(a) A person licensed by the department is designated as a health care provider of nutrition services.     
      (b) A licensed dietitian, acting within the scope of the dietitian's license and consistent with medical direction or authorization as provided in this section, may accept, transcribe into a patient's medical record or transmit verbal or electronically-transmitted orders, including medication orders, from a physician to other authorized health care professionals relating to the implementation or provision of medical nutrition therapy and related medical protocols for an individual patient or group of patients.      
        (1) In a licensed health facility, the medical direction or authorization shall be provided, as appropriate, through a physician's order, or a standing medical order, or standing delegation order, or medical protocol issued in accordance with Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 157, Subchapter A, and rules adopted by the Texas Medical Board implementing the subchapter.       
        (2) In a private practice setting, the medical direction or authorization shall be provided, as appropriate, through the physician's order, standing medical order, or standing delegation order of a referring physician, in accordance with Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 157, Subchapter A, and rules adopted by the Texas Medical Board implementing the subchapter.       
      (c) A licensed dietitian, acting within the scope of the dietitian's license and consistent with medical direction or authorization as provided in this section, may order medical laboratory tests relating to the implementation or provision of medical nutrition therapy and related medical protocols for individual patients or groups of patients.      
        (1) In a licensed health facility, the medical direction or authorization shall be provided, as appropriate, through a physician's order, or a standing medical order, or standing delegation order, or medical protocol, issued in accordance with Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 157, Subchapter A, and rules adopted by the Texas Medical Board implementing the subchapter.       
        (2) In a private practice setting, the medical direction or authorization shall be provided through the physician's order, standing medical order, or a standing delegation order of the referring physician, in accordance with Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 157, Subchapter A, and rules adopted by the Texas Medical Board implementing the subchapter.       
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §116.141 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 4481; amended to be effective August 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 5185