The Tri-Regulator Collaborative Position Statement on Interprofessional, Team-based Patient Care

As the leading organizations representing the licensing boards of the United States that regulate the practice of medicine, pharmacy, and nursing, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), and National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) express our support for interprofessional collaboration and a team-based approach to patient care.

Although we represent different areas within health care, our common duty to protect patients and improve the quality of health care in the United States is reflected in our foundational principles and continued support of state-based regulation. Fulfilling this basic and fundamental mission requires a thoughtful approach to protecting the public while maintaining the legally defined roles and responsibilities of the health care professions we regulate. We also acknowledge the Interprofessional Education Collaborative in its development of core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice for the next generation of health care providers (May 2011).

The Tri-Regulator Collaborative supports a team-based approach to patient care that utilizes the education, training, expertise and abilities of individual team members in order to deliver health care that is efficient, interprofessional, cost-effective, and evidence-based (where feasible and appropriate). Critical to this approach is a commitment from all members of the health care team to always put the best interests of the patient first. We believe this patient-centered approach is best achieved by supporting health care teams that recognize and respect the legally defined roles of the respective members of the team and which fosters a willingness to share responsibility in the best interests of the patient. Any conflicts within the team and scope of responsibilities should be resolved through open communications with careful cognizance of the value, roles and responsibilities of individual team members.

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