ORS 475.188 Prescription drug orders; electronic transmission

Prescription drug orders may be transmitted by electronic means from a practitioner authorized to prescribe drugs directly to the dispensing pharmacist.

All prescription drug orders communicated by way of electronic transmission shall:

Be transmitted only by an authorized practitioner;

Be transmitted directly to a pharmacist in a pharmacy of the patient’s choice with no intervening person having access to the prescription drug order;

Specify the prescribing practitioner’s telephone number for verbal confirmation, the time and date of transmission, the identity of the pharmacy intended to receive the transmission and all other information required for a prescription by federal or state law; and

Be traceable to the prescribing practitioner by an electronic signature or other secure method of validation.

An electronic transmission of a prescription drug order shall be stored by electronic means or reduced promptly to writing, filed by the pharmacy and retained in conformity with the requirements of ORS 475.165.

The dispensing pharmacist shall exercise professional judgment regarding the accuracy, validity and authenticity of an electronically transmitted prescription drug order.

All equipment for transmission, storage or receipt of electronically transmitted prescription drug orders shall be maintained to protect against unauthorized access.

A pharmacist, pharmacy or pharmacy department shall not enter into an agreement with a practitioner or health care facility concerning the provision of any electronic transmission equipment or apparatus that would adversely affect a patient’s freedom to select the pharmacy or pharmacy department of the patient’s choice.

A pharmacist, pharmacy or pharmacy department shall not provide any electronic equipment or apparatus to a practitioner or health care facility for the purpose of providing an incentive to the practitioner or health care facility to refer patients to a particular pharmacy or pharmacy department.

There shall be no additional charge to the patient because the prescription drug order was electronically transmitted.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the electronic transmission of a prescription drug order when a written prescription is required under ORS 127.815, 137.473, 169.750 or 453.025.

475.005 to 475.285 by legislative action but was not added to any smaller series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.