A summary of West Virginia’s collaboration, agreement, filing, supervision, prescribing, and specialty rules for NPs and the physicians who collaborate with them.
Collaborating Physician Required? Yes, for prescribing only
Physician Involvement: Standard
Agreement Name: Collaborative agreement
On-Site Requirements: None
Chart Review: No fixed count
Controlled Substances: Allowed under the agreement’s prescribing guidelines
Reduced Supervision / Transition Requirements: Independent prescriptive authority after three years in a documented collaborative relationship with prescriptive authority
West Virginia NP Collaboration Requirements Summary
West Virginia nurse practitioners must have a collaborating physician in order to prescribe. The state provides a path to prescribing independently after three years. West Virginia requires a written collaborative agreement specifically for prescriptive authority; non-prescribing practice does not require one. Physician involvement is standard: the NP and physician jointly evaluate the NP’s prescribing and review the written prescribing guidelines at least annually, in writing and face-to-face, with no on-site or chart-count requirement.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b
Type of Collaborative Relationship
West Virginia NPs need a collaborating physician in order to prescribe, and there is a path to prescribing without an agreement after three years. The requirement applies to prescriptive authority only, not to non-prescribing practice. Physician involvement is moderate: the NP and physician jointly evaluate prescriptive practice and review the written prescribing guidelines at least annually, in writing and face-to-face.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b
What is an NP’s scope of practice in West Virginia?
West Virginia NPs (advanced practice registered nurses) practice within their recognized role and, to prescribe, must do so under a written collaborative agreement with a physician. A collaborating physician is required specifically for prescriptive authority, until the NP earns independent prescriptive authority after three years.
Do NPs need a collaborating physician in West Virginia?
Yes, to prescribe. West Virginia NPs must have a written collaborative agreement with a physician to hold prescriptive authority; this applies to prescribing only, and no longer applies once the NP obtains independent prescriptive authority.
Can NPs practice independently in West Virginia?
Yes for prescribing, after three years. An NP who has practiced at least three years in a documented collaborative relationship with prescriptive authority may apply to prescribe without a collaborative agreement. Non-prescribing practice does not require a collaborating physician.
How many NPs can a physician supervise in West Virginia?
No firm cap, but a recommended limit. West Virginia strongly recommends a physician collaborate with no more than three NPs (or full-time equivalents), rising to four at a hospital, a clinic serving indigent or needy patients, or a federally qualified health center.
Who can be a collaborating physician in West Virginia?
A physician whose specialty is the same as or similar to the NP’s. West Virginia advises against a physician entering a collaborative agreement with an NP outside the physician’s same or similar specialty.
Are there proximity or in-person requirements in West Virginia?
No, West Virginia sets no geographic or travel requirement.
Collaboration Agreement Requirements
West Virginia’s agreement is called a collaborative agreement, and the state provides a required form that can serve as the agreement itself or as verification of one. It must include mutually agreed written guidelines or protocols for the NP’s prescriptive authority, a statement of the individual and shared responsibilities of the NP and physician, periodic joint evaluation of prescriptive practice, periodic joint review and updating of the guidelines, and a written outline of medications needing more stringent physician oversight. Both parties must sign it, and each signature must be notarized.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b(c)
What must be included in an NP collaborative agreement in West Virginia?
It must include mutually agreed written guidelines or protocols for the NP’s prescriptive authority; the individual and shared responsibilities of the NP and physician; periodic joint evaluation of prescriptive practice; periodic joint review and updating of the guidelines; and a written outline of medications requiring more stringent physician oversight.
What is the collaborative agreement called in West Virginia?
It is called a collaborative agreement.
Who has to sign the collaborative agreement in West Virginia?
Both the NP and the collaborating physician must sign it, and each signature must be witnessed by a notary on the date signed.
How often must the agreement be reviewed or renewed in West Virginia?
At least annually. The joint evaluation of prescriptive practice and the review and updating of the written guidelines must be done at least once a year, in writing and face-to-face.
Is a backup physician required in West Virginia?
No, West Virginia does not require a backup physician.
Board Filing Requirements
West Virginia requires the collaborative agreement to be filed as part of the NP’s prescriptive-authority application, and the NP cannot prescribe until the board authorizes it. There are no recurring filing requirements, but the NP must update the Nurse Portal when adding, dissolving, or moving off a collaborative agreement, and must notify the board immediately when an agreement ends.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b(b)
Do you have to file the collaborative agreement with the board in West Virginia?
Yes. The collaborative agreement is submitted as part of the NP’s application for prescriptive authority.
Can an NP start practicing as soon as they file in West Virginia?
No, the collaborative agreement is part of the prescriptive-authority application, and the NP may not prescribe until the board grants authorization.
What are the termination and notice requirements in West Virginia?
The NP must notify the board immediately when a collaborative agreement is no longer valid and must stop prescribing at once if no other agreement is in place. The NP then has 60 days to provide a current agreement to reinstate prescribing; after 60 days, a reinstatement application is required.
Collaboration Compliance
West Virginia’s ongoing obligation is an annual joint evaluation rather than fixed counts. The NP and physician must jointly evaluate the NP’s prescriptive practice and review and update the written prescribing guidelines at least annually, in writing and face-to-face. There is no set chart-review count, chart co-signing, general availability standard, or separate documentation requirement.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b(c)(3)
How many charts must a collaborating physician review in West Virginia?
No fixed number. West Virginia sets no chart-review count and does not require chart co-signing. Instead, the NP and physician must jointly evaluate the NP’s prescriptive practice at least annually, in writing and face-to-face.
How often must an NP and collaborating physician meet in West Virginia?
At least once a year. The joint evaluation of prescriptive practice and review of the written guidelines must occur at least annually, in writing and face-to-face.
How long must collaboration records be kept in West Virginia?
West Virginia sets no specific retention period, but the physician should keep a copy of the collaborative agreement at all times.
Prescribing Rules
West Virginia NPs may prescribe once the board authorizes their prescriptive authority under a collaborative agreement, following the mutually agreed written guidelines or protocols. West Virginia sets no additional state requirement specifically for controlled-substance prescriptive authority.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b(a)
Can an NP prescribe controlled substances in West Virginia?
Yes, under the collaborative agreement’s prescribing guidelines. West Virginia sets no additional state requirement for controlled-substance prescriptive authority beyond the standard prescriptive-authority process.
Can an NP prescribe Schedule II drugs in West Virginia?
The source does not address specific drug schedules for West Virginia. NPs prescribe according to the mutually agreed written guidelines or protocols in the collaborative agreement, which should also flag medications needing more stringent physician oversight.
What schedule drugs can an NP prescribe in West Virginia?
The source does not specify which drug schedules West Virginia NPs may prescribe. Prescribing follows the mutually agreed written guidelines or protocols in the collaborative agreement, with certain medications flagged for more stringent physician oversight.
Does an NP need a DEA license in West Virginia?
West Virginia does not specify a DEA requirement for NPs. Prescriptive authority is granted through the standard board application under a collaborative agreement.
Can an NP prescribe independently in West Virginia?
Yes, after three years. An NP who has practiced at least three years in a documented collaborative relationship with prescriptive authority may apply to prescribe without a collaborative agreement.
Specialty & Telehealth Requirements
West Virginia sets no telehealth-specific or specialty-specific collaboration requirements. The one specialty-related rule is that the collaborating physician’s specialty should be the same as or similar to the NP’s.
Source: W. Va. Code § 30-7-15b
Are there telehealth or telemedicine requirements for NPs in West Virginia?
No, West Virginia sets no telehealth-specific collaboration requirements.
Are there specialty-specific requirements for NPs in West Virginia?
No, West Virginia sets no specialty-specific requirements. The collaborating physician’s specialty should be the same as or similar to the NP’s.
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