1. (a) Credentials: To be approved by the Board to sign prescription drug orders and issued a prescription authorization number, a Registered Nurse (RN) shall:

   1. (1) have full licensure from the Board to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse. RNs with Interim Approval to practice as advanced practice registered nurses are not eligible for prescriptive authority.

   2. (2) file a complete application for Prescriptive Authority and submit such evidence as required by the Board to verify the following educational qualifications:

      1. (A) To be eligible for Prescriptive Authority, advanced practice registered nurses must have successfully completed graduate level courses in advanced pharmacotherapeutics, advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and diagnosis and management of diseases and conditions within the role and population focus area.

         1. (i) Nurse Practitioners, Nurse-Midwives and Nurse Anesthetists will be considered to have met the course requirements of this section on the basis of courses completed in the advanced practice nursing educational program.
         2. (ii) Clinical Nurse Specialists shall submit documentation of successful completion of separate, dedicated, graduate level courses in the content areas described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph. These courses shall be academic courses with a minimum of 45 clock hours per course from a nursing program accredited by an organization recognized by the Board.
         3. (iii) The Board, by policy, may determine that certain specialties of Clinical Nurse Specialists meet one or more of the course requirements on the basis of the advanced practice nursing educational program.
      2. (B) Clinical Nurse Specialists who were previously approved by the Board as advanced practice registered nurses by petition on the basis of completion of a non-nursing master's degree shall not be eligible for prescriptive authority.
2. (b) Sites: Prescribing privileges are limited to eligible sites to include sites serving certain medically underserved populations, physician's primary practice sites, alternate sites, and facility-based practice sites.
3. (c) Exceptions Granted by the Texas Medical Board: Requirements for utilizing prescriptive authority may be modified or waived if a delegating physician has received a modification or waiver from the Texas Medical Board of any site or supervision requirements for a physician to delegate the carrying out or signing of prescription drug orders to the advanced practice registered nurse.

Source Note:The provisions of this §222.2 adopted to be effective November 26, 2003, 28 TexReg 10502; amended to be effective February 14, 2010, 35 TexReg 866.