Remote prescribing via telephone, fax, video-link or online

Before you prescribe for a patient via telephone, fax, video-link or online, you must satisfy yourself that you can make an adequate assessment, establish a dialogue and obtain the patient’s consent following our guidance in Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together.

You may prescribe only when you have adequate knowledge of the patient’s health, and are satisfied that the medicines serve the patient’s needs. You must consider:

1. a. the ways in which your communication with the patient may be restricted by the use of telephone or other technology
2. b. the need for physical examination or other assessments
3. c. whether you have access to the patient’s medical records.

You must undertake a physical examination of patients before prescribing non-surgical cosmetic medicinal products such as Botox, Dysport or Vistabel or other injectable cosmetic medicines. You must not therefore prescribe these medicines by telephone, fax, video-link, or online.

The guidance came into effect on 23 July 2012