What must be in a Georgia NP collaborative practice agreement?

A Georgia NP collaborative practice agreement must include defined elements because, in Georgia, this agreement is a nurse protocol agreement—the written delegation of medical acts from a physician to the APRN. Georgia law and Board rules recognize and define this arrangement and the scope it covers¹².

The agreement must include:

• Names, addresses, telephone numbers, license numbers, and DEA numbers (if applicable) for all parties, including the designated physician for backup consultation.
• A description of the practice and all locations (primary and satellite), and the APRN’s specialty area/field.
• The applicable standard of care for the patient population and the specific delegated medical acts (drugs, devices, medical treatments, and diagnostic studies the APRN may order).
• Provisions for immediate consultation with the delegating or designated physician.
• Parameters for delegated acts (e.g., which imaging tests may be ordered, physician reading/interpretation provisions, circumstances for executing prescription orders, refill limits, and frequency of physician follow-up review).
• A requirement that any patient receiving a controlled-substance prescription be evaluated and examined by the delegating or designated physician at least quarterly.
• A schedule for periodic physician review of patient records.
• Written procedures for dispensing dangerous drugs and for ordering controlled substances (as applicable).
• Whether the APRN may request, receive, sign for, and distribute professional samples.
• A predetermined plan for emergency services.
• Specific patient conditions/circumstances requiring direct, on-site physician evaluation or consultation.
• A current review date and dates of amendments.
• Availability of the agreement to the Georgia Board of Nursing or the Composite Medical Board upon request.

These contents are required by Georgia Board of Nursing rules and state law³⁵.

The agreement must be reviewed, revised, and updated annually⁴, and it must be produced to the Composite Medical Board upon request; the Board may require changes, and failure to provide requested documents within 30 days can result in disciplinary action⁷. If the agreement is amended, the delegating physician must file the amendment with the Composite Medical Board within 30 days of execution⁶.

All Nurse Protocol Agreements between APRNs and collaborating physicians must be submitted to the Georgia Composite Medical Board (GCMB) before the APRN begins practicing. Submission must occur within 30 days of signing by both parties.

As of July 7, 2025, APRN Protocol agreements must be submitted through the ThoughSpan Licensing Gateway.