Medical Assistants and Telephone Orders

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

My wife and I are having a discussion about medical assistants and telephone orders in Texas, and we can both speak to common practice, what we learned in school, but we're not finding any state-law type references online as to what the actual law is currently as of March 2015.

Can anyone enlighten?

Can a medical assistant take a telephone order from a provider in Texas?

Can a medical assistant give (on behalf of a provider) a telephone order in Texas?

Thanks for any thoughts!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Only healthcare providers (MDs, DOs, DMDs, DDS, doctors of podiatry, etc) and midlevels (NPs, CNS, CNMs, etc) are legally allowed to give telephone orders.

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

That's certainly what I was taught in school. I'm looking for an actual law that states it, though. Not necessarily about who can create/initiate/order the order, but about who can actually give it over the phone.

For example, it seems to be common practice for UMA to "call in" prescriptions from a Dr's office. They're really giving a telephone order to the pharmacy. Is that legal, or?

Could the MA take a telephone order for a medication from a provider?

It's easy to find laws on approximately (the NPA is a bit fuzzy and doesn't take a hard stance on much) what nurses can do. I haven't found anything in Texas that covers MA's though, even as prevalent as they are in clinics and some other places.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I know that it is usually considered that they are relaying the doctors order, but I do not have info on laws or statutes.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Here is the Texas Medical Board website - very searchable content. You can probably find your answers there.

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