On September 24, the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (MCNP) testified in support of the NP SAVE Bill, An Act to Support Access, Value and Equity in Health Care (H.1867/S.1330). By removing the antiquated requirement for physician supervision of Nurse Practitioner (NP) prescriptive practice, the NP SAVE Bill would modernize and align Massachusetts licensure laws with the national standard for NP practice and regulation, otherwise known as “full practice authority” (FPA) . Nationally,, Massachusetts has the most restrictive licensing requirements for NPs and is the only state in New England that has yet to remove them. Positioning NPs to practice to the full extent of their education and training is consistent with recommendations from the Institute of Medicine, the National Governor’s Association, the Federal Trade Commission and Massachusetts Health Policy Commission

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with Master’s or doctoral level education and are nationally certified in advanced practice nursing specialties. They provide comprehensive health care services including performing physical examinations, prescribing medications, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, and treating and managing acute, episodic, and chronic conditions.
The passage of FPA legislation promises significant healthcare related cost savings for Massachusetts. While the cost of healthcare has continued to rise, increased reliance on nurse practitioners will increase access to care while curbing healthcare spending. A Nurse Practitioner workforce without prescriptive practice restrictions is essential as the state seeks to combat the escalating opioid epidemic. Federal law allows for Nurse Practitioners to prescribe these life-saving medications, yet eligible Massachusetts Nurse Practitioners are restricted from prescribing MAT without the oversight of a supervising physician.

About the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

The Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (MCNP) represents the professional voice of the Commonwealth’s more than 10,500 nurse practitioners. Advancing a patient-centered agenda, MCNP seeks to create recognition of the key role that NPs can play to improve access to high quality, cost-effective, and equitable healthcare for all.