CHAPTER / ONLINE
Online care still needs a real clinician
The screen can change where the conversation happens. It does not erase the licence, assessment, or follow-up.
REAL VISIT
A named clinician can review your history, ask more questions, explain the plan, and arrange follow-up.
ORDER FLOW
A fixed form moves straight from a product choice to payment.
Convenience is not the same thing as a clinical relationship.
The least Virginia law requires
As of September 2026, a Virginia prescription requires a real prescriber-patient relationship that includes history, benefits and risks, an appropriate examination, and follow-up when needed.
As of September 2026, an online visit, by live video or by sending in your information for review, can form that relationship only when all of these are true: your medical history is available and updated, the prescriber makes a diagnosis and holds a Virginia licence, and the care meets the same standard as an in-person visit.
What does not pass
As of September 2026, Virginia’s medical board says treatment based only on an online questionnaire is not acceptable care.
The board also expects the clinician and patient to know who and where the other person is.
Before the visit
- Confirm the clinician’s full name and Virginia licence.
- Confirm how to ask a follow-up question after the visit.
- Confirm the pharmacy before agreeing to a prescription.
- Keep a copy of the plan and any written medicine information.
ENDNOTES / THIS CHAPTER