Florida nurses fight for prescription authority

For 14 straight years, a bill has been introduced in the Florida Legislature that would let nurse practitioners write prescriptions for potentially addictive drugs. Forty-seven states allow it and two state reports think Florida should follow. But even advocates bet the latest bill will die in committee. Proponents say that this class of specially trained nurses already diagnose and treat patients just as primary care doctors do and can prescribe most drugs. They say the hurdle of having to get a physician to write certain prescriptions wastes time and money.