prescription privileges question

[danceluver]

To all practitioner NPs in any field:

I am wondering what the answer is to the following question: I understand that FNPs can prescribe pretty any type of medicine (aside from some scheduled drugs).

However, what i was curious about is if you get a more specialized NP degree: Like a PNP or WHNP, etc...are you restricted to only prescribing medicines that are pertinent to that field? Can i for example, if I am a PNP prescribe birth control to women 21 and under or if a WHNP prescribe a zpack or other type of antibiotics for a patient (who is obviously a woman) that is not necessarily women's health related? I know MDs who practice in any specialized field can prescribe anything they want, but they proceed at their own risk. So, can PNPs, WHNPS, PMHNPs, etc do the same?

Thanks for your responses

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

WHNP prescribe a zpack or other type of antibiotics for a patient (who is obviously a woman) that is not necessarily women's health related?

Yes. The "WH" in WHNP is women's health which includes, "general health".

The PNP would be able to prescribe birth control for the age bracket you mentioned. As far as there being a "position" statement on age parameters, I do not think there is one as the ages are broadly defined, "infants to young adults".