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Virginia General Assembly Paves Way for Expanded Telemedicine Consultations and Prescribing

04/14/2015
On March 16, 2015, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed HB 2063, which amends the definition of “telemedicine services” to more broadly permit remote patient diagnosis and prescription of Schedule VI medications as defined by the Virginia Drug Control Act. The new Virginia law takes effect on July 1, 2015. Under the old law, Va. Code § 54.1-3303 required providers to form a “bona fide practitioner-patient relationship” by conducting an “appropriate examination” before prescribing medication. Uncertainty regarding what made an examination legally “appropriate” fostered considerable confusion among telemedicine providers. The new law addresses this ambiguity by unequivocally permitting the formation of a practitioner-patient relationship and subsequent prescribing via telemedicine when certain conditions are met.

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authored by:

W. Scott Johnson
W. Scott Johnson