Can a Illinois NP prescribe medication independently?

In Illinois, a nurse practitioner can prescribe medication independently only after obtaining full practice authority¹. Until then, prescriptive authority must be delegated under a written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician²³.

With full practice authority, an APRN may prescribe legend drugs and Schedule II–V controlled substances; however, benzodiazepines or Schedule II narcotics require monthly physician consultation documented in the Prescription Monitoring Program¹.

Without full practice authority, prescriptive authority is delegated via the collaborative agreement. Key requirements include:

• The collaborating physician may delegate non-controlled and controlled prescribing to the APRN³.
• The APRN must obtain a mid-level practitioner controlled substance license and DEA registration⁴, and the collaborating physician must also hold an Illinois controlled substances license and DEA registration⁵.
• Schedule II delegation is limited and must identify specific drugs by oral/topical/transdermal route, be capped at a 30-day supply with continuation only after prior physician approval, include monthly case discussions, and meet specified education requirements⁶.
• The collaborating physician must file notice of delegation with the Department and the PMP⁷, and all APRN prescriptions must include the collaborating physician’s name⁸.