Can radiologists give prescriptions to patients like family physicians...

[raptridge75]

you know, when the doctor gives you a prescription note that you give to the pharmacist to get the drug, can radiologist do that?

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[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Yes. Radiologists must be licensed physicians, so they can write prescriptions. In theory, they could write for any drug. However, do to the fact that most have been away from clinical medicine for quite a while, its probably best to limit prescribing. The most commonly prescribed drugs by rads are probably pain meds due to the fact that most radiologists do procedures (not just the interventional rads). If you are in interventional, you may also prescribe some antibiotics (also anticoagulants and thrombolytics for inpatients).

If you're asking about writing prescriptions for friends and family, its definitely a questionable practice, but technically seems to be legal. Most only do so in rare special circumstances with relatively benign meds or meds that people have been on for a long time (albuterol refill, ocp, etc.).

 

[watermen]

In theory, they could write for any drug.

No, radiologist can't prescribe dofetilide.

 

[salmonella]

you know, when the doctor gives you a prescription note that you give to the pharmacist to get the drug, can radiologist do that?

Diagnostic radiologists are not trained as clinicians. The prelim year is mostly for them to understand how imaging is being used in clinical setting, so they could be more helpful consultants to clinicians during rads residency and beyond. After being in the dark room for years, their clinical skills become rusty and prescribing meds become difficult. I supposed for simple things like amoxicillin for sore throat, levaquin for bronchitis, prevacid for GERD or pain meds in medically stable patients, they can handle it. But definitely not for things like hypertension, diabetes management, cholesterol meds or patients with complex medical history.

Diagnostic radiologists do have huge knowledge base. They know everything from ortho and ob/gyn to internal medicine and surgery; but when it comes to clinical management of patients, it's just not within their realm of expertise. Interventional radiologists, on the other hand, do prescribe antibiotics, pain meds and anticoagulants after IR procedures. But most of the time in hospital setting they just leave recommendations in their notes and let the primary team (usually internal medicine, pediatrics and general surgery) do the clinical management.

 

[MacGyver]

No, radiologist can't prescribe dofetilide.

If you want to get technical about it, radiologists cant prescribe domperidone or buprenorphine either. Of course they have no reason to, and every doc has to go thru special channels to script those drugs (i.e. special DEA approval for buprenorphine and FDA approval for domperidone as experimental agent)

 

[deleted87716]

radiologists cant prescribe domperidone or buprenorphine either.

I'm pretty sure you can get that over the counter.