Page 160 State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies A Comprehensive Scan of the 50 States and District of Columbia

Center for Connected Health Policy

STATE LAW/REGULATIONS MEDICAID PROGRAM

Online Prescribing
Prior to prescribing drugs to a patient, physicians first No reference found.
must establish a proper physician-patient relationship.
Requirements are:

• Personally performing and documenting an
appropriate history and physical examination,
making a diagnosis, and formulating a
therapeutic plan;
• Discussing with the patient the diagnosis and
the evidence for it, and the risks and benefits of
various treatment options;
• Ensuring the availability of the physician or other
coverage for the patient for appropriate follow-
up care.

Exceptions for prescribing for a patient whom the
physician has not personally examined include, but are
not limited to:

• Admission orders for a newly hospitalized
patient;
• Prescribing for a patient of another physician for
whom the prescriber is taking call;
• Prescribing for a patient examined by a licensed
advanced practice registered nurse, a physician
assistant or other authorized provider;
• Continuing medication on a short-term basis for
a new patient prior to the patient's first
appointment.

Prescribing drugs to individuals the physician has never
met based solely on answers to a set of questions, as is
common in Internet or toll-free telephone prescribing, is
prohibited.

Source: SC Admin. Regulations Annotated Sec. 81-28.
Consent

No reference found. No reference found.
Location
No reference found. Eligible originating (referring) sites:

• Practitioner offices;
• Hospitals (inpatient and outpatient);
• Rural Health Clinics;
• Federally Qualified Health Centers;
• Community mental health centers.

Distant (consultant) sites must be located in the SC
Medical Service Area, which is the state of SC and
areas in NC and GA within 25 miles of the SC border.

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