Getting care
A prescription follows a care decision.
The order has a person behind it
For a prescription medicine, federal law requires a licensed practitioner’s prescription before dispensing, as recorded in September 2026. The federal prescription requirement
Ask who will make the care decision. Write down that person’s name rather than only the name of the website or building.
Choosing from a menu cannot replace a care decision
A menu choice made by a patient cannot, by itself, support prescribing, says guidance adopted by the medical boards’ federation in May 2026. Medical boards’ prescribing guidance
Doctors’ licensing and discipline are handled by state bodies; the Federation of State Medical Boards is their national group.
Its advice helps those bodies consider care standards; it does not create Florida law.
A medical assessment means finding out about your health before deciding on care. Ask whether the decision needs a conversation, your medical records, tests or an examination.
Its advice also calls for a way for you to ask your own questions and get answers from the clinician after the first discussion. The guidance on asking questions
Make room for another answer
Ask what the clinician would consider if the proposed treatment did not fit. Leave space in your notes for a different plan, more information or a decision to wait.
- What have you learned about my health that supports this plan?
- What information is still missing?
- What would change the decision?