with whom he or she has entered into a collaborative practice agreement;

4. (4) The collaborating physician must provide notification of the following information to the board in a manner and form established by the board:

   1. (A) The names and professional titles of anyone with whom they are collaborating;
   2. (B) When a material change has occurred in the collaborative agreement or practice;
   3. (C) Termination of any collaborative practice agreement;
   4. (D) List of the scope, specialty, and expertise of practice in which the physician is engaged;
   5. (E) List of the scope, specialty, and expertise of practice in which the advanced practice nurse is engaged;
   6. (F) A copy of the collaborative agreement exclusive of specific protocols; and

   7. (G)

      1. (i) A copy of the quality assurance plan that is utilized by the physician and the advanced practice nurse that have entered into a collaborative agreement.
      2. (ii) The physician should inform the board when there are changes to the information that is to be provided to the board by the physician as stated in this subdivision (4);

5. (5) A copy of the collaborative agreement must be maintained by the collaborating physician and made available to the board upon request and must include, at a minimum, provisions addressing:

   1. (A) The availability of the collaborating physician for consultation or referral or both;
   2. (B) Methods of management of the collaborative practice, which shall include protocols for prescriptive authority;
   3. (C) Coverage of the healthcare needs of the patient in the emergency absence of the APN or the physician; and
   4. (D) Quality assurance plan; and
6. (6) The collaborating physician shall be responsible for ensuring that each patient receives written documentation as to who the collaborating physician is and how he or she may be reached and/or contacted.

Codification Notes: “APN” means advanced practice nurse.