Under the bill, APRNs would be able to prescribe drugs without the requirement of a collaborative agreement with a physician. The loosening of the rules under the bill would also allow APRNs to execute healthcare plans for patients, provide counseling, serve as a primary care provider and lead a healthcare team, according to a Kansas Health Institute report.
APRNs who support the bill argue having more freedom to perform medical services could help alleviate a physician shortage. However, the measure has faced opposition from physicians' groups within the state, according to the report.
The Kansas Medical Society and the Medical Society of Sedgwick County both take the stance that nurse practitioners are a valuable asset to the practice of medicine, but physicians have the most training and should have the final say when it comes to patient care, according to the report.
The bill is yet to receive a hearing in either the House or the Senate, and it is too late in the legislative session for any discussion of the bill to begin. It is likely a revised bill will be presented during the 2015 legislative session that will be more mutually beneficial to both physicians and nurses, according to the report.
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