Florida Laws and Rules Governing the Practice of Nursing 2026 Practice Test - Free Nursing Laws Practice Questions and Study Guide

Prescriptive authority is a privilege tied to the advanced practice level. In Florida, APRNs can prescribe medications, but only under a formal arrangement—either a written protocol or a collaborative practice agreement with a physician or other eligible prescriber. This means the APRN’s prescribing is defined and restricted by that agreement, including what they may prescribe, in what settings, and for which patient populations. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses do not have independent prescribing authority; they administer medications and therapies only as ordered by a licensed prescriber, not by deciding or authorizing medications themselves. So the defining difference is that prescriptive power exists for APRNs under specific collaborative or protocol-based arrangements, while other nurses do not independently prescribe.