Can a Pennsylvania NP prescribe medication independently?

No—A Pennsylvania NP cannot prescribe medication independently. In Pennsylvania, a CRNP may prescribe only when acting in collaboration with a physician under a prescriptive authority collaborative agreement and within the CRNP’s specialty¹². CRNP prescribing is expressly conditioned on having a collaborative agreement with a physician³.

To prescribe non-controlled medications, a CRNP must obtain prescriptive authority approval and practice pursuant to an agreement that identifies drug categories and the physician’s involvement¹⁴. For controlled substances, CRNPs may prescribe up to a 30-day supply of Schedule II and up to a 90-day supply of Schedule III–IV drugs, must hold DEA registration, and may not prescribe Schedule I substances⁵⁶⁷.

Prescriptions must include the CRNP’s name, title, and Pennsylvania certification number, and controlled-substance prescriptions must include the CRNP’s NPI; prescribing/dispensing must also be documented in the patient record⁸⁹¹⁰. These requirements reinforce that CRNP prescribing in Pennsylvania is collaborative and regulated rather than independent.