§ 68-11-313 — Authentication of verbal orders

(a) (1) A hospital licensed pursuant to this chapter shall require that all verbal orders be authenticated by a physician or authorized individual who has the authority to issue verbal orders in accordance with hospital policies or medical staff bylaws. (2) The policies or bylaws shall require that: authentication of a verbal order occurs within forty-eight (48) hours after the time the order is made unless a read-back and verify process pursuant to subdivision (a)(3) is used. The individual receiving a verbal order shall record the date and time of the verbal order, and sign the verbal order in accordance with hospital policies or medical staff bylaws. (3) A hospital policy may provide for a read-back and verify process for verbal orders. A read-back and verify process shall require that the individual receiving the order immediately read back the order to the physician or authorized individual, who shall immediately verify that the read-back order is correct. The individual receiving the verbal order shall record that the order was read back and verified. If the read-back and verify process is followed, the verbal order shall be authenticated no later than fourteen (14) days after the date of the verbal order. (b) Nothing in this subsection (b) shall be interpreted to encourage the more frequent use of verbal orders by the medical staff of a hospital. (c) Hospital policies or medical staff bylaws may establish a variety of modalities for communicating verbal orders and a read-back and verify process including, but not limited to, oral or electronic means so long as subdivisions (a)(2) and (3) are met. (d) For the purposes of this section, telephone orders are considered verbal orders.

Legislative History

Acts 2011, ch. 258, § 1.