Prior authorization (PA) is a term most of us have heard before ―medical professionals and patients alike. We associate it with going to the pharmacy, finding that not only is our medication not ready for pick-up, it cannot be filled yet due to PA. PA generates feelings of confusion and anxiety, but it is also responsible for creating an enormous patient care burden. I am a registered nurse, employed as a supervisor, overseeing nurses. I am also an advanced practice nursing student, learning how to diagnosis and prescribe medications. I face the insane semantics of PA as both a healthcare professional and a patient.
