APRN Practice

Numerous inquiries have been received in the KBN office regarding a variety of issues surrounding advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) practice.  These questions have been addressed in the information provided here.

The 2000 Regular Session of the General Assembly amended KRS Chapter 314 to allow advanced practice registered nurses to receive and dispense sample drugs.  The applicable statutes are as follows:

KRS 314.011(8) states, in part: "‘Advanced practice registered nursing’ means the performance of additional acts . . . Advanced practice registered nurses who engage in these additional acts shall be authorized to issue prescriptions for and dispense nonscheduled legend drugs as defined in KRS 217.905, ...under the conditions set forth in KRS 314.042."

KRS 314.011(17) states: " ‘Dispense’ means to receive and distribute noncontrolled legend drug samples from pharmaceutical manufacturers to patients at no charge to the patient or any other party."

KRS 314.042(8) states: "Before an advanced practice registered nurse engages in the prescribing or dispensing of nonscheduled legend drugs as authorized by KRS 314.011(8), the advanced practice registered nurse shall enter into a written collaborative agreement for the APRN's prescriptive authority for nonscheduled legend drugs (CAPA-NS) with a physician that defines the scope of the prescriptive authority for nonscheduled legend drugs." 

The 2006 Regular Session of the General Assembly amended KRS Chapter 314 to give APRNs limited authority to write prescriptions for controlled substances, but did not permit an APRN to receive and distribute, nor dispense, controlled substance samples.