HB 115 Summary

• Requires podiatrists, dentists, physicians, nurses, and optometrists to issue prescriptions electronically rather than in written form, effective January 1, 2021.

• Establishes 10 exceptions to the electronic prescribing requirement, including veterinarian prescriptions, technological failures, out-of-state pharmacies, research protocols, and situations where electronic prescribing would delay patient care.

• Allows practitioners to obtain waivers from the electronic prescribing requirement for up to one year due to economic hardship, technological limitations beyond their control, or exceptional circumstances.

• Defines "electronic prescription" as a prescription generated on an electronic application and transmitted as an electronic data file, complying with National Council for Prescription Drug Programs standards.

• Clarifies that pharmacists are not required to verify exceptions claimed by prescribers and may continue dispensing valid written, oral, or faxed prescriptions.