Physician or “a health care provider” referral requirements:

Several states licensure statutes describe that a physician or a health care provider authorized to prescribe dietary treatments initiate a referral for nutrition services. It will be noted, therefore, that the referral of a qualified health care provider, such as a physician, is apparently an essential antecedent to the RD’s ability to practice dietetics or nutritional services of any kind. The statutes of some other states also contain references to a physician’s participation or supervision in the nutrition care process, but they are not nearly as restrictive as Alabama and California.

California State Regulation:

“[A] registered dietitian or other nutritional professional meeting the qualifications [of this statute] may, upon referral by a health care provider authorized to prescribe dietary treatments, provide nutritional and dietary counseling, conduct nutritional and dietary assessments and develop nutritional and dietary treatments, including therapeutic diets, for individuals or groups of patients in licensed institutional facilities or in private office settings.” Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code, § 2586.