Alabama Administrative Code
Title 540 - ALABAMA BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS
Chapter 540-X-9 - MISCELLANEOUS
Section 540-X-9-.11 - Contact With Patients Before Prescribing

(1) It is the position of the Board that, when prescribing medications to an individual, the prescriber, when possible, should personally examine the patient. Before prescribing a medication, a physician should make an informed medical judgment based on appropriate medical history, the circumstances of the situation and on his or her training and experience. This process must be documented appropriately.

(2) Prescribing medications for a patient whom the physician has not personally examined may be suitable under certain circumstances. These circumstances may include, but not be limited to, electronic encounters such as those in telemedicine; admission orders for a patient newly admitted to a health care facility, prescribing for a patient of another physician for whom the prescribing physician is taking call, continuing medication on a short-term basis for a new patient prior to the patient's first appointment, or prescribing for the sexual partner(s) of a patient in accordance with an Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) and/or Patient Delivered Partner Therapy (PDPT) protocol for the prevention of transmission and spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

(3) Licensees are expected to adhere to all federal and state statutes regarding the prescribing of controlled substances and all Alabama Board of Medical Examiners' Rules regarding the prescribing of controlled substances.