Legal Status of EPT in Maryland

Certain health care providers are authorized to dispense or otherwise provide certain antibiotic therapy to partners of patients diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea without making a personal physical assessment of the partner.  Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. §18-214.1. 

Maryland released rules in support of its statutory authorization of EPT, which includes eligibility criteria for EPT, requirements for patient counseling and educational materials to be provided to patients who are provided with EPT treatment, prescribing procedures and dispensing format requirements, and reporting procedures for cases of EPT. Md. Code Regs. 10.06.01.17-1

A physician who prescribes naloxone—a non-controlled substance—to a patient to give to another heroin user in the event of an overdose would be subject to criminal prosecution and disciplinary action for aiding unauthorized practice of medicine and for violating applicable laws without statutory authority to do so. 88 Op. Att’y Gen. Md. 03-009 (2003).

No single State law specifies the contents of a valid prescription. However, the necessary elements of a prescription may be inferred from statutes that govern the dispensing and labeling of prescription drugs. Generally, a prescription will include the identity of the patient…. See Md. Code Ann., Health Occ. § 12-504 (circumstances under which pharmacist may substitute generically equivalent drug of “same dosage form and strength” for specified brand name drug); Md. Code Ann., Health-Gen. § 21-221(a) (“if stated in the prescription,” a dispensed drug must be labeled with the name of the patient, any directions for use, and any cautionary statements); 01 Op. Att’y Gen. Md. 01-026 (2001).

The Maryland Board of Physician Quality Assurance expressed concern about internet prescribing. It questioned the existence of a bona fide doctor/patient relationship when a person, previously unknown to the physician, provides subjective answers to questions via an online questionnaire and the physician provides prescriptions medications.

The Maryland Board of Physicians suspended the license of a physician pursuant to a Consent Order of the North Carolina Board sanctioning the physician for authorizing prescriptions without a physical examination and without any prior physician-patient relationship.
 

The secretary or health officer shall take any action necessary to prevent the spread of a communicable disease and shall issue special instructions, when necessary, for the control of a disease or condition. Md. Code Regs. § 10.06.01.06.

Regulations incorporate by reference: APHA CCD Manual, 19th Edition, 2008, except where such recommendations conflict with health regulations. Md. Code Regs. §§ 10.06.01.01-1, 10.06.01.07, 10.06.01.07.

EPT is permissible.
 

Statutory authority expressly authorizes certain providers to provide EPT for chlamydia and gonorrhea.  The Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene adopted regulations to implement EPT.