Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 660
       
       
        
       By Senator Diaz
       
       
       
       
       
       36-00563-21                                            2021660__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to telehealth; amending s. 456.47,
    3         F.S.; revising the definition of the term
    4         “telehealth”; deleting a prohibition on prescribing
    5         controlled substances through telehealth; providing an
    6         effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph
   11  (c) of subsection (2) of section 456.47, Florida Statutes, are
   12  amended to read:
   13         456.47 Use of telehealth to provide services.—
   14         (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
   15         (a) “Telehealth” means the use of synchronous or
   16  asynchronous telecommunications technology by a telehealth
   17  provider to provide health care services, including, but not
   18  limited to, assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and
   19  monitoring of a patient; transfer of medical data; patient and
   20  professional health-related education; public health services;
   21  and health administration. The term does not include audio-only
   22  telephone calls, e-mail messages, or facsimile transmissions.
   23         (2) PRACTICE STANDARDS.—
   24         (c) A telehealth provider may not use telehealth to
   25  prescribe a controlled substance unless the controlled substance
   26  is prescribed for the following:
   27         1. The treatment of a psychiatric disorder;
   28         2. Inpatient treatment at a hospital licensed under chapter
   29  395;
   30         3. The treatment of a patient receiving hospice services as
   31  defined in s. 400.601; or
   32         4. The treatment of a resident of a nursing home facility
   33  as defined in s. 400.021.
   34         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.