02/17/2022
Medical Board Recap: Comments on Proposed Rules Due March 1st
Medical Board Seeks Comments on the Following Proposed Rules:
Telemedicine
At the board’s meeting on February 9, the board approved an initial draft of the telehealth rules that were drafted to support the recently passed telemedicine legislation, Ohio Senate Bill 122. The OSMA is working with a group of physicians with expertise in telehealth to assist in the review of the draft rules and provide the medical board with valuable feedback.
Comments regarding the initial rule drafts are due on March 1, 2022.
Although Ohio’s new telehealth law goes into effect in March 2022, the new rules will not be in place by that time. The board has suspended its existing telehealth provisions until the board’s new rules are finalized.
Prescribing Controlled Substances for Weight Loss
At the board’s February 9 meeting, the board approved an initial draft of a rule that would allow for the prescribing of weight loss medication beyond 12 weeks with provisions that would prevent overprescribing, abuse, and diversion of the medication. Rule 4731-11-04 is proposed to be rescinded and replaced with a new rule which eliminates the 12 week prescribing limit and the requirement to strictly follow the FDA labeling, combines the short term and chronic weight management rules, allows for physician assistant prescribing, allows for flexibility for telehealth visits, includes information regarding limits for personally furnishing controlled substances, and adds interim requirements when the prescribing extends past 3 months.
OSMA has been working with a group of national and local obesity medicine experts on this issue for several years. The physicians have been especially concerned with the strict FDA labeling requirements that prevent prescribing after 12 weeks. According to information provided by the physicians, the 12-week limitation no longer meets the standard of care for the treatment of obesity.
Comments regarding the initial draft of the board’s weight loss prescribing rule are due on March 1, 2022.