SB554 Summary

• Authorizes certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) with collaborative practice agreements to prescribe, administer, and dispense Schedules III, IV, and V controlled substances.

• Establishes the Board of Medical Examiners as the certifying body to issue Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Registration Certificates (QACSC) and sets qualifications including minimum 12 months of active clinical practice and completion of advanced pharmacology training.

• Provides grounds for denial or disciplinary action against QACSC holders for fraud, controlled substance crimes, dangerous prescribing practices, excessive dispensing, substance abuse, or DEA registration suspension/revocation.

• Creates an appeals process allowing CRNPs and CNMs to seek judicial review of adverse board decisions through Montgomery County Circuit Court, with restrictions on stays pending review unless board action was arbitrary, capricious, or without statutory authority.

• Amends the controlled substances prescription database access provisions to include CRNPs and CNMs with valid QACSC certificates and adds a $10 annual surcharge on their certificates for database development and maintenance.