Legal Status of EPT in Pennsylvania

EPT is permissible.

This is a table caption for compliance. Please ignore it.
I. Statutes/regs on health care providers’ authority to prescribe for STDs to a patient’s partner(s) w/out prior evaluation (Explanation)	A prescription means a written or oral order issued by a duly licensed medical practitioner in the course of his professional practice …which is dispensed for use by a consumer.” 63 Penn. Stat. § 390-2(8); see also 49 Pa. Code. § 27.1 “Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation, a health care practitioner may issue a prescription for or personally furnish antibiotics to treat sexually transmitted infections, without having examined the individual for whom the drug is intended, in accordance with the Expedited Partner Therapy in the Management of Sexually Transmitted Diseases guidance document issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…” 35 Penn. Stat. § 603.
II. Specific judicial decisions concerning EPT (or like practices) (Explanation)
III. Specific administrative opinions by the Attorney General or medical or pharmacy boards concerning EPT (or like practices) (Explanation)
IV. Laws that incorporate via reference guidelines as acceptable practices (including EPT) (Explanation)
V. Prescription requirements (Explanation)	Pharmacist dispensing means “preparation of a prescription or non-prescription drug…for subsequent administration to or use by a patient or other individual entitled to receive the drug.” 63 Penn. Stat. § 390-2(2.1). “Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation, a pharmacist may: (1) Dispense a drug pursuant to a prescription [for EPT,] (2) Label a drug dispensed pursuant to the prescription without the name of the individual for whom the drug is intended if the prescription contains the words “expedited partner therapy” or the letters ‘EPT.’” 35 Penn. Stat. § 604.
VI. Assessment of EPT’s legal status with brief comments (Explanation)	EPT is permissible.Statutory authority expressly authorizes certain providers to provide EPT in accordance with CDC recommendations.
Status as of February 1, 2023

Legend

supports the use of EPT

negatively affects the use of EPT

EPT is permissible

EPT is potentially allowable

EPT is prohibited

This is a table caption for compliance. Ignore it please.
EPT is permissible in 46 states:	EPT is potentially allowable in 4 states:	EPT is prohibited in 0 states:
Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming EPT is permissible in the District of Columbia. EPT is permissible in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.	Alabama Kansas Oklahoma South Dakota EPT is potentially allowable in Puerto Rico and Guam.

Summary Totals

The information presented here is not legal advice, nor is it a comprehensive analysis of all the legal provisions that could implicate the legality of EPT in a given jurisdiction. The data and assessment are intended to be used as a tool to assist state and local health departments as they determine locally appropriate ways to control STDs.

For comments, feedback and updates, please contact CDC-INFO: https://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/.