Q&A With Gerald Smetana, MD, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Separating Prescribing for Primary and Specialty Care

When a patient goes to see their primary care physician they often do so with the hopes of getting the care they need with their doctor. Whether they need to be seen by a specialist is often a more subjective decision by their healthcare provider.

Gerald Smetana, MD, from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center discussed how doctors can decide when they should be the prescriber and when to send their patients for more specialized care during the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine meeting in Boston. Smetana said short of drugs like biologicals primary care physicians can become "competent and comfortable," prescribing in primary care practice.