Health Law Advisor

As so many of you know, the barriers to the wider adoption of telemedicine are numerous.  In listening to various stakeholders in the telemedicine space over the years, I consistently hear the same barriers being discussed:

• Multistate licensure for physicians and other health professionals;

• Data privacy and security;

• Coverage and reimbursement;

• Credentialing and privileging; and

• Corporate practice of medicine

One issue, however, that gets short shrift in my view is the issue of online prescribing—an issue that presents as formidable a barrier to the wider adoption of ...

There is a proposal moving through Congress that has some interesting implications for telemedicine.  Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have proposed an amendment to the Online Pharmacy Safety Act that would impose additional restrictions on when and under what circumstances practitioners can prescribe medication under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  Although the Online Pharmacy Act is primarily intended to put an end to illegitimate pharmacies and the fraudulent sale of drugs online, as the American Telemedicine Association, HealthLeaders