Applying the knowledge gained through doctoral degree will be very crucial in shaping up successful physical therapists. Knowledge combined with clinical skills will make every physical therapist deserve to earn the respect and right to work as any other healthcare clinician with full rights on writing orders for diagnostic and over the counter medicines. Apart from regulatory support, physical therapy practice needs support from all healthcare insurance providers without which the profession will not flourish. For example, physical therapists in Maryland are legally allowed to write orders for diagnostic imaging tests. But when it comes to Medicare patients of state of
Maryland, the physical therapists need to follow almost the same guidelines as in other states with restricted access. Private insurance companies are not different from this. Even for suggesting cryotherapy, physical therapist need to get orders approved from the primary physician, though the physical therapist may have a doctoral degree. In general, orders for laboratory tests and procedures are still difficult to get approved