Online Prescribing

In order for a physician to practice within the minimum standards of practice while providing treatment and/or consultation recommendations by electronic or other such means, all the following conditions must be met:

• All treatment and/or consultations must be done by Georgia licensed practitioners;
• A history of the patient shall be available to the Georgia licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse who is providing treatment or consultation via electronic or other such means;
• Georgia licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse either: (a) Has personally seen and examined the patient and provides ongoing or intermittent care by electronic or other such means; or (b) Is providing medical care by electronic or other such means at the request of a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse licensed in Georgia who has personally seen and examined the patient; or (c) Is providing medical care by electronic or other such means at the request of a Public Health Nurse, a Public School Nurse, the Department of Family and Children’s Services, law enforcement, community mental health center or through an established child advocacy center for the protection for a minor, and the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse is able to examine the patient using technology and peripherals that are equal or superior to an examination done personally by a provider within that provider’s standard of care; or (d) Is able to examine the patient using technology and peripherals that are equal or superior to an examination done personally by a provider within that provider’s standard of care.
• The Georgia licensed physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse providing treatment or consultations by electronic or other means must maintain patient records on the patient and must document the evaluation and treatment along with the identity of the practitioners providing the service by electronic or other means, and if there is a referring practitioner, a copy of this record must also be provided to the referring physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse.
• To delegate to a nurse practitioner or to supervise a physician assistant doing telemedicine, the physician must document to the board that the provision of care by telemedicine is in his or her scope of practice and that the NP or PA has demonstrated competence in the provision of care by telemedicine.
• Patients treated by electronic or other such means or patient’s agent must be given the name, credentials and emergency contact information for the Georgia licensed physician, physician assistant and/or advanced practice registered nurse providing the treatment or consultation. Emergency contact information does not need to be provided to those treated within the prison system while incarcerated but should be provided to the referring provider. For the purposes of this rule, “credentials” is defined as the area of practice and training for physicians, and for physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses, “credentials” shall mean the area of licensure and must include the name of the delegating physician or supervising physician.
• The patient being treated via electronic or other means or the patient’s agent must be provided with clear, appropriate, accurate instructions on follow-up in the event of needed emergent care related to the treatment. In the case of prison patients, prison staff will be provided this information if the consult is provided to an inmate.
• The physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner who provides care or treatment for a patient by electronic or other such means must make diligent efforts to have the patient seen and examined in person by a Georgia licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner at least annually.

This rule should not be interpreted to interfere with care and treatment by telephonic communication in an established physician-patient relationship, call coverage for established physician-patients relationships, or telephone and internet consultations between physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other health care providers or child protection agencies.

This rule does not authorize the prescription of controlled substances for the treatment of pain or chronic pain by electronic or other such means. All treatment of pain or chronic pain must be in compliance with Rule 360-3-.06.

SOURCE: GA Rules & Regulations revised 360-3-.07. (Accessed Jun. 2025). 

Unprofessional conduct shall include but not be limited to prescribing controlled substances and/or dangerous drugs for a patient based solely on a consultation via electronic means with the patient, patient’s guardian or patient’s agent. This shall not prohibit a licensee from prescribing a dangerous drug for a patient pursuant to a valid physician­ patient relationship in accordance with O.C.G.A. 33-24-56.4 or a licensee who is on-call or covering for another licensee from prescribing up to a 30-day supply of medications for a patient of such other licensee nor shall it prohibit a licensee from prescribing medications when documented emergency circumstances exist.

This shall also not prevent a licensed physician from prescribing Schedule II sympathomimetic amine drugs for the treatment of attention deficit disorder to a patient in the physical presence of a licensed nurse, provided the initial diagnosis was made and an initial prescription was issued in accordance with 21 U .S .C. § 829(e), as amended from time to time, including but not limited to the following:

• The physician has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient; or
• The physician is covering for a licensee who is temporarily unavailable and has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient; or
• The physician is engaged in the practice of telemedicine in accordance with Board Rule 360-3-.07 and with 21 U.S.C. §§ 802(54) and 829(e)(3)(A), including, but not limited to:
  • Where the patient is being treated by, and physically located in, a hospital or clinic registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”), the physician is registered with the DEA, and all other requirements of 21 U.S.C. § 802(54)(A) are met; or
  • Where the patient is being treated by, and physically in the presence of, a licensee who is registered with the DEA, and all other requirements of 21 U.S.C. § 802(54)(B) are met; or
  • Where the physician has obtained from the U.S. Attorney General a special registration for telemedicine in accordance with 21 U.S.C. §§ 802(54)(E) and 831(h).

Providing treatment via electronic or other means is considered unprofessional conduct unless a history and physical examination of the patient has been performed by a Georgia licensee.  This shall not prohibit a licensee who is on call or covering for another licensee from treating and/or consulting a patient of such other licensee. Also, this paragraph shall not prohibit a patient’s attending physician from obtaining consultations or recommendations from other licensed health care providers.

SOURCE: GA Rules & Regulations revised 360-3-.02. (Accessed Jun. 2025).

Contact Lenses & Spectacles

SOURCE: GA OCGA Section 31-12-12. (Accessed Jun. 2025).

Teledentistry (Effective January 1, 2026)

Subject to the conditions specified in subsection (e) of this Code section, an authorizing dentist shall only be allowed to prescribe a medication that is not a controlled substance for a patient receiving dental care through a teledentistry interaction.

Initial consultations with new patients may be conducted via teledentistry, provided that the authorizing dentist establishes a bona fide dentist-patient relationship by reviewing the patient’s medical and dental history and verifying the patient’s identity and physical location to ensure the patient is physically located in this state when dental care is provided and shall obtain the requisite consent from a parent or guardian if the patient is a minor.

An in-person clinical examination shall be performed immediately prior to providing or authorizing services or treatments to patients that are not reversible or that otherwise result in increased risk to the patient. For ongoing dentist-patient relationships, dentists shall strongly encourage patients to be seen in person at least annually.

SOURCE:  HB 567 (2025-2026 Regular Session). (Accessed Jun 2025).

Veterinarian (Effective July 1, 2025)

Any prescription, administration, or dispensing of prescription drugs pursuant to this Code section shall be in accordance with all federal and state laws. Nothing in this article shall be construed to authorize any licensed veterinarian to prescribe, administer, or otherwise dispense any prescription drug or any other medication or treatment specified by the board, unless such licensed veterinarian or another licensed veterinarian employed at the same veterinary facility has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal by virtue of a physical examination of the animal at the veterinary facility or during a medically appropriate and timely visit to the premises where the animal is located.

SOURCE: SB 105 (2025-2026 Regular Session).  (Accessed Jun 2025).