Can a lpn in the nursing field write up prescriptions?

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) is not able to write up prescriptions. Duties and responsibilities must be performed under the guidance of a registered nurse (RN) or a physician.

Duties can include: keeping medical history and insurance records, as well as checking a patient’s weight, respiration, blood pressure, and heartbeat rate, administering injections and medications, dressing physical wounds, and inserting catheters.

Only physicians (D.O. and M.D.), podiatrists, veterinarians, and dentists have full prescribing power in the U.S. Physician’s assistants, certified nurse practitioners, and other advanced-practice nurses like certified nurse-midwives can also write prescriptions, but the authority to prescribe controlled substances varies from state to state. Clinical psychologists, clinical pharmacists, and optometrists also have limited permissions to write prescriptions.

BSNNursingGuide.com was launched right after the Supreme Court made the decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. LPNs are encouraged to use the site to find LPN to BSN programs and nursing salary by state.