There is a new legislative plan in the works that would increase the authority of nurse practitioners in Florida.  The critics of the plan are against giving nurses more privileges that are now expressly given to physicians.

This plan would give nurse practitioners more independence without the supervision of a physician.

Some representatives in favor of the bill see it as providing more care to communities who do not have enough physicians.  This would also lift the ban on nurse practitioners prescribing controlled substances.

The Florida Medical Association lobbyist and other legislators feel that this could increase the number of people having access to and prescribing controlled substances.

FMA President, Alan Harmon, said: “Florida is on the verge of recovering from a massive statewide pill-mill crisis. Yet now, the Florida House is considering a bill that would unleash thousands of new practitioners into our communities with prescription pads poised to prescribe narcotics.”

This bill would only affect advanced practice RNs, including clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists.

If this bill passes, the level of insurance the nurse practitioners carry could then equal the same insurance as doctors, yet, the bill goes on to say there is no guarantee they would be paid the same as doctors.

The committee chair for the bill said there are several states who already have these new rules in place.