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APRN Prescriptive Authority for Prescribing Controlled Substances

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​​Kentucky Nursing Laws

  • KRS 314.011 governs APRNs prescribing of controlled substances.
  • KRS 218A.205 governs reports of improper, inappropriate, or illegal prescribing or dispensing of controlled substances and other statutory and regulatory requirements.
  • KRS 218A.182 governs electronic prescribing of controlled substances.

  • 201 KAR 20:057 regulates the collaborative agreement for prescriptive authority (CAPA) and prescribing standards for controlled substances.
  • 201 KAR 20:063 regulates the prescribing of amphetamine-like anorexic controlled substances.
  • 201 KAR 20:065 regulates the prescribing Buprenorphine-Mono-Product or Buprenorphine-Combined-with-Naloxone by APRNs for treatment for opioid use disorder.
  • 902 KAR 55:130 regulates electronic prescribing of controlled substances
    • The APRN Controlled Substance Crosswalk can be found in the Document Library.


Requirements to Prescribe Controlled Substances

To prescribe controlled substances, an APRN must enter into a collaborative agreement with a physician.  On the following page, you can find additional information regarding required APRN Prescriptive Authority Collaborative Prescriptive Agreements (CAPAs) and forms. 

Required Documentation to Prescribe Controlled Substances

The following items must be uploaded at the Kentucky Board of Nursing N​urse portal prior to prescribing controlled substances.
  • Notification of a CAPA-CS Form (found in the KRS 218A.182 and 902 KAR 55:130.  Additional Information Regarding Prescription Only Electronic Services and information regarding KRS 218A.182 and 902 KAR 55:130 is available on the following Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) websites:

Pharmacists and Non-Electronic Prescriptions

Pharmacists who receive non-electronic prescriptions after January 1, 2021, do not have to verify the applicability of one of the exceptions. A pharmacist may continue to fill non-electronic prescriptions on an assumption that one of the exceptions applies, provided the prescription is otherwise lawful.

Document Library

All KBN documents and forms can now be found in our Document Library.

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