Glossary
Collaborative Practice Agreement
A formal agreement defining a supervising or collaborating physician relationship required for some NPs and PAs under state law.
A collaborative practice agreement is a written arrangement that establishes the relationship between an advanced-practice clinician, such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and a collaborating or supervising physician. Where state law requires it, the agreement spells out the conditions, oversight, and clinical activities the clinician may carry out. Because it directly shapes what the provider may do, it is closely tied to their scope of practice and is governed by rules set at the state level, often by the state medical board.