Question Southern Jersey/Pennsylvania PA/NP Rx and future??

[Babaroni]

I am currently in the process of deciding which route to go-- NP or PA. Currently it looks like neither state allows independent RX. However, with Rendell etc...would it be safe to say that it would be in the forseeable future that NPs would be able to open own practices - or at least write independently...How about PA's?

Part two - what do think is the plus side of both as well as the down side?

Thank you...I am just trying to make sure I put a ton of thought into this decision...the more information the better...thank you!

[core0]

I am currently in the process of deciding which route to go-- NP or PA. Currently it looks like neither state allows independent RX. However, with Rendell etc...would it be safe to say that it would be in the forseeable future that NPs would be able to open own practices - or at least write independently...How about PA's?

Part two - what do think is the plus side of both as well as the down side?

Thank you...I am just trying to make sure I put a ton of thought into this decision...the more information the better...thank you!

New Jersey doesn't look bad from an NP standpoint. Pretty much the same for PA. For an east coast area not too bad whichever way you go.

Pennsylvania on the other hand is another matter. This has the largest concentration of medical schools both DO and MD. The physicians run things. The DO and MD boards are seperate and have different regulation. From a PA standpoint these are probably now the worst regulation in the nation. There is no prescriptive authority under DO's. The MD practice act was recently changed and is much better.

From an NP standpoint it is under collaboration but the collaboration agreement must spell out the scope of practice and the MD must be available to review the charts.

For both PA and NP unless things have changed the office has to put a sign up stating that the practice employs NPs or PAs who are not physicians.

It is also the epitome of the old boys club in the rural areas. Don't plan on any collegiality if you open a clinic there. If you want pseudo independent practice there are better states.

You should also understand that there are something on the order of 15 (soon to be 16) PA programs in Pennsylvania. I'm not sure how many NP programs there are but competition was fairly fierce. Worse in Pittsburgh and Phile. I wouldn't count on Rendell making much progress here unless the docs want it. Lawyers on the other hand may support NP practice. Makes for more targets for them.

David Carpenter, PA-C