Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Medicine intends to consider amending 18VAC85-21, Regulations Governing Prescribing of Opioids and Buprenorphine. The purpose of the proposed action is to add a section regarding electronic prescribing. Consistent with the Code of Virginia, beginning July 1, 2020, a prescription for a controlled substance that contains an opioid is required to be issued as an electronic prescription. The proposed regulation also provides a one-time waiver of this requirement for a maximum of one year if a practitioner can demonstrate economic hardship, technological limitations, or other exceptional circumstances beyond the practitioner's control.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-2928.2 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: October 30, 2019.

Agency Contact: William L. Harp, M.D., Executive Director, Board of Medicine, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4558, FAX (804) 527-4429, or email william.harp@dhp.virginia.gov.