§ 63-1-290.2. Registered nurses - Physician-approved protocols.

A.  Registered nurses are authorized to use physician-approved protocols to provide public health services when performing duties as an employee or as a contractor, as defined in Section 803 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes, on behalf of the city-county health departments, county health departments, and the State Department of Health.

B.  The Department shall have a designated Medical Director responsible for maintaining the protocols to reflect the current standard of care.  Protocols shall be consistent with published clinical practice guidelines established or endorsed by nationally recognized professional medical organizations, societies, associations and federal agencies.  The physician-approved protocols shall be reviewed annually and updated as needed.  Physician-approved protocols shall be approved through Department policy.

C.  The establishment of a physician-patient relationship is not necessary for the physician-approved protocol to be implemented by the registered nurse when providing public health services on behalf of a city-county health department, county health department or the Department.

D.  The State Department of Health shall promulgate and implement policies and procedures to ensure the registered nurse has proper training, education and supervision prior to and during the provision of public health services.

E.  Medical algorithms may be utilized or referenced in the physician-approved protocols to assist in providing the public health services.

F.  The registered nurse may dispense prepackaged nonprescription medications and recommend nonprescription medications pursuant to the physician-approved protocols.

G.  A registered nurse may orally submit a prescription prescribed by an advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority to a pharmacy of the patient’s choosing.

Added by Laws 2012, c. 169, § 3, emerg. eff. May 1, 2012.