Online Prescribing

Before a provider of health care who is located at a distant site may use telehealth to direct or manage the care or render a diagnosis of a patient who is located at an originating site in this State or write a treatment order or prescription for such a patient, the provider must hold a valid license or certificate to practice his or her profession in this State, including, without limitation, a special purpose license issued pursuant to NRS 630.261. The requirements of this subsection do not apply to a provider of health care who is providing services within the scope of his or her employment by or pursuant to a contract entered into with an urban Indian organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. § 1603.

A provider of health care may establish a relationship with a patient using telehealth when it is clinically appropriate to establish a relationship with a patient in that manner. The State Board of Health may adopt regulations governing the process by which a provider of health care may establish a relationship with a patient using telehealth.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statutes Sec. 629.515, (Accessed Mar. 2025).

A bona fide relationship between the patient and the person prescribing the controlled substance shall be deemed to exist if the patient was examined in person, electronically, telephonically or by fiber optics, including, without limitation, through telehealth, within or outside this State or the United States by the person prescribing the controlled substances within the 6 months immediately preceding the date the prescription was issued.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statutes Sec. 639.235(4). (Accessed Mar. 2025).

Before issuing an initial prescription for a controlled substance listed in schedule II, III or IV for the treatment of pain, a practitioner, other than a veterinarian, must:

• Have established a bona fide relationship, as described in subsection 4 of NRS 639.235, with the patient;
• Perform an evaluation and risk assessment of the patient that meets the requirements of subsection 1 of NRS 639.23912;
• Establish a preliminary diagnosis of the patient and a treatment plan tailored toward treating the pain of the patient and the cause of that pain;
• Document in the medical record of the patient the reasons for prescribing the controlled substance instead of an alternative treatment that does not require the use of a controlled substance; and
• Obtain informed consent to the use of the controlled substance.

If a practitioner, other than a veterinarian, prescribes a controlled substance listed in schedule II, III or IV for the treatment of pain, the practitioner shall not issue more than one additional prescription that increases the dose of the controlled substance unless the practitioner meets with the patient, in person or using telehealth, to reevaluate the treatment plan.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statutes Sec. 639.23911. (Accessed Mar. 2025).

Before prescribing a controlled substance listed in schedule II, III or IV to continue the treatment of pain of a patient who has used the controlled substance for 90 consecutive days or more, a practitioner, other than a veterinarian, must: …

• Meet with the patient, in person or using telehealth, to review the treatment plan established pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of NRS 639.23911 to determine whether continuation of treatment using the controlled substance is medically appropriate

SOURCE: NV Revised Statutes Sec. 639.23913. (Accessed Mar. 2025).

An advanced practice registered nurse may perform the acts described in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subsection 2 by using equipment that transfers information concerning the medical condition of a patient in this State electronically, telephonically or by fiber optics, including, without limitation, through telehealth, as defined in NRS 629.515, from within or outside this State or the United States.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statutes Sec. 632.237(4). (Accessed Mar. 2025).

Veterinarians

A veterinarian-client-patient relationship is not established solely through veterinary telemedicine. However, once established, a veterinarian-client-patient relationship may be maintained via veterinary telemedicine between:

• Medically necessary examinations; or
• Visits, within periods of time that are appropriate for the medical issue in question, to the premises where the animal is kept.

Advice and recommendations may be provided via veterinary telemedicine in an emergency, but only until the animal can be examined in person by a licensed veterinarian.  See statute for additional requirements related to a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statutes Sec. 638.1521(4), (Accessed Mar. 2025).

Dentistry

A licensee who provides dental services through teledentistry, including, without limitation, providing consultation and recommendations for treatment, issuing a prescription, diagnosing, correcting the position of teeth and using orthodontic appliances, shall provide such services in accordance with the same standards of care and professional conduct as when providing those services in person or by other means.

A licensee shall not:

• Provide treatment for any condition based solely on the results of an online questionnaire; or
• Engage in activity that is outside his or her scope of practice while providing services through teledentistry.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statute Ch. 631, (Accessed Mar. 2025).

A licensee may:

Use teledentistry to examine an existing patient for the purpose of providing a new diagnosis, or to examine a new patient if the examination is sufficient, in accordance with evidence-based standards of practice, to provide an informed diagnosis.

Collaborate in real time through teledentistry with a person who is not licensed pursuant to this chapter, including, without limitation, a community health worker, provider of health care or student who is enrolled in a program of study in dentistry, dental therapy or dental hygiene, to provide diagnostic services or plan treatment for a dental emergency.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statute Ch. 631, (Accessed Mar. 2025).

Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a licensee must establish a bona fide relationship, as defined by regulation of the Board, with a patient before providing services to the patient through teledentistry. A licensee may establish such a relationship through teledentistry only:

• For the purpose of emergent care;
• In connection with a public health program; or
• To make an initial diagnosis of a malposition of teeth and a determination of the need for an orthodontic appliance. Such an initial diagnosis and determination must be confirmed through an in-person visit before the patient begins using the orthodontic appliance.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statute Ch. 631, (Accessed Mar. 2025).

Optometry

Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, a licensee may engage in synchronous or asynchronous optometric telemedicine to provide health care services to a patient only if the licensee has completed a comprehensive examination on the patient within the immediately preceding 2 years.

A licensee may engage in synchronous optometric telemedicine to perform a non-comprehensive examination of a new patient if the licensee has access to all the information obtained from a comprehensive examination of the patient that was conducted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist within the immediately preceding 2 years.

A licensee may engage in asynchronous optometric telemedicine to conduct a consultation regarding a patient on whom the licensee has not completed a comprehensive examination within the immediately preceding 2 years if:

• An optometrist, ophthalmologist or primary care physician providing care to the patient requests that the licensee conduct the consultation and provides the licensee with all the information about the patient that is necessary to determine whether the patient requires a comprehensive examination; and
• The consultation performed by the licensee is limited to a determination of whether the patient requires a comprehensive examination and does not involve any diagnosis, recommendation for or treatment of the patient or a prescription for the patient.

A licensee may engage in remote patient monitoring of a patient on whom the licensee has completed a comprehensive examination within the immediately preceding 2 years for the purposes of:

• Acquiring data about the health of the patient;
• Assessing changes in previously diagnosed chronic health conditions;
• Confirming the stability of the health of the patient; or
• Confirming expected therapeutic results.

A licensee may engage in optometric telemedicine to provide health care services to a patient who is located at an originating site outside this State if the licensee has completed a comprehensive examination of the patient within the immediately preceding 2 years and such action is permitted by the laws of the state in which the patient is located.

A licensee shall not engage in optometric telemedicine to provide any health care service to the patient that the licensee has determined should be provided in person.

A licensee engaging in optometric telemedicine or remote patient monitoring shall not:

• Conduct himself or herself in a manner that violates the standard of care required of an optometrist who is treating a patient in person, including, without limitation, by issuing a prescription for ophthalmic lenses based solely upon one or more of the following:
  • Answers provided by a patient in an online questionnaire;
  • The application of lensometry; or
  • The application of auto-refraction; or
• Condition the provision of optometric telemedicine or remote patient monitoring on the patient consenting to receiving a standard of care below the previous bullet.

SOURCE: NV Revised Statute Ch. 636, (Accessed Mar. 2025).

A licensee who is engaging in optometric telemedicine or remote patient monitoring may not issue a prescription for ophthalmic lenses without first performing a manifest refraction.

SOURCE: NV Admin Code. Sec. 636, Sec. 5.1, (Accessed Mar. 2025).