Section 1300.465  Full Practice Authority

a)         An Illinois-licensed advanced practice registered nurse certified as a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, or clinical nurse specialist may be granted the privilege of full practice authority, which provides the ability under this Section to practice without a written collaborative agreement.

b)         An APRN certified as a nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse practitioner seeking full practice authority shall submit a form provided by the Department indicating he/she has met the necessary requirements in Section 65-43 of the Act.  The documentation shall include:

1)         Current APRN license number and current registered professional nurse license number.  Only applicants whose APRN license and registered professional nurse license are current, active and unrestricted are eligible for full practice authority.

2)         Notarized attestation, signed by the APRN, of completion of at least 250 hours of continuing education or training.  Documentation of successful completion of this requirement shall be provided to the Department upon request.

A)        Continuing education and training, as used in this Section, shall include, but not be limited to:

i)        Formal CE hours conducted by approved CE sponsors and programs as set forth in Section 1300.130(c)(1);

ii)       Completion of graduate education at universities or colleges;

iii)      CE programs required for certification or recertification by appropriate professional associations;

iv)      Other educational opportunities that comply with the continuing education standards in Section 1300.130.

B)        The continuing education or training hours required shall be in the APRN's area of certification.

3)         Notarized attestation of completion of at least 4000 hours of clinical experience after first attaining national certification.  The clinical experience must be in the APRN's area of certification.  The clinical experience shall be in collaboration with a physician or physicians.  Completion of the clinical experience must be attested to by the collaborating physician or physicians and the APRN.  For APRNs working in a hospital setting, the clinical experience may be attested to by the hospital medical staff committee or designee.  Documentation of successful completion of this requirement shall be provided to the Department upon request.

4)         The fee required by Section 1300.30(a)(5).

c)         The scope of practice of an APRN granted full practice authority includes:

1)         All matters included in Section 65-30(c) of the Act;

2)         Practicing without a written collaborative agreement in all practice settings consistent with national certification;

3)         Authority to prescribe both legend drugs and Schedule II through V controlled substances, except as provided in Section 1300.465(c)(4).  This authority includes prescription of, selection of, orders for, administration of, storage of, acceptance of samples of, and dispensing over the counter medications, legend drugs, and controlled substances categorized as any Schedule II through V controlled substances, as defined in Article II of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, and other preparations, including, but not limited to, botanical and herbal remedies;

4)         Prescribing benzodiazepines or Schedule II narcotic drugs, such as opioids, only in a consultation relationship with a physician;

A)        This consultation relationship shall be recorded in the Prescription Monitoring Program website, pursuant to Section 316 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, by the physician and advanced practice registered nurse with full practice authority;

B)        Consultation is not required to be filed with the Department;

C)        The specific Schedule II narcotic drug must be identified by either brand name or generic name;

D)        May be administered by oral dosage or topical or transdermal application;

E)        Delivery by injection or other route of administration is not permitted;

F)         At least monthly, the APRN and the physician must discuss the condition of any patients for whom a benzodiazepine or opioid is prescribed;

G)        Nothing in this subsection (c)(4) shall be construed to require a prescription by an APRN granted full practice authority to indicate a physician's name on the prescription; and

H)        All consultation records shall be available to the Department upon request;

5)         Authority to obtain an Illinois controlled substances license and a federal Drug Enforcement Administration number;

6)         Use of only local anesthetic; and

7)         The scope of practice of an APRN does not include operative surgery.

d)         Upon issuance of an APRN license with full practice authority, the regular APRN license will go inactive.

e)         Prior to prescribing as an APRN granted full practice authority, the APRN must apply for a practitioner license under the Illinois Controlled Substances Act. 

f)         Nothing in the Act shall be construed to authorize an advanced practice registered nurse with full practice authority to provide health care services required by law or rule to be performed by a physician, including, but not limited to, those acts to be performed by a physician in Section 3.1 of the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 [720 ILCS 510].  (Section 65-43(e) of the Act)

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 228, effective January 4, 2021)