Call to Action!!!!! Important UPDATES re: Proposed changes from NJ Board of Nursing and Current state of FPA in NJ and work to be done!

1. The Governor's Office:

The Governor's office is interested in learning how many APNs are considering or have already moved their work out of NJ due to our restrictions. 

ACTION FOR YOU TO TAKE:

Please take a few seconds (I promise)  to answer our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/APNsWORK

2. The Board of Nursing:

We are deeply concerned about proposed regulations on Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) procedures discussed during the July 7, 2023 New Jersey Board of Nursing meeting. These regulations aim to list the procedures allowed to be performed by APNs and place them under the Joint Protocol (JP). This of course is contrary to existing law and predictably erecting even more barriers to APN provided care. The JP provision is only relevant to prescribing drugs and medical devices, not procedures. The scope of APN practice is shaped by national nursing organizations, boards of nursing and certifying bodies and is meant to be dynamic not static. Additionally, as you know, the JP requirement is currently suspended in New Jersey. We are concerned that these changes could exacerbate existing challenges that we already face. 

ACTION FOR YOU TO TAKE:

We urge  you to read the attached "sample" 1-page letter, add to it if you can and email it to Barbara Blozen: bblozen@comcast.net .

FYI The following was sent to the BON on behalf of our coalition

81023 APN Coalition BON letter re. APNs_procedures 7-20-23.pdf

Here is a copy of our WHITE PAPER

3. Update on Senate Floor Vote: 

As you know, in December 2022, Our Senate Bill S1522 passed the Senate Health Committee unanimously. As we awaited floor action, we increased our Senate sponsors to over half of the Senate to assure a majority vote. However, Senate President Scutari is hesitant to bring it up for a vote in the entire Senate until after the election and before the inauguration of new members in January. This period is known as the "Lame Duck" when legislators continue to hold office between the election and the inauguration of their successors. After that, will herald the start of the next legislative session, and we must start all over again! 

ACTION FOR YOU TO TAKE 

While we wait, we need to get 20 more Assembly sponsors. This is vital to getting this through the Assembly. Therefore, we need YOU to contact your Assemblyperson (lower chamber) if he/she is NOT listed on this page.  https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/A2286.

Our team at APN-NJ will help you! Please let us know that you are willing to contact them and I will send you a packet and talking points to bring to their office. 

4. Pharmacy issues STILL! 

Over a year ago, we wrote to alert you to a pattern of refusals by NJ pharmacists to fill NJ APN's prescriptions without physician identifiers on those prescriptions. We provided you with a letter to share with pharmacists should such a refusal happen to you. These kinds of refusals have occurred at Caremark, CVS, Walmart and Costco pharmacies. On Monday, this occurred at a Walgreens pharmacy. The pharmacists are telling APNs that a prescription cannot be filled either because the collaborating physician's name, address and license number is not on the prescription itself, or not in their file related to the APN. The Walgreen pharmacist told the APN that the prescription could not be filled without the DEA# of the "supervising" physician. 

Executive Order #112, suspending the requirement for a Joint Protocol (ordinarily necessary for an APN to write prescriptions for legend drugs and devices in NJ) continues to be in place. APNs are allowed to prescribe without it until that Ex. Order is rescinded by the Governor. So legally, at this moment in time, no physician identifiers are required on APN prescriptions.  

We have written to the NJ Board of Pharmacy apprising them of the situation, and requesting that they alert NJ pharmacists about the continued suspension of the JP requirements as per E.O. #112.

LETTER TO KEEP ON HAND:

Attached is an updated LETTER FOR THE PHARMACIST to share with a "refusing" pharmacist, should you need it.