Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 5-37 - Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
Section 5-37-18.1. - Physicians required to authorize product selection.

§ 5-37-18.1. Physicians required to authorize product selection.
Every licensed Rhode Island physician, when prescribing any drug by brand name, shall in each prescription, oral, written, or electronic, authorize a less expensive generic-equivalent drug product by signing the prescription. If, in the professional judgment of the prescribing physician, the brand name is medically necessary, the physician shall indicate “brand name necessary” on the prescription form. Pursuant to § 42-127.1-7 and chapter 19.1 of this title, an electronic signature shall satisfy this requirement.
History of Section.P.L. 1976, ch. 237, § 2; P.L. 1981, ch. 88, § 2; P.L. 1995, ch. 88, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 47, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 405, § 1.

Structure Rhode Island General Laws

Rhode Island General Laws

Title 5 - Businesses and Professions

Chapter 5-37 - Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline

Section 5-37-1. - Definitions.

Section 5-37-1.1. - Board of medical licensure and discipline — Creation — Composition — Appointment, removal, and compensation of members — Officers — Meetings — Funds.

Section 5-37-1.2. - Examining committees.

Section 5-37-1.3. - Board of medical licensure and discipline — Powers and duties.

Section 5-37-1.4. - Director — Powers and duties.

Section 5-37-1.5. - Immunity.

Section 5-37-2. - License to practice — Qualifications of applicants — Fee — Reexamination.

Section 5-37-2.1. - Recertification — Continuing medical education.

Section 5-37-3. - Itinerants disqualified.

Section 5-37-4. - Refusal of licensure.

Section 5-37-5. - [Repealed.]

Section 5-37-5.1. - Unprofessional conduct.

Section 5-37-5.2. - Complaints.

Section 5-37-5.3. - Specification of charges.

Section 5-37-5.4. - Time and notice of hearing.

Section 5-37-6. - Subpoenas — Contempt.

Section 5-37-6.1. - Report of hearing.

Section 5-37-6.2. - Decision of the board.

Section 5-37-6.3. - Sanctions.

Section 5-37-7. - Appeal from the decision of the director.

Section 5-37-8. - Grounds for discipline without hearing.

Section 5-37-9. - Reports relating to professional conduct and capacity — Regulations — Confidentiality — Immunity.

Section 5-37-9.1. - Requirements relating to professional conduct.

Section 5-37-9.2. - Physician profiles — Public access to data.

Section 5-37-10. - Biannual registration, physicians — Annual registration, hospitals.

Section 5-37-11. - Inactive list.

Section 5-37-12. - Unauthorized practice of medicine.

Section 5-37-13. - [Repealed.]

Section 5-37-14. - Exceptions to licensure requirement — Immunity from liability.

Section 5-37-15. - Practice of religious beliefs.

Section 5-37-16. - Limited registrations.

Section 5-37-16.1. - Limited registration — Academic faculty.

Section 5-37-16.2. - Exceptions to licensure requirement.

Section 5-37-17. - Power to examine individuals.

Section 5-37-18. - Prescription slips.

Section 5-37-18.1. - Physicians required to authorize product selection.

Section 5-37-18.2. - Penalty for violating § 5-37-18 or § 5-37-18.1.

Section 5-37-19. - Blank prescriptions.

Section 5-37-20. - Acupuncture.

Section 5-37-21. - Fee splitting.

Section 5-37-22. - Disclosures.

Section 5-37-23. - Over-billing reward program.

Section 5-37-24. - [Repealed.]

Section 5-37-25. - Violations — Penalties.

Section 5-37-25.1. - Injunction of violations.

Section 5-37-26. - Medical forms.

Section 5-37-27. - Severability.

Section 5-37-28. - Communications of information among healthcare facilities.

Section 5-37-29. - Hospital responsibility to take action based upon adverse information received.

Section 5-37-30. - Closure of medical practice — Preservation of records.

Section 5-37-31. - Mammograms — Quality assurance standards.

Section 5-37-32. - Pap smears — Quality assurance standards.

Section 5-37-33. - Restrictive covenants.