Is a dental hygienist allowed to prescribe medications in Louisiana?

• A. Yes, in all cases
• B. Yes, with supervising dentist approval
• C. Generally no; prescribing is outside dental hygiene scope and reserved for licensed prescribers
• D. Only analgesics for pain

Answer: (C)

Prescribing medications is reserved for licensed prescribers, and dental hygienists do not have independent prescriptive authority in Louisiana. Hygienists provide preventive and therapeutic care within their defined scope under supervision, but they cannot write prescriptions. Even with a supervising dentist’s approval, that approval does not grant prescriptive rights to the hygienist; the dentist or another licensed prescriber must issue any medication. If a medication is needed, it should come from a licensed prescriber, not from the hygienist. The other options would either imply blanket authority, allow authority only with dentist approval, or limit it to analgesics, none of which align with Louisiana’s scope of practice for dental hygiene.