2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 25 - Public Health and Environment
Hospitals
Article 3 - Hospitals
Part 1 - Hospitals
§ 25-3-111. Authentication of verbal orders - hospital policies or bylaws

(1) A hospital licensed pursuant to part 3 of this article shall require that all verbal orders be authenticated by a physician or responsible individual who has the authority to issue verbal orders in accordance with hospital and medical staff policies or bylaws. The policies or bylaws shall require that:

(a) Authentication of a verbal order occurs within forty-eight hours after the time the order is made unless a read-back and verify process pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection (1) is used. The individual receiving a verbal order shall record in writing the date and time of the verbal order, and sign the verbal order in accordance with hospital policies or medical staff bylaws.

(b) A hospital policy may provide for a read-back and verify process for verbal orders. A read-back and verify process shall require that the individual receiving the order immediately read back the order to the physician or responsible individual, who shall immediately verify that the read-back order is correct. The individual receiving the verbal order shall record in writing that the order was read back and verified. If the read-back and verify process is followed, the verbal order shall be authenticated within thirty days after the date of the patient's discharge.

(2) Verbal orders shall be used infrequently. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to encourage the more frequent use of verbal orders by the medical staff at a hospital.