Health News
- Doctors Give Nurse Practitioners More Leeway On Prescriptions; Senator Says Tort-reform Lobbies Should Play Hardball With Money
"Concerns about a growing doctor shortage, especially in rural Kentucky, is fueling the urgency for lawmakers and medical groups to agree on an approach to allow nurse practitioners to be able to prescribe certain medicines without physician supervision,"...
- As Health Care Expands And More Providers Are Needed, Pressure Grows To Allow Nurse Practitioners More Prescribing Authority
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News As Kentucky expands Medicaid and implements the Affordable Care Act, more Kentuckians will have health coverage and access to care, worsening Kentucky's already existing shortage of physicians, particularly those...
- Legislature Eases Physician Assistant Rules; Nurse Practitioners' Prescription Power, Medicaid Prompt-payment Bills, Others Linger
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross Kentucky Health News The Kentucky General Assembly has joined other states in easing the restrictions on physician assistants? medical practice, but has held up a similar move for advanced registered nurse practitioners....
- Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse Back On Legislative Agenda
As expected, finding a way to fight prescription drug abuse was back on the legislative agenda as lawmakers gathered for Day 1 of their special session. House Speaker Greg Stumbo introduced a bill today that will make it "mandatory for doctors to use...
- Senate Panel And House Ok Bills To Tackle Prescription-bill Abuse
Two bills aimed at attacking the state's prescription drug abuse problem made headway yesterday, with a major difference between the House and Senate measures, reflecting possible turf battles between state agencies and doctors' desire to maintain...
Health News
Bill to ease prescription rules for advanced-practice nurse practitioners is first to pass in this legislative session
The first bill to pass the 2014 General Assembly and go to the governor is Senate Bill 7, which would allow more experienced advanced-practice registered nurses to prescribe non-narcotic drugs without having an agreement with a physician. Advocates of the bill say it is needed more than ever now that federal health reform and expansion of Medicaid are bringing more people into the regular health-care system.
"SB 7 is good for Kentucky?s health!" said Sheila Schuster, a Louisville psychologist who lobbied for the bill. "It will increase access ? particularly in under-served areas (map) ? to the safe, quality healthcare provided by advanced-practice registered nurses."
The bill's passage ended a five-year battle between doctors and APRNs, represented by the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives. The House passed a bill last year to repeal the doctor-agreement law entirely, but it stalled in the Senate. Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, negotiated a deal with the APRNs and the doctors' lobby, the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would allow APRNs who have practiced for four years to prescribe such medicine without any relationship with a doctor.
"SB 7 is good for Kentucky?s health!" said Sheila Schuster, a Louisville psychologist who lobbied for the bill. "It will increase access ? particularly in under-served areas (map) ? to the safe, quality healthcare provided by advanced-practice registered nurses."The bill's passage ended a five-year battle between doctors and APRNs, represented by the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives. The House passed a bill last year to repeal the doctor-agreement law entirely, but it stalled in the Senate. Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, negotiated a deal with the APRNs and the doctors' lobby, the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would allow APRNs who have practiced for four years to prescribe such medicine without any relationship with a doctor.
- Doctors Give Nurse Practitioners More Leeway On Prescriptions; Senator Says Tort-reform Lobbies Should Play Hardball With Money
"Concerns about a growing doctor shortage, especially in rural Kentucky, is fueling the urgency for lawmakers and medical groups to agree on an approach to allow nurse practitioners to be able to prescribe certain medicines without physician supervision,"...
- As Health Care Expands And More Providers Are Needed, Pressure Grows To Allow Nurse Practitioners More Prescribing Authority
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News As Kentucky expands Medicaid and implements the Affordable Care Act, more Kentuckians will have health coverage and access to care, worsening Kentucky's already existing shortage of physicians, particularly those...
- Legislature Eases Physician Assistant Rules; Nurse Practitioners' Prescription Power, Medicaid Prompt-payment Bills, Others Linger
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross Kentucky Health News The Kentucky General Assembly has joined other states in easing the restrictions on physician assistants? medical practice, but has held up a similar move for advanced registered nurse practitioners....
- Fighting Prescription Drug Abuse Back On Legislative Agenda
As expected, finding a way to fight prescription drug abuse was back on the legislative agenda as lawmakers gathered for Day 1 of their special session. House Speaker Greg Stumbo introduced a bill today that will make it "mandatory for doctors to use...
- Senate Panel And House Ok Bills To Tackle Prescription-bill Abuse
Two bills aimed at attacking the state's prescription drug abuse problem made headway yesterday, with a major difference between the House and Senate measures, reflecting possible turf battles between state agencies and doctors' desire to maintain...