MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CA -- Effective Oct. 1, all service members under the command of Marine Corps Installations - West are required to notify their locally assigned naval medical personnel within five working days of receiving any medical treatment, consultation or prescription medications outside of the military health system, according to regional order 6000.1.

Per the order, with the increasing accessibility of off-base medical treatment and prescription medications, commanders have an increasingly difficult task of ensuring the quality and continuity of medical treatment for Marines and sailors. Naval medical personnel may be unaware of treatment a Marine or sailor has received from civilian health care providers outside the military health system. This may lead to conflicting or duplicate prescriptions or treatments that endanger the health and safety of Marines and sailors. Therefore commanders are unable to accurately determine a member's fitness to perform a particular mission, assignment, order, or duty thereby potentially endangering that individual or others.

The order is applicable to all commands, organizations, units, and activities under the command of MCI-West.

Electronic versions of the MCI-West directives can be found at: https://c27ipacpndl03w/intranet.manpower.usmc.mil/ipac/manpower/Adj/default.aspx.