What are the patient safety issues surrounding prescribing over the phone?
The decision about whether to prescribe over the phone depends upon the physician’s relationship with the patient, the type of medication, and the circumstances of the call. Prescribing new medications to known patients over the phone without a recent clinical evaluation is not recommended, especially when a drug’s appropriateness cannot be readily assessed. If such prescriptions aremade by phone, the physician should document that the patient’s clinical status and other medications have been assessed, that possible side effects were discussed, and that the patient was told under what circumstances to call again. For prescription renewals by phone, an assessment of clinical status to check for side effects and the appropriateness of continuing the medication is important and should be documented in the patient’s record. When prescribing controlled substances over a long period of time to a patient whose disease process is stable, the BRM recommends that the physician see the patient at
