Prescribing Medication

[johndent]

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I was wondering if there was any difference in the medications of what a dentist vs. md vs. optometrist vs podiatrist can prescribe.

 

[OneThree]

I'm not an expert but I don't think there is, when my girlfriend has some perio work done he prescribed her Vicodin and an antibiotic, so I'm assuming it's all the same.

 

[DrRoyal Pains]

The antibiotics may be different (just my two cents) . I interned at an oral surgeons office this semester and he prescribed a particular antibiotic to help prevent bacterial growth in the mouth to lower infections of an extraction site.

 

[slm266]

There was a big thread on this a year or two ago. It basically boils down to the "scope of the profession". There's a lot of varying interpretation.

So you shouldn't be writing Rx for your kid who broke his arm and is pain. There are a lot of grey areas though.

I think the pharmacist may be hesitant to fill a prescription you write if he feels you are operation outside of your field. Not sure about the specifics of this at all though.

 

[dentalWorks]

I was wondering if there was any difference in the medications of what a dentist vs. md vs. optometrist vs podiatrist can prescribe.

the MDs and DOs have the largest scope of prescriptions...actually, I think they have no restrictions.

DDSs/DMDs have. You can prescribe a whole variety of antibiotics and pain killers (this is like 99% of what dentists prescribe). But alot of stuffs that are typically prescribed in a doctors office aren't in the scope of dentistry (example BP, diabetes, Viagra, mood changers, etc)

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

johndent, do you plan on prescribing yourself some medicinal marijuana or something?

 

[tendram]

the MDs and DOs have the largest scope of prescriptions...actually, I think they have no restrictions.

It depends on what specialty you are. I know a few pharmacists who are hesitant to fill, say, a prescription for ADD for a teenager written by a cardiologist. Outside of that though I would agree that most MD's and DO's have pretty much no restrictions when it comes to what they can prescribe. Dentist's on the other hand are pretty much limited to painkillers, antibiotics, and the occasional anti-anxiety meds as well as prescription toothpastes and the like. Optometrists/ophthalmologists usually stick to the eye drops, podiatrists, the muscle relaxants and pain killers, dermatologists...well you get the idea .

 

[dentalWorks]

It depends on what specialty you are. I know a few pharmacists who are hesitant to fill, say, a prescription for ADD for a teenager written by a cardiologist. Outside of that though I would agree that most MD's and DO's have pretty much no restrictions when it comes to what they can prescribe. Dentist's on the other hand are pretty much limited to painkillers, antibiotics, and the occasional anti-anxiety meds as well as prescription toothpastes and the like. Optometrists/ophthalmologists usually stick to the eye drops, podiatrists, the muscle relaxants and pain killers, dermatologists...well you get the idea .

dermatalogists are MDs/DOs

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

It depends on what specialty you are. I know a few pharmacists who are hesitant to fill, say, a prescription for ADD for a teenager written by a cardiologist. Outside of that though I would agree that most MD's and DO's have pretty much no restrictions when it comes to what they can prescribe. Dentist's on the other hand are pretty much limited to painkillers, antibiotics, and the occasional anti-anxiety meds as well as prescription toothpastes and the like. Optometrists/ophthalmologists usually stick to the eye drops, podiatrists, the muscle relaxants and pain killers, dermatologists...well you get the idea .

dermatalogists are MDs/DOs

I think he's aware of that. Ophthalmologists are MD/DO's as well. He's just saying that different specialties tend to prescribe certain things and sometimes it raises a flag if you prescribe something totally out of your league.

 

[tendram]

I think he's aware of that. Ophthalmologists are MD/DO's as well. He's just saying that different specialties tend to prescribe certain things and sometimes it raises a flag if you prescribe something totally out of your league.

Exactly 👍

 

[UltimateHombre]

It basically boils down to the "scope of the profession". There's a lot of varying interpretation.

This is really what it is all about! I have a couple friends who are pharm techs that say they get a lot of random stuff that is way out of spectrum.

Some examples they have seen.... where a DDS tried to write birth control for his niece or something... ya didn't happen!

OD tried prescribing a special knee brace for his good friend.... not so much!

I think MD/DOs can do just about anything though, even if it is beyond their specialty. The MD/DO is an umbrella license to practice medicine, which is really only limited by the docs comfort zone. However, i am sure due to risk of malpractice the MD/DOs choose to only prescribe within the needs of their specialty. But if any of the above scenarios would have happened to an MD... probably would have filled it no problem!