Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 060 - STATE MEDICAL BOARD › Rule 060.00.08-002 - Regulation 30: Collaborative Practice Agreements

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
ACA §
							17-87-102(2)
			 states that a "collaborative practice agreement" means a written plan that
			 identifies a physician who agrees to collaborate with an advanced practice
			 nurse in the joint management of the health care of the advanced practice
			 nurse's patients, and outlines procedures for consultation with or referral to
			 the collaborating physician or other health care professionals as indicated by
			 a patient's health care needs;
ACA §
							17-87-310(a)(2)
			 provides that: "An advanced practice nurse may obtain a certificate of
			 prescriptive authority from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing if the advanced
			 practice nurse has a collaborative practice agreement with a physician who is
			 licensed under the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, and who has a practice
			 comparable in scope, specialty, or expertise to that of the advanced practice
			 nurse on file with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing."
ACA §
							17-87-310(c)
			 states: "A collaborative practice agreement shall include, but not be limited
			 to, provisions addressing:
(1) The
		  availability of the collaborating physician for consultation or referral, or
		  both;
(2) Methods of management of
		  the collaborative practice, which shall include protocols for prescriptive
		  authority;
(3) Coverage of the
		  health care needs of a patient in the emergency absence of the advanced
		  practice nurse or physician; and
(4) Quality assurance."
ACA §
								17-87-310(d)
			 provides that: "If a collaborative practice results in complaints of violations
			 of the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, the Arkansas State Medical Board may
			 review the role of the physician in the collaborative practice to determine if
			 the physician is unable to manage his or her responsibilities under the
			 agreement without an adverse effect on the quality of care of the
			 patient."
To better delineate and explain the requirements on a physician
			 who desires to enter into a collaborative practice agreement with an advanced
			 practice nurse, the Arkansas State Medical Board states affirmatively that the
			 licensed physician must comply with Arkansas law as stated hereinabove, as well
			 as the following:
I. The collaborating
		  physician must be licensed to practice in the state of Arkansas, and be in the
		  active clinical practice of medicine located within the state of Arkansas, or
		  in a state which borders Arkansas and in a county in such state contiguous to
		  the state of Arkansas.
II. The
		  collaborating physician must be easily in contact with the APN by radio,
		  telephone, electronic or other telecommunication device.
III. The collaborating physician must be
		  engaged in the active practice of medicine and have a practice comparable in
		  scope, specialty, or expertise to that of the Advanced Practice Nurse with whom
		  he or she has entered into a collaborative practice agreement.
IV. The collaborating physician must provide
		  notification of the following information to the ASMB, in a manner and form
		  established by the Board:
A. The names and
		  professional titles of anyone with whom they are collaborating;
B. When a material change has occurred in the
		  collaborative agreement or practice;
C. Termination of any collaborative practice
		  agreement.
D. List the scope,
		  specialty and expertise of practice in which the physician is
		  engaged.
E. List the scope,
		  specialty and expertise of practice in which the Advanced Practice Nurse is
		  engaged.
F. Provide a copy of the
		  Collaborative Agreement exclusive of specific protocols.
G. Provide a copy of the quality assurance
		  plan that is utilized by the physician and the advanced practice nurse that
		  have entered into a collaborative agreement.
The physician should inform the Board when there are changes to
			 the information that is to be provided to the Board by the physician as stated
			 in this paragraph.
V. A copy of the collaborative agreement must
		  be maintained by the collaborating physician and made available to the Arkansas
		  State Medical Board upon request and must include, at a minimum, provisions
		  addressing:
A. The availability of the
		  collaborating physician for consultation or referral or both;
B. Methods of management of the collaborative
		  practice, which shall include protocols for prescriptive authority;
C. Coverage of the health care needs of the
		  patient in the emergency absence of the APN or the physician;
D. Quality Assurance Plan
VI. The collaborating physician
		  shall be responsible for ensuring that each patient receives written
		  documentation as to who the collaborating physician is and how he or she may be
		  reached and/or contacted.
The failure of a physician to comply with this Regulation will be
			 considered a violation of the Medical Practices Act and §
									17-95-409(a)(2)(P),
			 and subject the physician to the possibility of a disciplinary hearing and the
			 imposition of sanctions against his or her license pursuant to Arkansas law and
			 the Administrative Procedure Act.
Adopted: August 8, 2008
Effective: November 1, 2008