Can a nurse practitioner treat without a supervising physician in South Carolina?
Who treats · part of The Practice Perimeter
Short answer
No — an APRN may perform medical acts only under a written practice agreement with a physician who agrees to work with and support the NP and that sets out the medical aspects of care, including prescribing; the cited rules do not specify on-site supervision.
An APRN also may perform specified medical acts pursuant to a practice agreement as defined in item (45).
S.C. Code §40-33-20 (advanced practice registered nurse) · verified Sep 3, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice
Related South Carolina rules
A practice agreement means a written agreement developed by an NP, CNM, or CNS and a physician or medical staff who agrees to work with and to support the NP, CNM, or CNS. The practice agreement must establish the medical aspects of care to be provided by the NP, CNM, or CNS, including the prescribing of medications. The practice agreement must contain mechanisms that allow the physician to ensure that quality of clinical care and patient safety is maintained in accordance with state and federal laws, as well as all applicable Board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners rules and regulations.
S.C. Code §40-33-20(45) (“Practice agreement” defined) · verified Sep 3, 2026
Agreed to jointly means the agreement by the Board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners on medical acts that nurses perform and that must be defined in a practice agreement.
S.C. Code §40-33-20(6) · verified Sep 3, 2026
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Related South Carolina questions
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- Can a physician assistant inject or prescribe in South Carolina?
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