South Dakota News: Mid-level Practitioner Legislation

April 1, 2006 4:25 pm Topics: Controlled substances and Practitioner prescriber

Published in the April 2006 South Dakota State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter

Legislation containing revisions related to the prescription of Schedule II controlled drugs by physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives was signed by Governor Mike Rounds February 15, 2006, and will go into effect
July 1, 2006.

The amendments will allow these mid-level practitioners to do the following:

1. Make a tentative medical diagnosis and institute therapy or referral; prescribe medications and provide drug samples or a limited supply of labeled medications, including controlled drugs or substances listed on Schedule II in chapter 34-20B for one period of not more than 30 days, for symptoms and temporary pain relief, or treatment of common childhood diseases; to assist in the follow-up treatment of geriatric and psychiatric disorders referred by the physicians;
2. The prescription of medications and provision of drug samples or a limited supply of labeled medications, including controlled drugs or substances listed on Schedule II in chapter 34-20B for one period of not more than 30 days, for treatment of causative factors and symptoms;
3. Prescription of appropriate medications and provision of drug samples or a limited supply of appropriate labeled medications for individuals under the nurse midwife’s care pursuant to the scope of practice defined in this section, including controlled drugs or substances listed on Schedule II in Chapter 34-20B for one period of not more than 30 days.

Medications or sample drugs provided to patients shall be accompanied with written administration instructions and appropriate documentation and shall be entered in the patient’s medical record.