What happens before anyone writes a prescription?

Can the first visit be online?

Telehealth is a visit at a distance, using a screen, phone or other permitted remote method.

Arizona does not make a face-to-face visit the starting point for all prescriptions, as of October 3, 2026.

As of October 3, 2026, the health professional must decide whether a remote visit can assess your health well enough. Some medicines have extra prescribing rules.

An assessment looks at the state of your health. Ask whether your symptoms and health history can be checked in this visit. Ask whether you need a hands-on exam or a test before a medicine can be prescribed.

What does agreeing to the visit mean?

Informed consent means hearing what a visit involves and agreeing to it.

It is reasonable to ask how the visit will work and where your notes will go. Ask how to reach the person who is reviewing your care.

What information can I bring?

Write down what is bothering you and what you hope could change. Bring the names of medicines and supplements you use, and any test results you want to discuss. There is no need to arrive with a chosen product.

Useful questions are direct. What problem are we treating? What other choices are there? What would make us stop or change the plan?

Will I need tests or a hands-on exam?

Medical boards are the public bodies that license and oversee doctors.

This advice guides the boards that oversee doctors; it is not a law on its own.

Ask which test would answer which question, and who will explain the result.

Can I ask questions after a form?

A clinician is the health professional checking your health. Before paying, ask how to speak with that person and who handles later questions. Ask for the next step in words you can repeat back.