Question about DO's writing prescriptions?

[brent311]

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If a DO has not completed the year of internship to practice in the special 5 states could he still write a prescription for a patient vacationing in that state? When I worked at a pharmacy a couple years ago, It wasn't uncommon when a patient would loose their prescription in Florida and need the doctor to call in another one. Does anyone know?

 

[Robz]

If a DO has not completed the year of internship to practice in the special 5 states could he still write a prescription for a patient vacationing in that state? When I worked at a pharmacy a couple years ago, It wasn't uncommon when a patient would loose their prescription in Florida and need the doctor to call in another one. Does anyone know?

Your a physician and you'll have your FDA number I believe. There should be absolutly no problem with it. It has to do with establishing a practice there.

Can you see it? I am sorry Mr. Smith we can't fulfill your lasix cause your doc didn't do a rotation internship.....you'll have to live with your CHF pulmonary edema for a while....

 

[EMTLizzy]

Your a physician and you'll have your FDA number I believe. There should be absolutly no problem with it. It has to do with establishing a practice there.

Can you see it? I am sorry Mr. Smith we can't fulfill your lasix cause your doc didn't do a rotation internship.....you'll have to live with your CHF pulmonary edema for a while....

Isn't it DEA number?

On a side note, how many times have you seen a doctor call in a prescription and they never ask for the doc's DEA#? I see it all the time and it makes me wonder how often someone calls up and gives a local Dr's name and gets whatever they want.

Presumably, it would have to be something relatively common to not throw up an alarm.

 

[DrMom]

Yes, it's a DEA number.

Also, the same scenario applies to PGY1 MDs as well. It is an issue of where you are in your training, not your degree.

 

[brent311]

Isn't it DEA number?

On a side note, how many times have you seen a doctor call in a prescription and they never ask for the doc's DEA#? I see it all the time and it makes me wonder how often someone calls up and gives a local Dr's name and gets whatever they want.

Presumably, it would have to be something relatively common to not throw up an alarm.

When I worked in the pharmacy it would happen some. Most of the time someone would just steal a prescription pad from some Dr and go around picking up adderall and pain killers, sometimes we would catch them but because you cant hold them there at the pharmacy they would kinda figure out that you know its fake when their prescription isnt done after like 2 days. then they run before the cops get there. Happened like this about once a month, who knows how many we didnt catch.

 

[frank51]

If a DO has not completed the year of internship to practice in the special 5 states could he still write a prescription for a patient vacationing in that state?

Can you tell me more about what you mean by "the 5 special states"?

 

[EMTLizzy]

When I worked in the pharmacy it would happen some. Most of the time someone would just steal a prescription pad from some Dr and go around picking up adderall and pain killers.

I have a funny story about this.

My boss was mone of the docs down at Chelsea Piers on 9/11 in the hours after the attack. He said things were crazy everywhere, and some medical supplies got looted. Among those supplies were a prescription pad. Some creative person decided to write himself a prescription and bring it to the local Duane Reade.

The prescription read:

50 Lbs of Mofeen


The quick pharmacist realized that "mofeen" is not usually dispensed by the pound and called the cops.

If you're going to fake a prescription, at least do the research to find out what is believable.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Can you tell me more about what you mean by "the 5 special states"?

the states that require an AOA internship, and its more like 6 or 7

 

[mocheese]

Isn't it DEA number?

On a side note, how many times have you seen a doctor call in a prescription and they never ask for the doc's DEA#? I see it all the time and it makes me wonder how often someone calls up and gives a local Dr's name and gets whatever they want.

Presumably, it would have to be something relatively common to not throw up an alarm.

The pharmacy I worked in would only ask for a DEA when a prescription called for a schedule 2 drug (I think its required by law to be on it for those) or a prescription for an obscene amount of vicodin or some of the weaker narcotics.

 

[frank51]

the states that require an AOA internship, and its more like 6 or 7

So you can't practice medicine in these states if you decide to do an allopathic residency without doing an AOA internship? Do you know which states?

 

[(nicedream)]

the states that require an AOA internship, and its more like 6 or 7

No, it is five - Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Yes, in order to practice in those states, you would have to do an AOA internship year. BUT, there are ways to get around it. Check out www.osteopathic.org/pdf/aoa_midyrsupres68ffappD.pdf
ALSO, there are many, many dual-accredited internships these days.

 

[OSUdoc08]

No, it is five - Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Yes, in order to practice in those states, you would have to do an AOA internship year. BUT, there are ways to get around it. Check out www.osteopathic.org/pdf/aoa_midyrsupres68ffappD.pdf
ALSO, there are many, many dual-accredited internships these days.

Yes, but you have to have a good reason to not do the internship,

i.e. not being able to move near an area that has such an internship for family reasons

(if you live near one, then you will be out of luck)

 

[JohnDO]

Funny how the AOA can lobby for practice rights in Canada, but can't find the time to pressure these states to change their archaic laws.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Funny how the AOA can lobby for practice rights in Canada, but can't find the time to pressure these states to change their archaic laws.

Actually, this is current universal AOA policy.

On the contrary, you must do an internship to be AOA certified in any state. The reason for the limitation for the 5 states is that you can be ACGME certified and practice medicine in any other state. You must be AOA certified to practice in those states.

The AOA wants everyone to have the internship year because it provides for a more "well-rounded" physician, and a better trained one.

 

[JohnDO]

Actually, this is current universal AOA policy.

On the contrary, you must do an internship to be AOA certified in any state.

It's not AOA policy to withold practice rights in the five remaining states for not completing an AOA approved internship. That's state law.

 

[OSUdoc08]

It's not AOA policy to withold practice rights in the five remaining states for not completing an AOA approved internship. That's state law.

You misread what I wrote. It is AOA policy to require the internship for AOA certification.

What we are concerned with is ACGME certification for DO's being allowed in those states.

Your statement that the AOA should do something about it would directly conflict with the fact that they want physicians to be AOA certified.

If the AOA could have their way, all states would be like this.

 

[JohnDO]

Ah, I see what you're saying now, sorry about the confusion. You're probably right, I guess I never stopped to consider that the AOA would probably prefer the AOA internship to be mandatory by law. Thanks for clarifying 🙂

 

[bansheeDO]

Yes, but you have to have a good reason to not do the internship,

i.e. not being able to move near an area that has such an internship for family reasons

(if you live near one, then you will be out of luck)

Actually, I know several people who didn't have good reasons and that got it approved. It has more or less become a formality.

 

[DrMom]

Actually, I know several people who didn't have good reasons and that got it approved. It has more or less become a formality.

Basically true, but you won't get it approved if you turned down an osteopathic spot or if you *dis* the AOA. That said, out of hundreds of applications, only a handful haven't been approved.

 

[Robz]

Actually, I know several people who didn't have good reasons and that got it approved. It has more or less become a formality.

True that. Plus the AOA residencies tend to be in certain parts of the country...MI, PA, OH...and that doesn't lead to the best of options for everyone.

 

[DOtobe]

50 Lbs of Mofeen

This cracked me up 😀

 

[docslytherin]

Actually, this is current universal AOA policy.

On the contrary, you must do an internship to be AOA certified in any state. The reason for the limitation for the 5 states is that you can be ACGME certified and practice medicine in any other state. You must be AOA certified to practice in those states.

The AOA wants everyone to have the internship year because it provides for a more "well-rounded" physician, and a better trained one.

perhaps i'm wrong but this isn't the way that i understand it. each state (i think all of them...) have osteopathic licensing boards (not AOA) that license osteopathic physicians. however, in the 5 states listed those licensing boards, by law, cannot grant licenses to practice medicine without a completed rotating internship or a pass from the AOA accrediting the first year of whatever residency they did as equal to the rotating internship. i don't get the feeling really that the AOA has oversight over individual licensing boards.

this is from arizona law (it was the first one that popped up in google):

To be considered for licensure to practice as an osteopathic physician and surgeon the applicant shall:

A. be a graduate of a college of osteopathic medicine and surgery accredited by the American osteopathic association; and

B. have completed an American osteopathic association or American medical association approved post-graduate one-year residency program or rotating internship program.

at least for them, it doesn't seem that the AOA has anything to do with it. the licensing board is comprised of DOs and other people appointed by the governor of the state.

there are functions within the AOA for which you have to complete the rotating internship, but you will be licensed by a state osteopathic licensing board without it.

and from those i know who have gone through it, having your PGY-1 year approved isn't that hard anyway.

 

[OSUdoc08]

perhaps i'm wrong but this isn't the way that i understand it. each state (i think all of them...) have osteopathic licensing boards (not AOA) that license osteopathic physicians. however, in the 5 states listed those licensing boards, by law, cannot grant licenses to practice medicine without a completed rotating internship or a pass from the AOA accrediting the first year of whatever residency they did as equal to the rotating internship. i don't get the feeling really that the AOA has oversight over individual licensing boards.

this is from arizona law (it was the first one that popped up in google):



at least for them, it doesn't seem that the AOA has anything to do with it. the licensing board is comprised of DOs and other people appointed by the governor of the state.

there are functions within the AOA for which you have to complete the rotating internship, but you will be licensed by a state osteopathic licensing board without it.

and from those i know who have gone through it, having your PGY-1 year approved isn't that hard anyway.

Osteopathic physicians can be licensed through a state if they are either AOA certified or ACGME certified. In order to be AOA certified IN ANY STATE, one must have completed that AOA internship. The "5 magic states" don't allow ACGME certification for osteopathic physicians, and require that they become AOA certified. So, as I said before, it is AOA policy, that all physicians must do that internship. If you are a D.O., you don't have to, but then you may only certify via the ACGME.