Last updated 03/25/2024
Consent Requirements
No reference found.
Last updated 03/25/2024
Cross-State Licensing
For Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery
The Board of Medical Examiners may establish regulations for telemedicine licensure as follows:
The Board of Medical Examiners shall issue a telemedicine license to authorize certain physicians, who hold a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in another state or territory of the United States, to provide telemedicine services in the Virgin Islands. Telemedicine licenses shall be without private practice rights and without subversion of reciprocity. Any healthcare professional licensed in the Virgin Islands may practice telemedicine without restriction.
The Board of Medical Examiners shall establish by rules and regulations the requirements for telemedicine licensure in accordance with this subchapter, provided that the rules and regulations include the following:
- A physician holding only a telemedicine license under this subchapter shall not open an office in the Virgin Islands, shall not meet with patients in the Virgin Islands, and shall not receive calls from patients in the Virgin Islands.
Source: V.I. Code Title 27, § 45d (2019). (Accessed Mar. 2024).
The Virgin Islands Board of Medical Examiners shall regulate the practice of telemedicine in the Territory in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter and the following:
- No person shall practice or attempt to practice medicine at a distant site between the Virgin Islands and a foreign jurisdiction.
- No person shall practice or attempt to practice medicine at a distant site between the Virgin Islands and another United States jurisdiction without first complying with the provisions of this subchapter and without being a holder, of a Virgin Islands medical license.
- Telemedicine services in the Territory shall operate in accordance with current accepted core standards for telemedicine
SOURCE: V.I. Code Title 27, § 45c (2019). (Accessed Mar. 2024).
Last updated 03/25/2024
Definitions
For Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery
Telemedicine means the use of medical information exchanged from one distant site to another via electronic communications to improve, maintain, or assist patients’ health status. Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, and e-health including patient centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth.
Telemedicine services means specialist referral services, patient consultations, remote patient monitoring, medical education, and consumer medical and health information, that are performed as part of a telemedicine procedure.
Telemedicine services agreement” means a cooperative agreement within the Territory or between a hospital or licensed physician in the Territory and one outside the Territory for improved health care delivery, including but not limited to tele-stroke/neurology and tele-radiology, in order to decrease patient and physician travel and enhance inter-facility cooperation.
Source: V.I. Code Title 27, § 45a (2019). (Accessed Mar 2024).
Last updated 03/25/2024
Licensure Compacts
Member of Nurse Licensure Compact.
SOURCE: Nurse Licensure Compact (awaiting implementation). (Accessed Mar. 2024).
* See Compact websites for implementation and license issuing status and other related requirements.
Last updated 03/25/2024
Miscellaneous
For Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and Nurse-Midwifery
The Board of Medical Examiners may establish regulations for telemedicine licensure as follows:
- The Board of Medical Examiners shall issue a telemedicine license to authorize certain physicians, who hold a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in another state or territory of the United States, to provide telemedicine services in the Virgin Islands.
- Telemedicine licenses shall be without private practice rights and without subversion of reciprocity. Any healthcare professional licensed in the Virgin Islands may practice telemedicine without restriction.
- The Board of Medical Examiners shall establish by rules and regulations the requirements for telemedicine licensure in accordance with this subchapter, provided that the rules and regulations include the following:
- A physician holding only a telemedicine license under this subchapter shall not open an office in the Virgin Islands, shall not meet with patients in the Virgin Islands, and shall not receive calls from patients in the Virgin Islands.
- The physician, when examining a patient by telemedicine, shall establish a bona fide physician-patient relationship by:
-
-
- Establishing a relationship and coordinating with the patient’s Virgin Islands-licensed healthcare professional.
- Establishing a diagnosis through the use of accepted medical practices including, but not limited to, patient history, mental status and appropriate diagnostic and laboratory testing.
- Discussing with the patient any diagnosis as well as the risks and benefits of various treatment options.
- Ensuring the availability for appropriate follow-up care.
- Fulfilling any other requirements as deemed appropriate and necessary by the Board of Medical Examiners.
- Any physician licensed to practice telemedicine in accordance with this subchapter, shall be subject to the provisions of this subchapter, the jurisdiction of the Board of Medical Examiners, applicable Virgin Islands law, and the jurisdiction of the courts of the Virgin Islands with respect to providing medical services to Virgin Islands residents.
- The Department of Health and the Territory’s hospitals and medical centers and Virgin Islands-licensed health care professionals are authorized to bill third-party payers for consultations and follow-up care provided by licensed providers of telemedicine services.
SOURCE: V.I. Code Title 27, § 45d (2019). (Accessed Mar. 2024).
Last updated 03/25/2024
Online Prescribing
The Board of Medical Examiners shall establish by rules and regulations the requirements for telemedicine licensure in accordance with this subchapter, provided that the rules and regulations include the following: …
The physician, when examining a patient by telemedicine, shall establish a bona fide physician-patient relationship by:
- Establishing a relationship and coordinating with the patient’s Virgin Islands-licensed healthcare professional.
- Establishing a diagnosis through the use of accepted medical practices including, but not limited to, patient history, mental status and appropriate diagnostic and laboratory testing.
- Discussing with the patient any diagnosis as well as the risks and benefits of various treatment options.
- Ensuring the availability for appropriate follow-up care.
- Fulfilling any other requirements as deemed appropriate and necessary by the Board of Medical Examiners.
SOURCE: 27 V.I. Code Section 45d(c)(2). (Accessed Mar. 2024).
Last updated 03/25/2024
Professional Boards Standards
No reference found.
