Section 4730.411. Prescription of schedule II controlled substance by physician assistant

(A) Except as provided in division (B) or (C) of this section, a physician assistant may prescribe to a patient a schedule II controlled substance only if all of the following are the case:

(1) The patient is in a terminal condition, as defined in section 2133.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) The physician assistant's supervising physician initially prescribed the substance for the patient.

(3) The prescription is for an amount that does not exceed the amount necessary for the patient's use in a single, twenty-four-hour period.

(B) The restrictions on prescriptive authority in division (A) of this section do not apply if a physician assistant issues the prescription to the patient from any of the following locations:

(1) A hospital registered under section 3701.07 of the Revised Code;

(2) An entity owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by a hospital or by an entity that owns or controls, in whole or in part, one or more hospitals;

(3) A health care facility operated by the department of mental health and addiction services or the department of developmental disabilities;

(4) A nursing home licensed under section 3721.02 of the Revised Code or by a political subdivision certified under section 3721.09 of the Revised Code;

(5) A county home or district home operated under Chapter 5155. of the Revised Code that is certified under the medicare or medicaid program;

(6) A hospice care program, as defined in section 3712.01 of the Revised Code;

(7) A community mental health services provider, as defined in section 5122.01 of the Revised Code;

(8) An ambulatory surgical facility, as defined in section 3702.30 of the Revised Code;

(9) A freestanding birthing center, as defined in section 3702.141 of the Revised Code;

(10) A federally qualified health center, as defined in section 3701.047 of the Revised Code;

(11) A federally qualified health center look-alike, as defined in section 3701.047 of the Revised Code;

(12) A health care office or facility operated by the board of health of a city or general health district or the authority having the duties of a board of health under section 3709.05 of the Revised Code;

(13) A site where a medical practice is operated, but only if the practice is comprised of one or more physicians who also are owners of the practice; the practice is organized to provide direct patient care; and the physician assistant has entered into a supervisory agreement with at least one of the physician owners who practices primarily at that site.

(C) A physician assistant shall not issue to a patient a prescription for a schedule II controlled substance from a convenience care clinic even if the convenience care clinic is owned or operated by an entity specified in division (B) of this section.

(D) A pharmacist who acts in good faith reliance on a prescription issued by a physician assistant under division (B) of this section is not liable for or subject to any of the following for relying on the prescription: damages in any civil action, prosecution in any criminal proceeding, or professional disciplinary action by the state board of pharmacy under Chapter 4729. of the Revised Code.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.161, HB 284, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.