A summary of Connecticut’s collaboration, agreement, filing, supervision, prescribing, and specialty rules for NPs and the physicians who collaborate with them.
Collaborating Physician Required? Yes
Physician Involvement: Standard
Agreement Name: Collaboration agreement
On-Site Requirements: None
Chart Review: No fixed count; the collaboration must include a method to review patient outcomes.
Controlled Substances: Allowed; During the collaboration period, the written agreement sets the level of Schedule II and III permitted.
Reduced Supervision / Transition Requirements: Independent practice after three years and at least 2,000 hours of collaborative practice
Connecticut NP Collaboration Requirements Summary
Connecticut nurse practitioners must collaborate with a physician for their first three years (and at least 2,000 hours) of practice, after which they may practice independently. Connecticut requires a collaborative relationship — put in writing where the NP prescribes — that addresses consultation and referral, coverage for patients in the NP’s absence, a method to review patient outcomes, and disclosure of the relationship to patients. Physician involvement is moderate, with no set meetings, chart counts, or on-site requirement.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-87a
Type of Collaborative Relationship
Connecticut NPs must collaborate with a physician for their first three years and at least 2,000 hours of practice, then may practice independently. Collaboration is a mutually agreed relationship with a Connecticut-licensed physician who has education, training, or experience related to the NP’s work; where the NP prescribes, it must be in writing. Physician involvement is moderate — the collaboration addresses consultation and referral, coverage, patient-outcome review, and patient disclosure — with no set meeting cadence, chart-review count, or on-site rule.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-87a(b)(2)(A)
What is an NP’s scope of practice in Connecticut?
Connecticut NPs (advanced practice registered nurses) diagnose, treat, and prescribe within their role, collaborating with a physician for their first three years and at least 2,000 hours of practice. After meeting that requirement, they may practice — including prescribe — independently.
Do NPs need a collaborating physician in Connecticut?
Yes, at first. For the first three years after licensure (and at least 2,000 hours), a Connecticut NP must collaborate with a licensed physician. After completing that period, the NP may practice alone or in collaboration.
Can NPs practice independently in Connecticut?
Yes, after three years and 2,000 hours. An NP who has collaborated with a physician for at least three years and 2,000 hours may practice independently, after giving the Department of Public Health written notice of intent to do so.
How many NPs can a physician supervise in Connecticut?
No limit — Connecticut sets no ratio cap on how many NPs a physician may collaborate with.
Who can be a collaborating physician in Connecticut?
A physician licensed to practice medicine in Connecticut who has education, training, or relevant experience related to the NP’s work. Connecticut does not require the physician to be in the same or a similar specialty.
Are there proximity or in-person requirements in Connecticut?
No — Connecticut sets no geographic, travel, or on-site presence requirement.
Collaboration Agreement Requirements
Connecticut calls the arrangement a collaboration (commonly, a collaborative practice agreement), and there is no state template. Where the NP prescribes, the collaboration must be in writing and must set the level of Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances the NP may prescribe and a method to review patient outcomes; more broadly, every collaboration must address a reasonable level of consultation and referral, coverage for patients in the NP’s absence, a method to review patient outcomes, and a method to disclose the relationship to patients.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-87a(b)(2)(A)
What must be included in an NP collaborative agreement in Connecticut?
Every collaboration must address a reasonable and appropriate level of consultation and referral, coverage for patients when the NP is absent, a method to review patient outcomes, and a method to disclose the relationship to patients. Where the NP prescribes, it must also be in writing and specify the level of Schedule II and III controlled substances allowed and how patient outcomes — including medical therapeutics, corrective measures, lab tests, and other diagnostics — will be reviewed.
What is the collaborative agreement called in Connecticut?
Connecticut calls it a collaboration (commonly, a collaborative practice agreement). The state does not provide a template.
Who has to sign the collaborative agreement in Connecticut?
Connecticut sets no signature requirement for the collaboration.
How often must the agreement be reviewed or renewed in Connecticut?
Connecticut sets no review or renewal requirement for the collaboration.
Is a backup physician required in Connecticut?
No, Connecticut does not require a backup physician, though the collaboration must include a plan to cover patients when the NP is absent.
Board Filing Requirements
Connecticut does not require the collaboration agreement to be filed — the Department of Public Health does not routinely collect copies — and there are no recurring filing or termination-notice requirements. The one filing obligation comes at the transition to independent practice: the NP must give the Commissioner of Public Health written notice before practicing without a physician, and keep documentation of the three-year/2,000-hour experience.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-87a(b)(3)
Do you have to file the collaborative agreement with the board in Connecticut?
No. The Department of Public Health does not routinely collect collaborative practice agreements, and there is no recurring filing requirement.
Can an NP start practicing as soon as they file in Connecticut?
There is nothing to file to begin collaborative practice — Connecticut does not require the agreement to be filed. To move to independent practice, though, the NP must first give the Commissioner of Public Health written notice of that intent.
What are the termination and notice requirements in Connecticut?
Connecticut sets no termination-notice requirement for a collaboration. When transitioning to independent practice, the NP must notify the Commissioner of Public Health in writing beforehand and keep documentation of the qualifying experience for at least three years (and provide it within 45 days of a DPH request).
Collaboration Compliance
Connecticut sets no meeting cadence, chart-review count, chart co-signing, or on-site availability requirement. The one ongoing obligation is that the collaboration must include a method to review patient outcomes; how that is carried out is left to the parties.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-87a(b)(2)(A)
How many charts must a collaborating physician review in Connecticut?
No fixed number. Connecticut does not require chart review or chart co-signing, but the collaboration must include a method to review patient outcomes.
How often must an NP and collaborating physician meet in Connecticut?
No set cadence. Connecticut does not require scheduled meetings, though the collaboration must include a method to review patient outcomes.
How long must collaboration records be kept in Connecticut?
Connecticut sets no retention requirement for the collaboration itself. An NP moving to independent practice must, however, keep documentation of the three-year/2,000-hour qualifying experience for at least three years afterward.
Prescribing Authority / Prescribing Rules
Connecticut NPs may prescribe, including controlled substances, and must hold a Connecticut Controlled Substance Registration — a prerequisite for the federal DEA registration — from the Department of Consumer Protection. During the collaboration period, the written agreement sets the level of Schedule II and Schedule III controlled substances the NP may prescribe.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-87a(b)(2)(A)
Can an NP prescribe controlled substances in Connecticut?
Yes. Connecticut NPs may prescribe controlled substances once they hold a Connecticut Controlled Substance Registration and a federal DEA registration; during the collaboration period, the written agreement specifies the level of Schedule II and III the NP may prescribe.
Can an NP prescribe Schedule II drugs in Connecticut?
Yes. Connecticut NPs may prescribe Schedule II controlled substances; during the first three years, the written collaboration agreement specifies the level of Schedule II (and Schedule III) prescribing the NP is authorized to do.
What schedule drugs can an NP prescribe in Connecticut?
Connecticut NPs may prescribe non-controlled prescription drugs and controlled substances; the source specifically addresses Schedule II and Schedule III, the level of which the written collaboration agreement must set during the collaboration period.
Does an NP need a DEA license in Connecticut?
Yes, for controlled substances — plus a state registration. Connecticut requires prescribers to hold a Connecticut Controlled Substance Registration (from the Department of Consumer Protection), which is a prerequisite for obtaining the federal DEA registration.
Can an NP prescribe independently in Connecticut?
Yes, after completing the three-year/2,000-hour collaboration. Once qualified and after notifying the Department of Public Health, an NP prescribes independently; Connecticut does not require a physician to co-sign prescriptions at any point.
Specialty & Telehealth Requirements
Connecticut sets no telehealth-specific collaboration requirements, and its one specialty-specific rule concerns extra requirements for the use of fluoroscopy. Connecticut’s rules also imply the collaborating physician shares responsibility for the NP’s care during the collaboration period.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-12i
Are there telehealth or telemedicine requirements for NPs in Connecticut?
No, Connecticut sets no telehealth-specific collaboration requirements.
Are there specialty-specific requirements for NPs in Connecticut?
Yes, Connecticut imposes extra requirements for NPs who use fluoroscopy. Otherwise, no specialty-specific collaboration requirement applies.
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