CRNA · New Mexico
Collaborative Practice Agreement for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists in New Mexico
No. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists practice independently here. New Mexico does not require one.
New Mexico removed 'shall function under the direction of...' language from its CRNA statute in 2001 and opted out of the CMS physician-supervision condition in 2002 — CRNAs have practiced without physician supervision statewide for over two decades. CRNAs without ≥400 hours of prescribing experience must complete a preceptorship before independently prescribing dangerous drugs.
What the collaboration must look like
The rules the physician relationship has to follow. Each fact comes from the statute or board rule listed under sources.
Proximity
No proximity requirement
No physician proximity/availability requirement is codified for CRNA practice, consistent with New Mexico's 2002 CMS opt-out.
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Not codified — left to the agreement
Prescriptive authority
Covered by the practice agreement · controlled substances permitted
CRNAs without ≥400 hours of prescribing experience must complete a preceptorship before prescribing dangerous drugs/controlled substances independently; in practice, CRNA prescribing is largely anesthesia-related.
Written agreement
Not required
Unconditional — no collaborative or supervisory agreement is required for CRNA practice.
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Same professional-corporation, same-profession-ownership framework as other APRNs above.
What a collaborating physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in New Mexico
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Standard-tier state.
About New Mexico's rules
New Mexico has no corporate-practice-of-medicine doctrine (1987 A.G. opinion) — non-physician entities may employ physicians if clinical judgment isn't controlled — but professional corporations must still be single-profession owned (a PA/NP/etc. entity can't mix ownership with physicians). NP/CRNA/CNM/CNS practice independently with full prescriptive authority (Schedules II–V); PA remains the outlier requiring ongoing physician involvement.
Other clinicians in New Mexico: see the state overview.