Can a nurse practitioner prescribe ADHD medication in New Brunswick?

Yes: New Brunswick nurse practitioners have broad prescribing authority that includes controlled substances

A nurse practitioner licensed in New Brunswick can prescribe ADHD medication, including the stimulant medications that are controlled substances under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Nurse practitioners are regulated by the College of Nursing of New Brunswick (CNNB), the regulator formerly known as the Nurses Association of New Brunswick (NANB), under the Nurses Act, which was amended in July 2002 to enable nurse practitioner practice. CNNB describes the nurse practitioner as performing activities beyond the scope of a registered nurse, such as diagnosing and prescribing interventions.

On controlled substances specifically, CNNB's fact sheet Legal Considerations When Prescribing Controlled Drugs, amended May 2025, states that the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act together with the Standards of Practice for Nurse Practitioners define the scope of nurse practitioner authority to prescribe controlled drugs, that the federal legislation excludes nurse practitioners only from prescribing opium and coca leaves, and that nurse practitioners in New Brunswick have broad prescribing authority. The federal New Classes of Practitioners Regulations, in force since 2012, are the mechanism that lets provincial regulators authorize this.

The conditions: CNNB's standards, the Schedule C ordering list, and the Prescription Monitoring Program

The authority is not unconditional. CNNB's fact sheet reminds nurse practitioners that they need to meet the educational and practice requirements set by the regulator when prescribing, and points to Standard indicator 3.10 of the 2024 Standards of Practice for Nurse Practitioners: the nurse practitioner provides accurate, complete and relevant prescriptions based on client history, current evidence, clinical reasoning and drug information systems, in accordance with Appendix 1, the Nurse Practitioner Schedules for Ordering, Schedule C, and Appendix 2, Responsibility and Accountability When Prescribing. Whether a particular nurse practitioner must complete a specific controlled substances course before prescribing is a question for CNNB, so confirm the current requirement with the College if it matters to you.

• New Brunswick operates a Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) integrated with the provincial Drug Information System. Pharmacies submit dispensing data, and authorized prescribers can view a patient's medication history in the electronic health record before prescribing a controlled substance.
• CNNB expects nurse practitioners to assess for misuse, including a patient having more than one prescriber, and to use mechanisms that prevent prescription fraud and diversion (Standard indicators 3.1, 3.11, 3.12 and 3.15).
• Nurse practitioners must document assessment findings, diagnoses, the plan of care, consent and the patient's response in the permanent health record, and must report adverse events associated with controlled drugs according to legislation and policy.

What prescribing ADHD medication involves, whoever the prescriber is

Canadian practice guidelines from CADDRA describe medication alongside education about ADHD, skills and, where needed, psychological treatment. Which class, if any, suits you depends on your history, other conditions, other medications and your own preferences, and CNNB's standards expect the nurse practitioner to follow up and revise the plan based on your response.

Benefits and risks belong together. Stimulant medications reduce core ADHD symptoms for many adults and act within hours, but can raise heart rate and blood pressure, affect sleep and appetite, and carry a potential for misuse, which is why New Brunswick monitors them. If you are struggling with low mood or thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 9-8-8, Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline, or call 911; ADHD medication is not a crisis treatment.

Refills and pharmacy transfers for controlled substances follow federal rules in New Brunswick

Once the prescription is written, the pharmacy applies the federal rules for controlled substances. Refills of a controlled drug are permitted only when the prescriber has written the number of refills and the interval on the original prescription; a pharmacist cannot add refills by phone. Transfers of a controlled substance prescription between pharmacies are restricted and handled pharmacist to pharmacist under a federal exemption, so ask your pharmacist before switching pharmacies partway through a prescription. The New Brunswick College of Pharmacists sets the provincial rules pharmacies follow. The sibling page on how ADHD prescription refills and pharmacy transfers work in New Brunswick goes into the detail.

A nurse practitioner's prescription is eligible under New Brunswick drug plans in the same way as a physician's

Drug coverage in New Brunswick depends on the drug and the person, not on who wrote the prescription. The New Brunswick Drug Plan is the province's plan for residents without private coverage, and the New Brunswick Prescription Drug Program covers specific groups such as seniors receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement and social assistance clients. Whether a specific ADHD medication is a regular benefit or needs special authorization depends on the New Brunswick Drug Plans Formulary. Private extended health plans may cover products the public plans do not. None of this is a promise of coverage; check the formulary and your own plan. The sibling page on whether the New Brunswick Drug Plan covers ADHD medication covers this on its own.

For tax purposes, the Canada Revenue Agency publishes a province-by-province table of authorized medical practitioners for the medical expense tax credit; check the New Brunswick row for nurse practitioners before claiming an assessment fee as a medical expense.

How virtual ADHD care with a nurse practitioner works for New Brunswick residents

New Brunswick is among the provinces Finding Focus serves, and New Brunswick residents are matched with licensed nurse practitioners and clinicians working with Finding Focus who are registered with CNNB and bound by its standards. If a treatment plan includes medication, the nurse practitioner reviews your medication history through the provincial system and sends the prescription to the New Brunswick pharmacy you choose. Province details are on the ADHD assessment in New Brunswick page, and the question of who can diagnose is covered in who can diagnose ADHD in New Brunswick.

• New Brunswick residents 18 and over can book directly; no referral is required.