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Victory At Last
May 1, 2006
After a 12-year fight, Georgia's Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) have won the right to
write prescriptions. State Bill 480 was signed into law on April 18 by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Georgia
was the last state to give this right to APRNs.
Nurse practitioners say the ability to write prescriptions
will allow practices to function more efficiently, reduce patient wait times and cut health care
costs. They say it will also provide better documentation, with a paper trail allowing pharmacists
to fill prescriptions more efficiently. Nurse practitioners believe the measure will also improve
access to health care in rural and other underserved areas in Georgia where there is a shortage of
doctors, and where these nurses with advanced education would be willing to work once they are
allowed to practice within the full scope of their training.
