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Georgia Executive Orders Impacting Physicians and Health Care Providers
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp issued the following executive orders addressing physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers in Georgia:
Executive Order – Reducing Regulations to Assist Georgia’s Response to the Spread of COVID-19
On March 20, 2020, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an Executive Order to reduce certain restrictions on Georgia’s health care system in an effort to aid the state’s fight against COVID-19. The Executive Order:
- Ordered the Georgia Composite Medical Board to adopt emergency rules for telemedicine licenses;
- Authorized Georgia pharmacists to dispense 90-day supplies of prescription drugs and early refills on prescriptions (excluding Schedule II controlled substances); and
- Authorized the Georgia Board of Pharmacy to grant temporary licenses to pharmacists.
Executive Order – Expanding Temporary Licensing of Certain Medical Professions to Assist Georgia’s Response to the Spread of COVID-19
Gov. Brian Kemp issued an Executive Order on March 23, 2020, that negates certain licensing requirements for the practice of medicine and nursing in Georgia. The Executive Order allows:
- Holders of an inactive or lapsed license for the practice of medicine, surgery, osteopathic medicine, or osteopathic surgery to practice during the duration of the public health emergency related to COVID-19, so long as the license lapsed or expired within the past five years, is not subject to pending investigation, and does not carry a history of adverse administrative action; and
- Graduate registered nurses and graduate practical nurses who have yet to take their licensing exam to practice under a temporary license issued by the Georgia Board of nursing, so long as they work under a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.
Like Georgia, state governments nationwide are evaluating their health care regulations and reducing restrictions on health care providers as the public health crisis unfolds. We will keep track of updates in Georgia and alert you if there are any further changes. You can find our updates on Tennessee’s executive orders impacting health care providers at the following links:
- Gov. Bill Lee Enacts Significant Measures for Tennessee Providers to Combat COVID-19 Crisis
- Gov. Bill Lee Issues New Executive Order to Limit Non-Emergency Health Care Procedures
- New Executive Order Further Relaxes Licensing and Practice Requirements in Tennessee
Visit our COVID-19 Insight Center for our latest legislative and legal updates, articles, and resources.
The material in this publication was created as of the date set forth above and is based on laws, court decisions, administrative rulings, and congressional materials that existed at that time, and should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinions on specific facts. In some cases, the underlying legal information is changing quickly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The information in this publication is not intended to create, and the transmission and receipt of it does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship. Please contact your legal counsel for advice regarding specific situations.
