Florida Senate - 2022 SB 312
By Senator Diaz
36-00376-22 2022312__
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”; narrowing the prohibition on prescribing
5 controlled substances through telehealth to include
6 only specified controlled substances; providing an
7 effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and paragraph
12 (c) of subsection (2) of section 456.47, Florida Statutes, are
13 amended to read:
14 456.47 Use of telehealth to provide services.—
15 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
16 (a) “Telehealth” means the use of synchronous or
17 asynchronous telecommunications technology by a telehealth
18 provider to provide health care services, including, but not
19 limited to, assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and
20 monitoring of a patient; transfer of medical data; patient and
21 professional health-related education; public health services;
22 and health administration. The term does not include audio-only
23 telephone calls, e-mail messages, or facsimile transmissions.
24 (2) PRACTICE STANDARDS.—
25 (c) A telehealth provider may not use telehealth to
26 prescribe a controlled substance listed in Schedule II of s.
27 893.03 unless the controlled substance is prescribed for the
28 following:
29 1. The treatment of a psychiatric disorder;
30 2. Inpatient treatment at a hospital licensed under chapter
31 395;
32 3. The treatment of a patient receiving hospice services as
33 defined in s. 400.601; or
34 4. The treatment of a resident of a nursing home facility
35 as defined in s. 400.021.
36 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.