Nurse practitioners can't prescribe narcotics or controlled substances yet
October 22, 2013
The New Classes of Practitioners Regulations (NCPR) under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act was proclaimed on Nov. 21, 2012. These regulatory changes included nurse practitioners. However, NPs are not yet authorized to prescribe narcotics and controlled substances in Alberta.
The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) is developing requirements that will allow individual practitioners to demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skill, and ability to assume this expanded scope of practice.
Resources:
Gazette announcement of new regulation
CARNA announcement about process for nurse practitioners
Legislated Scope of Practice for Nurse Practitioners – fact sheet
Prescriber lists on ACP website – prescribers in Alberta include:
- Dental hygienists
- Dentists (prescriber list not available via ACP – contact their college)
- Dieticians
- Midwives
- Nurse Practitioners
- Optometrists
- Pharmacists
- Physicians and Surgeons
- Podiatrists
- Veterinarians