What is one of the prescribing restrictions that NPs and PAs have in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) have specific prescribing restrictions set by state law. While they have broad scopes to prescribe medications, there are certain limitations to ensure safety and effectiveness in patient care.

The choice indicating "None of the above" reflects that the other options presented do not accurately represent the current regulations governing NPs and PAs in North Carolina. For instance, while NPs and PAs do need a supervisory or collaborative agreement with a physician to prescribe controlled substances, they can indeed prescribe medications based on physician recommendations. Additionally, NPs and PAs are not completely barred from prescribing controlled substances; they can prescribe certain schedules of controlled substances provided they follow specific guidelines and regulations.

Moreover, the assertion that they cannot issue refills for controlled substances is misleading; they can issue refills according to established protocols and under the authority granted to them through their collaborative practice agreements. Thus, the correct understanding of their prescribing authority does not fall into any of the restrictions listed in the other options, leading to the conclusion that 'None of the above' is accurate.