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Featured Practice Question

How often do the standardized procedures have to be reviewed? I am working at a community health center and the SPs have not been updated for four years. Also, does each NP have to sign the standardized procedures, or, for example, can it be on the clinics intranet?

Standard procedures do not have a required time frame for review. The organization, in partnership with the NP and collaborating physician, should discuss this and determine what seems reasonable. Many organizations may align the NP SP review with other policy review time frames, i.e. every three years. Because NP practice changes almost every year, it is a good habit to review the SP at least annually in order to make updates to the SP as it applies to your practice. It is important that you specify what the review time frame is, document in the SP itself and, most importantly, follow it. Get more information here.

Regarding your second question, yes, every NP following a SP must document a signature on the SP. Your clinic can develop a sign off sheet that lists the standardized procedures the NP will use in practice. This sheet requires the NP’s signature, the collaborating physician’s signature and the identified administrator of the organization/practice (this can be a director, manager or CEO).

Featured Legal Question

Is it legal for a pharmacist to deny filling a prescription for narcotics or benzodiazepines from an NP with valid credentials? This has happened to a colleague.

A pharmacist could certainly deny if s/he thought there was a misuse of a medication. Did the NP ask the pharmacist why the denial? If s/he gave no reason, the NP should call the pharmacy board and ask their opinion. There is not law that states a pharmacist cannot deny, just a law that states the NP can write prescriptions with a DEA number.

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