State legislators have approved granting advanced practice registered nurses and physician’s assistants authority to prescribe psychotropic medication without consent to patients in court-ordered inpatient care during a crisis situation.
The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 15-4 ad the House 28-7 and as of March 24 was awaiting the signature of Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Current statues limit prescriptive authority in crisis situations to physicians.
“Advanced practice registered nurses and physician’s assistants are licensed and fully capable of providing this level of care, as they do in many other states, and is completely within their scope of practice and should be allowed to prescribe crisis medications to patients in treatment facilities,” said Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage. Giessel hold a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The Senate bill was merged with House Bill 290 by Rep. Matt Claman, D-Anchorage, which establishes crisis stabilization centers to meet intermediate services for those experiencing behavioral health or substance abuse crisis. As an alternative to arrest, the bill would authorize police to take individuals to crisis stabilization centers.
Claman noted that police and other first responders have frequent contact with those suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. This will offers public safety professionals an essential alternative to improve public safety, he said.
