Can a Indiana NP prescribe medication independently?

An Indiana NP cannot prescribe medication independently. Prescriptive authority in Indiana requires a written collaborative practice agreement with a physician, so independent prescribing is not permitted¹. In short, an NP’s ability to prescribe is contingent on collaboration documented in the practice agreement.

The practice agreement must outline how collaboration will occur, including maintaining geographic proximity and the physician’s ongoing review of the NP’s prescribing—at minimum, a weekly submission reflecting a 5% random sampling of charts and prescribed medications²³. The agreement must also describe any limitations the physician places on the NP’s prescriptive authority⁴.

For controlled substances, APRNs must obtain an Indiana controlled substances registration and a DEA registration in addition to having the collaborative practice agreement⁵. The prescriptive authority application must include proof of the collaborative practice agreement and qualifications such as completing a graduate-level pharmacology course⁶.