What must be in a New Jersey NP collaborative practice agreement?

A New Jersey NP collaborative practice agreement must be a written, signed joint protocol that authorizes prescriptive practice and defines how the APN and collaborating physician will manage prescribing, consultations, communication, and record review¹. It must include an acknowledgment that violations or unprofessional conduct will be reported to the appropriate board, be maintained at every practice site, be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect changes in practice, personnel, APN skills, record-review frequency, and reference materials, and be reviewed at least annually².

The joint protocol must specifically address:

• Nature of the practice, patient populations, and practice settings (e.g., inpatient, nursing home, home care)³.
• Prescribing parameters: circumstances requiring prior examination or definitive diagnosis, categories of appropriate medications, specific medications with the number of refills under physician direction, and documentation requirements for medications prescribed or dispensed³.
• Consultation triggers and chart review: conditions requiring direct consultation before prescribing, and the frequency/methodology for periodic patient record review³.
• Communication and coverage: how the APN and physician will be in direct communication and arrangements to ensure the collaborating physician or peer coverage is accessible and available³.
• Emergency procedures for medication use and identification of reference materials with practice guidelines or accepted standards of practice³.

Joint protocols must be reviewed, updated, and signed by both the APN and collaborating physician at least annually to remain compliant⁴.