Medical Assistants and Telephone Orders

U.S.A. Texas

Published

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!

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.

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.

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.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

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

+ Add a Comment