Is an exam required before a patient can be treated, state by state
The same question, answered for 6states from each state’s own law. States disagree on this, which is the point — an answer that is right in one is wrong next door. Every entry below is a statute or board rule we verified, most recently Aug 17, 2026.
Intake · part of The Practice Perimeter
Arizona
Arizona has no statute that names a “good-faith exam”; the requirement derives from the standard of care and prescribing law.
A.R.S. §32-1401(27) · verified Jul 26, 2026
The full Arizona answer, with the rest of the section →California
California requires an appropriate good-faith exam before prescriptive drugs or devices are used — and it may not be delegated to an RN.
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §2242(a) · verified Jul 26, 2026
The full California answer, with the rest of the section →Florida
Florida has no statute literally titled “good-faith exam.” The requirement is built from prescribing-practice and standard-of-care law.
Fla. Stat. §458.331(1)(q) · verified Jul 26, 2026
The full Florida answer, with the rest of the section →Indiana
Botox and fillers are legend (prescription) drugs, so a valid prescriber and a lawful prescribing relationship are required.
Ind. Code §25-1-9.5-7, §25-1-9.5-8 · verified Jul 26, 2026
The full Indiana answer, with the rest of the section →New York
New York has no statute that names a “good-faith exam,” and no misconduct subdivision covering prescribing without an examination as such. The requirement is built from the practice-of-medicine definition and the standard-of-care grounds for discipline.
N.Y. Educ. Law §6521 · verified Aug 17, 2026
The full New York answer, with the rest of the section →Texas
Texas does not use the phrase “good-faith exam.” The operative requirement is establishing a practitioner-patient relationship before the delegated act.
22 TAC §169.26 · verified Jul 26, 2026
The full Texas answer, with the rest of the section →Which states this covers
6 of the 6 states for which we publish statute-cited rules. That is not every state, and nothing above should be read as describing one that is not listed — the answer genuinely differs, so a neighbouring state is not a guide. We monitor all 50 state legislatures plus the FDA and the Federal Register daily; the cited rule set is narrower than the monitoring and is growing on its own timetable.
What we track in every state →Get regulatory changes as they publish
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Med Spa Radar is regulatory monitoring and reference, not legal, medical, or compliance advice. Verify against the linked primary source and consult qualified counsel before acting — rules change and turn on your specific facts. Legislative data via LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).