The following Frequently Asked Questions are being published by the Drug Enforcement Administration�s (DEA) Office of Diversion Control as an educational/public awareness component relative to the use of the Internet for the purposes of purchasing, prescribing, dispensing and importing of controlled substances
Can an individual order drugs using the Internet without seeing a doctor?
Federal law requires that "A prescription for a controlled substance to be effective must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of his professional practice" (21 CFR 1306.04(a)). Every state separately imposes the same requirement under its laws. Under Federal and state law, for a doctor to be acting in the usual course of professional practice, there must be a bona fide doctor/ patient relationship.
For purposes of state law, many state authorities, with the endorsement of medical societies, consider the existence of the following four elements as an indication that a legitimate doctor/patient relationship has been established:
A patient has a medical complaint; A medical history has been taken; A physical examination has been performed; and Some logical connection exists between the medical complaint, the medical history, the physical examination and the drug prescribed. A patient completing a questionnaire that is then reviewed by a physician hired by or working on behalf of an Internet pharmacy does not establish a doctor/patient relationship. A consumer can more easily provide false information in a questionnaire than in a face-to-face meeting with the physician. It is illegal to receive a prescription for a controlled substance without the establishment of a legitimate doctor/patient relationship, and it is unlikely for such a relationship to be formed through Internet correspondence alone. However, this is not intended to limit the ability of practitioners to engage in telemedicine. For purposes of this guidance document, telemedicine refers to the provision of health care using telecommunication networks to transmit and receive information including voice communications, images and patient records.
I would guess it depends on how one interprets the language used here in establishing a doctor/patient relationship.
In my opinion this would make NROP�s illegal since the prescribing physician did not see the patient in person.
JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT, IT MAKES ME WONDER HOW THEY GET AWAY WITH IT, DONT GET ME WRONG, I AM GLAD THEY DO BUT TO ME THIS IS CLEAR....MUST BE MAKING ALOT OF $$$$ TO RISK LOSING YOUR MEDICAL LICENSE. I WONDER WHAT THERE PULLIN IN ,IN A DAY, I WOULD SET ASIDE THE FIRST MILLION FOR BOND MONEY !! LOL TY...ALL
What somebody once told me, that makes alot of sense, is that the Dr.s at the NROP's are usually old and already retired. They then get a cut of each script filled. Since they are already retired, they don't care if they get sanctioned by some med board or lose their licence. Makes sense to me.
A lot of the OP docs are also new or from overseas and looking to get their foot in the door, so to speak. I guess it's not so easy to establish a medical practice. go figure!
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