HB443 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Randall Shedd

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Nurse practitioners, to enable nurse practitioners to practice without collaborating with a physician, Secs. 34-21-80, 34-21-83, 34-21-92, 34-21-93 repealed; Secs. 20-2-250, 20-2-252, 20-2-254, 34-21-81, 34-21-84, 34-21-85, 34-21-86, 34-21-87, 34-21-88, 34-21-90 am'd.

Summary

HB 443 would let nurse practitioners and nurse midwives practice and prescribe within board-approved scopes without requiring a physician collaborator, and creates a regulatory framework for this practice including controlled substances.

What This Bill Does

The bill would enable CRNPs and CNMs to work independently within the scopes permitted by the Board of Nursing and to prescribe medications within the scopes approved by the Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing, removing the blanket requirement to collaborate with a physician. It repeals several existing collaboration-related sections and updates definitions related to administration, prescribing, and protocols. It maintains a governance structure including a joint committee, protocol requirements, and formulary guidance to regulate practice and ensure patient safety, and it creates a system (QACSC) to manage controlled-substance prescribing by CRNPs and CNMs with specified criteria and oversight.

Who It Affects

• Certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) who would be able to practice and prescribe within board-approved scopes without mandatory physician collaboration, subject to certification and protocol requirements.
• Patients and the general public in Alabama who receive care from CRNPs or CNMs, as these providers could practice more independently and prescribe medications within approved scopes.

Key Provisions

• Amends and repeals existing collaboration requirements, allowing CRNPs and CNMs to practice and prescribe within board-approved scopes without mandatory physician collaboration, and updates related definitions and governance.
• Creates the Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Registration Certificate (QACSC) for CRNPs and CNMs, with requirements such as approved pharmacology training, documented active practice, and grounds for denial or suspension, to regulate controlled-substance prescribing.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Nurse Practitioners