SB229 Summary

• Authorizes certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs) and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) with collaborative practice agreements to prescribe, administer, and dispense controlled substances in Schedules III, IV, and V upon obtaining a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Registration Certificate (QACSC) from the Board of Medical Examiners.

• Requires CRNPs and CNMs to complete board-approved advanced pharmacology courses and document at least 12 months of active clinical practice under a collaborative agreement before obtaining a QACSC.

• Establishes grounds for denial, restriction, suspension, or revocation of a QACSC, including fraud, controlled substance-related convictions, incompetence, and excessive prescribing, with appeals available through Montgomery County Circuit Court.

• Permits the Board of Medical Examiners to create a Limited Purpose Schedule II Permit (LPSP) at its discretion for limited circumstances allowing CRNPs, CNMs, and physician assistants to prescribe specific Schedule II controlled substances.

• Amends the Controlled Substances Prescription Database to grant Board of Medical Examiners representatives and supervising physicians access to information about CRNPs and CNMs holding a QACSC; establishes a $10 annual surcharge on QACSCs for database operation and maintenance.