CARNA is pleased to share the following welcome news and historic milestone for NPs!

The New Classes of Practitioners Regulations (NCPR) under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in the Canada Gazette, Part II, was proclaimed Nov. 21 by Health Canada: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2012/2012-11-21/html/sor-dors230-eng.html. These changes remove federal barriers nurse practitioners face in prescribing controlled drugs and substances,
but... what does this mean for NPs in Alberta?

Transition period in Alberta for NPs

There is still work to be done before NPs can prescribe controlled drugs and substances in Alberta. As with any legislative changes in regulated practitioner practice, enactment takes time. Even though regulatory changes have been approved at the federal level, NPs are not yet authorized to prescribe narcotics and controlled substances in the province.

CARNA is committed to engaging NPs in the development of requirements that will allow individual practitioners to demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skill, and ability to assume this expanded scope of practice. This work is expected to begin early in 2013.

While CARNA is focused on maintaining a high level of mindfulness to public safety and providing the necessary support to nurse practitioners, removing the remaining obstacles to enable NPs to prescribe controlled drugs and substances is a priority. Allowing NPs to practice within their full scope of practice will benefit patients by providing flexible and timely delivery of health-care services in the province.

Interprovincial collaboration

CARNA and the other Canadian nursing regulatory bodies are also working together to develop a unified process that ensures public protection and compliance with labour mobility requirements.

For more information, please contact:

Donna Harpell Hogg RN BScN MS

Policy and Practice Consultant

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta

P: 780.451.0043 ext.536 / 1.800.252.9392 ext. 536

dharpellhogg@nurses.ab.ca