Can a Nurse Practitioner Prescribe Medication?
Thinking about choosing a nurse practitioner to provide you with the primary care services you need for good health? According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 86.6% of nurse practitioners are certified in any area of primary care. The reason behind this fairly new option to receive important health care services is because there is a shortage of primary care physicians.
Can nurse practitioners prescribe medication?
Want to know whether a nurse practitioner can prescribe medication? Yes, they can. A nurse practitioner is able to prescribe medications for their patients, which includes controlled substances. The state in which they are practicing in will determine if oversight is necessary and if so, how much oversight is necessary in order to ensure that they are prescribing the proper medications.
Every state falls into one of three different categories: restricted, reduced and full practice authority. This makes it a good idea for you to look into your state’s requirements when it comes to nurse practitioners prescribing medications.
Additional services a nurse practitioner can offer patients
The following is a list of other services a nurse practitioner can offer patients.
Evaluating patients
A patient evaluation is necessary, as this allows a nurse practitioner to understand more about what is going on with the patient. A proper medical evaluation includes an overall assessment of the patient’s medical history and getting answers to a list of questions that allow for an understanding of the patient's current condition. Nowadays, practitioners are not only performing overall health evaluations, but they are also performing mental evaluations.
Making diagnoses
Once a nurse practitioner evaluates a patient, they are able to make a diagnosis. A proper diagnosis is important because as soon as someone is diagnosed, they can learn about the treatment options available. The fact that some health problems are easier to diagnose than others means that it may be necessary for the patient to undergo additional medical tests, like X-rays, ultrasounds and CT scans.
Managing the treatment of patients
A nurse practitioner is also able to manage the treatment of their patients. This includes monitoring their condition to make sure any treatment options are working as they should, as well as checking their overall health on a periodic basis to see if the patient is getting better. This may require patients to make regular appointments on a weekly or monthly basis so the practitioner can perform any necessary treatments and/or check for any signs of new health issues.
Need to make an appointment?
Would you like to make an appointment with our nurse practitioner? Whether you are in need of medication or would like to make an appointment for another reason, we invite you to call us now so we can get you scheduled in for a timely appointment. Your good health is important, and when you are not feeling as healthy as possible, then it is time for you to be evaluated by a health care professional.
Are you considering finding a nurse practitioner in the Seiling area? Get more information at https://www.janeylhammonsnpc.com.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Nurse Practitioner in Seiling, OK.
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