Arkansas
PMHNP Practice Requirements In Arkansas: Scope, Prescribing & Collaboration
Short answer: AANP lists Arkansas as reduced practice, so a PMHNP prescribes under a collaborative practice agreement with a physician until completing 6,240 hours and earning a certificate of full independent practice (Ark. Code 17-87-310, 17-87-314). Prescriptive authority covers Schedule III to V, and Schedule II is limited to a few named situations, including stimulants only when a physician started the prescription and saw the patient within six months.
Arkansas PMHNP Rules At A Glance
| Topic | Arkansas Rule |
|---|---|
| Practice authority | Reduced practice. Prescriptive authority requires a collaborative practice agreement with a physician unless you hold a certificate of full independent practice authority (Ark. Code 17-87-310, 17-87-314). |
| Transition to practice | After 6,240 hours of practice under a collaborative practice agreement, a certified nurse practitioner may apply to the Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee; the certificate renews every three years (Ark. Code 17-87-314). |
| Transition period | Keep the collaborative practice agreement in force until the certificate is approved. The agreement must cover physician availability for consultation, prescribing protocols, emergency coverage and quality assurance (Ark. Code 17-87-310). |
| Controlled substances | Schedule III to V. Schedule II is limited to an opioid for five days or less, hydrocodone combination products the agreement names, or a stimulant a physician initiated after evaluating the patient within six months (Ark. Code 17-87-310). |
| PDMP | Check the Arkansas PDMP every time you prescribe a Schedule II or III opioid and the first time you prescribe a benzodiazepine, with exceptions for surgery, emergencies, hospice and nursing homes (Ark. Code 20-7-604(d)(2)). |
| Regulator | Arkansas State Board of Nursing, within the Arkansas Department of Health. The Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee reviews independent practice applications (Ark. Code 17-87-314). |
Updated October 5, 2026
Practice Authority
Arkansas Practice-Authority Category (Reduced Practice)
AANP currently classifies Arkansas as a reduced practice state on its State Practice Environment map. A PMHNP there practices in many respects on their own. It isn’t full independence, though, because state law requires a collaborative agreement or other physician involvement for at least one element of practice, such as prescribing.
For the national comparison, the AANP State Practice Environment map and AANP’s practice information by state show where Arkansas sits. The binding rules come from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.
Collaboration
Is A Collaborative Or Supervisory Agreement Required?
Arkansas generally requires an NP to keep a collaborative or supervisory arrangement with a physician for at least part of practice, usually written up as a collaborative practice agreement. State rule sets what that agreement must contain, which parts of practice it covers (prescribing, for example), how it’s documented and how often it’s reviewed.
Our guide to PMHNP collaborative practice agreements covers what these agreements usually contain, and the PMHNP scope of practice by state overview puts Arkansas side by side with every other state.
Prescriptive Authority
Prescriptive Authority And Controlled Substances
Meet the requirements in Arkansas and you can be granted prescriptive authority, which can reach controlled substances once the conditions are met. In Arkansas, though, some or all prescribing may be tied to the required collaborative or supervisory arrangement. To prescribe those, you’ll need your own federal DEA registration, and some substances carry additional federal or state conditions. Federal registration goes through the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. On the state side, state law and the rules of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing set the scope, any limits and the documentation.
Next Step
Credentialing Is A Separate Track
Scope of practice is only half of it. Getting paid by insurance in Arkansas means credentialing, and that track has its own payer rules, Medicaid program and enrollment timelines. Our Arkansas credentialing and payer enrollment page walks through it, and the PMHNP credentialing guide covers the national side.
Planning to open on your own? Our guide on how to start a PMHNP practice and the 90-day launch checklist lay out licensure, collaboration and enrollment step by step. Add the costs to your plan with our breakdowns of what PMHNP credentialing costs and what it costs to start a PMHNP practice.
If you want help with the setup itself, First Practice Launch handles payer enrollment, the EHR, portals and billing for a first practice at $6,000, or four monthly payments of $1,500.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can A PMHNP Practice Independently In Arkansas?
Yes, after 6,240 hours. Act 412 of 2021 created a certificate of full independent practice authority for certified nurse practitioners who document 6,240 hours of practice under a collaborative practice agreement (Ark. Code 17-87-314). Until the committee approves the certificate, you keep the agreement and prescribe under it.
Can A PMHNP Prescribe Adderall In Arkansas?
It depends on who started it. Ark. Code 17-87-310 limits APRN authority to Schedule III to V, and allows a Schedule II stimulant only when a physician originally initiated the prescription, evaluated the patient within the past six months, and your prescription treats the same condition. Starting a new stimulant yourself isn’t permitted under that section.
Do I Need A Collaborating Physician In Arkansas?
Yes, unless you hold a certificate of full independent practice. The collaborative practice agreement must address physician availability for consultation or referral, protocols for prescriptive authority, emergency coverage and quality assurance (Ark. Code 17-87-310). The Board requires evidence of a current agreement to renew prescriptive authority.
This is general information, not legal advice. It applies the general nurse practitioner rules in Arkansas to PMHNPs, and those rules aren’t the same for every role. Rules change, so check with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and the AANP State Practice Environment map before you act on it. Last reviewed: September 26, 2026.
Keep Reading
Related PMHNP Resources
Scope By State
Compare requirements across states on our PMHNP scope of practice by state overview.
Start A Practice
See the full sequence in how to start a PMHNP practice.
Credentialing
Learn what we handle on our PMHNP credentialing page, or visit the PMHNP services hub.
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