Can an NP prescribe Xanax in North Carolina?

Yes — North Carolina NPs may prescribe Xanax (alprazolam), a Schedule IV controlled substance, when prescribing is within the NP’s population focus, education, national certification, and scope and is authorized by the collaborative practice agreement.¹²³

For Xanax prescribing, the NP must have active North Carolina NP approval with prescriptive authority and DEA authority, and the primary supervising physician must have controlled-substance authority equal to or greater than the NP’s DEA registration. Schedule IV authority must be established in the collaborative practice agreement.² Prescribing also must be within the NP’s competence. Controlled-substance prescriptions must include the NP’s DEA number and be documented in the patient record. North Carolina NPs may not prescribe controlled substances for themselves, their supervising physician, immediate family members, household members, or intimate partners. The STOP Act Schedule II/III targeted opioid rules are not a general benzodiazepine limit.