By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    learn to recognize and treat yeast infections
    Most Commonly Asked Questions About Yeast Infections
    November 17, 2021
    Advanced lung cancer diagnosis systems used by doctors
    Advanced Lung Cancer Diagnosis Systems Used by Doctors
    March 6, 2022
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    The Top Benefits of a Wearable Blood Pressure Monitor Watch
    June 13, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Life Expectancies and Lethal Injections
    May 6, 2015
    The Future of Healthcare and Big Pharma is in Big Data Analytics
    February 5, 2021
    Financial Assistance for Clinical Trials
    September 16, 2015
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Proposal to Restrict Online Prescribing Would Hinder Telemedicine
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Proposal to Restrict Online Prescribing Would Hinder Telemedicine
eHealthNews

Proposal to Restrict Online Prescribing Would Hinder Telemedicine

rdowney14
rdowney14
Share
4 Min Read
Image
SHARE

Image

Image

A bill picking up steam in Congress may adversely affect the use of telemedicine to prescribe prescription medications to patients.The original language was in the proposed Online Pharmacy Safety Act, but is now an amendment to a larger bill that deals with the FDA (H.R. 5651 and S. 2516).  The amendment aims to protect consumers, although some changes to the language could have adverse consequences to the practice of telemedicine.

According to Jonathan Linkous, CEO of the American Telemedicine Association, the latest version of the amendment would create a federal definition of a “valid prescription” covering all prescriptions, not just narcotics and other controlled substances.  And it would cover all pharmacies.  In part, it would require a patient to have had an “in-person medical evaluation” within the 24 months prior to receiving an online prescription.  To be “valid,” the prescription must meet a Controlled Substances Act definition requiring the patient to be at a hospital or clinic, or be issued by a newly defined “qualified offsite telehealth practitioner.”  The valid prescription must be based on an “instanteous” communication with the patient.  Jonathan suggests that those of us in the industry contact our lawmakers to register our concerns.

More Read

How Healthcare Professionals Can Deal With Negative Reviews
How Patient Portals Are Changing The Digital Healthcare Landscape
Suppressed Patient Information at Core of MN Hospital Privacy Case
Mobile Health Around the Globe: Nokia Sensing XCHALLENGE mHealth Finalists
How Digital and Social Media Transforms Medical Journal Publishing

The bill’s sponsors are Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).  I think lawmakers, especially Senator Feinstein, have been looking for ways to prevent “Internet prescribing” which has proved fatal to some of its “victims.”  This occurs when physicians write prescriptions for people who merely fill out online questionnaires.  In these cases, the physicians don’t know if what the “patient” is telling them is correct.  They don’t even know if the “patient” is who he, or she, says they are.

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study that violations of online professionalism are prevalent.  The study found that 63% of medical boards reported inappropriate prescribing by physicians who were either refilling prescriptions for or prescribing medications to patients they had not met.

Dr. Ryan Greysen, the leader author of the study and assistant professor of hospital medicine at UC-San Francisco, says he doesn’t believe these violations were intentional or malicious – just that doctors were misusing the Internet.  Dr. Robert Wachter, professor and chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at UC-San Francisco, believes physicians should understand what constitutes professional behavior online.  Wachter told JAMA, “In nearly every situation, especially on the Internet, they should be wearing their doctor’s hat.”

No one doubts that using the Internet to put controlled substances and other potentially harmful drugs into the wrong hands is wrong and dangerous.  But Jonathan’s concern is that the language oversteps the problem and could likely interfere with legitimate telemedicine.  Even good meaning people sometimes don’t foresee the unintended consequences of legislation.  That’s why it’s important for us to draw their attention to potential problems before proposals become law.

TAGGED:online prescribingtelemedicine
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

7 Types of Information Patients Need to Feel Comfortable
eHealth

7 Types of Information Patients Need to Feel Comfortable

July 21, 2018
Image
eHealthMedical InnovationsMobile HealthSocial Media

5 Questions You’re Likely Not Asking About Digital Health, But Should

July 1, 2013
circus-653851_1920
eHealthHospital AdministrationMedical InnovationsMedical RecordsMobile HealthTechnology

A Go Live of EPIC Proportions

October 15, 2015
ready for icd-10? HIS
BusinesseHealthFinanceHospital AdministrationMedical Records

Are Your Vendors Ready for ICD-10?

March 8, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?