Scope of practice and opioid prescribing behavior of nurse practitioners serving Medicare beneficiaries
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Policymakers aiming to increase access to health care while simultaneously keeping costs low and quality high are considering expanding the practice authority and prescriptive authority of nurse practitioners in order to address primary care shortages. While we know this increases access, some researchers argue that the expansion of job autonomy of nurse practitioners can compromise the quality and safety of rendered medical services. This paper investigates quality and safety outcomes in prescribing behaviors of nurse practitioners who have prescribed opioids for Medicare Part D beneficiaries using a unique source of policy variation, nurse practitioners with the ability to prescribe medication who move to either states with or without physician supervision. We find that scope of practice expansions do not compromise quality and safety in terms of potential abuse or misuse of prescriptive authority.
Source: Health Economics
DOI: 10.1002/hec.4904
Authors: Shishir Shakya, Alicia Plemmons
Institutions: West Virginia University, Appalachian State University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4403154832