The Expanding Prescribing Responsibilities of Nurse Practitioners in Wound Care
July 2, 2026
Keywords
Categories
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are playing an increasingly important role in wound care delivery as healthcare systems respond to growing rates of chronic disease, an aging population, and provider shortages. As prescribing authority evolves and medically complex patients become more common, understanding the pharmacologic dimensions of wound care is becoming an increasingly important professional competency.
Key Takeaways
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The nurse practitioner workforce has grown rapidly over the past decade and now represents one of the fastest-growing provider groups in the United States.
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Patients with chronic wounds frequently present with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, and other conditions requiring complex medication regimens.
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As prescribing responsibilities continue to expand, pharmacologic decision-making is becoming an increasingly important aspect of comprehensive wound care practice.
The role of nurse practitioners has evolved substantially over the past several decades. NPs are integral healthcare providers across primary care, specialty care, acute care, and outpatient settings.
According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), more than 431,000 licensed nurse practitioners are practicing in the United States, representing one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions nationwide.1 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of nurse practitioners to grow by 46% between 2023 and 2033, a rate substantially faster than the average for all occupations.2
Several factors drive this growth. The United States faces an aging population, increasing prevalence of chronic disease, and persistent provider shortages across many regions. At the same time, healthcare systems are increasingly relying on advanced practice providers to improve access to care and meet growing patient demand.
These trends are particularly relevant to wound care, where patients often require ongoing management of chronic conditions in addition to treatment of the wound itself.
As the NP workforce grows, so too has the scope of practice available to many clinicians.
As of 2025, more than half of U.S. states and territories have adopted Full Practice Authority (FPA), allowing nurse practitioners to evaluate patients, diagnose conditions, interpret diagnostic tests, and prescribe medications without physician oversight, according to the AANP.3
While regulatory frameworks vary by state, the broader trend has been toward increased clinical autonomy. Policymakers, healthcare organizations, and professional associations have increasingly recognized the role of nurse practitioners in addressing workforce shortages and expanding healthcare access.
The implications extend beyond primary care. As nurse practitioners assume larger roles in specialty settings, including wound care, they are increasingly involved in medication-related decisions affecting medically complex patients.
This evolution reflects a broader shift in healthcare delivery, where advanced practice providers are becoming central participants in chronic disease management and interdisciplinary care.
Chronic Diseases and Their Medications Increase Wound Care Complexity
The growing role of nurse practitioners in wound care coincides with rising rates of chronic disease across the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 129 million Americans live with at least one major chronic disease, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, or chronic kidney disease.⁴ Multimorbidity—the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions—has become increasingly common, particularly among older adults.⁵ This is certainly evident in populations of patients with wounds, who may often present with multiple diagnoses requiring ongoing pharmacologic management.
As a result, medication complexity has become a defining characteristic of many wound care encounters. Studies suggest that polypharmacy, commonly defined as the use of 5 or more medications, affects approximately 40% to 50% of older adults and is even more prevalent among patients with multiple chronic diseases.6
For nurse practitioners practicing in wound care settings, these realities contribute to increasingly complex pharmacologic landscapes that extend well beyond the wound itself.
Antibiotic Utilization a Major Consideration
Antibiotics continue to play a significant role in healthcare utilization and prescribing activity nationwide.
The CDC estimates that more than 236 million antibiotic prescriptions are dispensed annually in outpatient settings across the United States.7 Although antimicrobial stewardship efforts have increased awareness regarding appropriate antibiotic use, prescribing decisions remain a major focus across multiple specialties.
Wound care professionals routinely encounter patients with actual or suspected infections, prior antibiotic exposure, hospitalization histories, and multiple comorbidities that may complicate care.
The issue extends beyond individual prescribing events. The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as one of the leading global public health threats, with bacterial antimicrobial resistance associated with an estimated 4.95 million deaths worldwide in 2019.⁸
As wound care clinicians increasingly participate in multidisciplinary management of complex patients, understanding the broader implications of antibiotic utilization remains an important professional consideration.
Chronic Pain Management Continues to Evolve
Pain remains one of the most frequently reported symptoms among patients with chronic wounds.
Research suggests that a substantial proportion of patients with chronic wounds experience persistent pain that affects quality of life, mobility, sleep, and overall well-being.9 At the same time, pain management has become increasingly complex amid evolving regulatory expectations, opioid stewardship initiatives, and growing awareness of medication-related risks.
The CDC reports that nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences chronic pain, while approximately 6.9% live with high-impact chronic pain that frequently limits daily activities.10
Given the prevalence of chronic pain among wound care populations, medication-related considerations remain a common component of patient management discussions. For nurse practitioners, the intersection of chronic wounds, chronic pain, and medication burden underscores the importance of maintaining familiarity with an evolving pharmacologic landscape.
Diabetes Therapies Are Transforming Chronic Disease Management
Diabetes remains one of the most significant drivers of chronic wounds and lower-extremity complications.
The CDC estimates that 38.4 million Americans have diabetes, while nearly 98 million adults have prediabetes.11 As prevalence continues to rise, healthcare professionals are increasingly caring for patients receiving diverse pharmacologic therapies for glycemic management and associated comorbidities.
The therapeutic landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade, with newer classes of medications becoming increasingly common across primary care, endocrinology, cardiology, and nephrology settings.
For wound care clinicians, this evolution reflects a broader reality: patients often arrive with medication regimens that are more complex than ever before. The growing prevalence of diabetes, coupled with increasing rates of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, means pharmacologic considerations are becoming an increasingly visible part of wound care practice.
Why Pharmacology Education Matters More Than Ever
As the above trends continue, pharmacology education is becoming increasingly relevant to wound care professionals seeking to understand the broader clinical context surrounding their patients.
The future of wound care extends beyond the wound itself. It increasingly includes the medications, chronic conditions, and pharmacologic complexities that accompany today's patients.
References
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1. American Association of Nurse Practitioners. NP Fact Sheet. Updated 2025. Accessed July 25, 2026. https://www.aanp.org
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2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Updated April 18, 2025. Accessed July 25, 2026. https://www.bls.gov/ooh
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3. American Association of Nurse Practitioners. State Practice Environment. Updated 2025. Accessed July 25, 2026. https://www.aanp.org
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4. Boersma P, Black LI, Ward BW. Prevalence of multiple chronic conditions among US adults, 2018. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020;17E106. doi:10.5888/pcd17.200130
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5. Skou ST, Mair FS, Fortin M, et al. Multimorbidity. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2022;8(1):48. doi:10.1038/s41572-022-00376-4
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6. Mohamed MR, Ramsdale E, Loh KP, et al. Associations of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications with adverse outcomes in older adults. Clin Interv Aging. 2023;18:1227-1240.
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7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic Use in the United States, 2024 Update: Progress and Opportunities. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.
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8. Murray CJL, Ikuta KS, Sharara F, et al. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Lancet. 2022;399(10325):629-655. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0
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9. Olsson M, Järbrink K, Divakar U, et al. The humanistic and economic burden of chronic wounds: a systematic review. Wound Repair Regen. 2019;27(1):114-125. doi:10.1111/wrr.12683
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10. Yong RJ, Mullins PM, Bhattacharyya N. Prevalence of chronic pain among adults in the United States. Pain. 2022;163(2):e328-e332.
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11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2024: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2024.
The views and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the contributor, and do not represent the views of WoundSource, HMP Global, its affiliates, or subsidiary companies.
