New research published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University shows that allowing nurse practitioners to practice without physician supervision reduced opioid-related deaths by 9.3%. Specifically, prescription-opioid-related deaths were reduced by 7.6%, and illegal-opioid-related deaths were reduced by 5.5%. The reduction is more pronounced in rural counties, with opioid-related deaths reduced by 14-28%. Contrary to claims that granting nurse practitioners independent practice authority would result in more opioid prescriptions, opioid prescriptions actually decreased. The changes to nurse practitioner authority also increased access to care and treatment options for opioid use disorder.
September 29, 2021
