Running head: STATE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES 1
State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances
NUR 565 Advanced Pharmacology
.
, STATE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES 2
State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances
“Prescribing medications is essential to the Nurse Practitioners (NPs) practice” ("Position
statement on nurse practitioner prescriptive privileges," 2016, para. 2). Each state has its own
rules and regulations that mandates what NPs can and cannot do with their license. NPs who can
prescribe with no limitations improve patient care, are cost effective, and set up an environment
for safe and accountable care for the patients ("Position statement on nurse practitioner
prescriptive privileges," 2016). This paper will discuss guidelines and recommendations for
Arizona, State specific laws on controlled substance prescribing for the nurse practitioner, state
specific drug monitoring program, and conclusion.
Guidelines and recommendations for Arizona
The name of the state’s organization is the Arizona Department of Health Services
(ADHS) that has created guidelines for pain management therapies and education. The overall
goals and objectives are to decrease opioids deaths, decrease the rate of drug overdose deaths,
and decrease the number of established non-lethal opioid overdoses (Arizona Department of
Health Services, 2018). To complete these goals, the ADHS has recommendations and action
items in place. Strategies would include improving quality of treatment, improving access to
treatment, decreasing stigmas, prevention and early intervention, improve prescribing and
dispensing practices, and lastly improve data quality and dissemination of actionable information
on deaths from all drugs (Arizona Department of Health Services, 2018) The web address where
the guidelines for Arizona’s opioid action plan can be found is:
https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/health-systems-development/epidamic/opioid-
action-plan-2019-2021.pdf. Arizona has multiple organizations involved in the opioid action
State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances
NUR 565 Advanced Pharmacology
.
, STATE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES 2
State Specific Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances
“Prescribing medications is essential to the Nurse Practitioners (NPs) practice” ("Position
statement on nurse practitioner prescriptive privileges," 2016, para. 2). Each state has its own
rules and regulations that mandates what NPs can and cannot do with their license. NPs who can
prescribe with no limitations improve patient care, are cost effective, and set up an environment
for safe and accountable care for the patients ("Position statement on nurse practitioner
prescriptive privileges," 2016). This paper will discuss guidelines and recommendations for
Arizona, State specific laws on controlled substance prescribing for the nurse practitioner, state
specific drug monitoring program, and conclusion.
Guidelines and recommendations for Arizona
The name of the state’s organization is the Arizona Department of Health Services
(ADHS) that has created guidelines for pain management therapies and education. The overall
goals and objectives are to decrease opioids deaths, decrease the rate of drug overdose deaths,
and decrease the number of established non-lethal opioid overdoses (Arizona Department of
Health Services, 2018). To complete these goals, the ADHS has recommendations and action
items in place. Strategies would include improving quality of treatment, improving access to
treatment, decreasing stigmas, prevention and early intervention, improve prescribing and
dispensing practices, and lastly improve data quality and dissemination of actionable information
on deaths from all drugs (Arizona Department of Health Services, 2018) The web address where
the guidelines for Arizona’s opioid action plan can be found is:
https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/health-systems-development/epidamic/opioid-
action-plan-2019-2021.pdf. Arizona has multiple organizations involved in the opioid action
