TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES PROVIDED BY ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES; AND TO AMEND THE PRESCRIPTIVE AUTHORITY OF AN ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSE.

House Bill 1132 aims to increase access to healthcare by expanding the prescriptive authority of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Arkansas. The bill allows APRNs to prescribe Schedule II opioids for a period of five days or less. It also permits APRNs to prescribe Schedule II stimulants for a patient's ongoing treatment, provided a physician originally initiated the prescription, evaluated the patient within six months, and the prescription is for the same condition. The bill requires the Arkansas State Board of Nursing to establish rules for prescribing these medications, consistent with those of the State Medical Board.