Rubber Hits the Road - This is not a test! 

Tuesday at the Capitol the Chair of PHWL was absent.  Because of this, all "scope" bills were moved to tomorrow, Thursday the 16th.  We did pass the "Signature Authority" bill, 1180 yesterday though, which is a nice little win.

However, Thursday will be THE day to be at the Capitol with your lab coats on. The Medical Society sent out an urgent legislative update and call to action. (see attached letter to the physician community). PHYSICIANS have been asked to have 40 physicians all in white lab coats and were asked to contact the committee today and tomorrow. They have provided their "talking points" that are untrue, misleading, and not supported in the literature. They do not have research to back up their opinions and bias.  WE have the evidence.  Now is the time for you to call and send emails.  Again, we are attaching the PHWL committee members contact information. 

What we stand to lose:

• HB 1525 will require joint regulation of NPs by the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing.  Ask for a NO vote
• HB 1254 will require regulation by the Board of Medicine only.  Ask for a NO vote

What we stand to gain:

• HB 1181 will allow a 1 year transition to prescriptive authority after 1 year of mentorship under a physician or NP. Ask for a YES vote.
• HB 1182 will allow NPs to become PCP's in AR Medicaid.  Ask for a YES vote.
• HB 1186 will remove the collaborative practice agreement. Ask for a YES vote.
• HB 1228 will give NPs full schedule II prescribing.  Ask for a YES vote.

Even if you have called or emailed before, do so again.  We have a lot to loose and a lot to gain. Full Practice Authority is achievable in AR, BUT, only if we act.  Having a few people at the Capitol won't make it happen.  YOU are the KEY.  

Forward this announcement to all the nurses, family members, patient's and colleagues you can.  ASK them for help. Support your colleagues who are working so hard to retire outdated laws and regulations and improve ACCESS to CARE for our patients.

As always, go to www.nursesforarkansas.com to get more detailed information.

FACTS:

• 60% of NPs have registered for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in AR
• 36 % of physicians have registered for the PMP
• NPs have provided safe and cost effective care , and have similar outcomes as physicians
• There are 21 states and DC who have full practice authority (FPA)
• South Dakota is waiting for their Governor's signature for FPA today
• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has written a Policy Brief that calls unnecessary and restrictive regulation of NPs a "restriction of trade" and advises removing barriers for NPs
• There are NO substantive data that NPs overall prescribe more opioids than physicians.  The AR Medical Society says "
• APRNs in Tennessee are only about 22% of total prescribers in the state, but had 35 of the top 50 prescribers of opioids (70%) in 2014."

What they DON'T TELL YOU is that 100% are SUPERVISED BY PHYSICIANS and in TN, the prescribers in pain management clinics are mostly NPs under supervision.  If supervision makes it better, then these numbers would contradict their argument. Also, the AR SBON has rarely had to discipline an NP for inappropriate prescribing and they monitor this activity closely.

How do you know how to rebut the Medical Society?  Read our "Talking Points". Go to www.nursesforarkansas.com where there are rebuttals to the Medical Society's inaccurate statements. 

Remember, the Institute of Medicine, now the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, advised moving all nurses towards practicing to the full scope of their education, training and licensure. We are moving in the right direction towards this goal, and are NOT trying to be physicians. But we are all part of this happening and a few NPs can't do this alone for nurse practitioners and our patients. Our goal is to improve Access to Care.

As Always,

Your friends at the Arkansas Nurse Practitioner Association
In collaboration with the Arkansas Nursing Policy Roundtable and Nurses for Arkansas

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