by Shannon Firth: For More Info, Go Here…
Well-intended laws on remote prescribing stand in the way.
Psychiatrists urged lawmakers to support the expansion of telepsychiatry and to remove barriers to care for patients in remote and underserved areas, during a Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The panel’s core recommendations included eliminating what are known as “originating geographic site requirements” and relaxing restrictions on in-home telehealth visits. Panelists also highlighted difficulties related to remote prescribing and obtaining licensure in other states.
“A sick person is a sick person and we should be able to take care of them where they live,” said panel member Robert Caudill, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
