AB 125

This bill allows a pharmacist to extend a prescription drug order under certain

circumstances where authorization for a refill cannot be obtained and dispense a

limited supply of the drug for the patient, subject to certain limitations.

Under current law, no prescription may be refilled unless certain requirements

that apply to prescription orders are satisfied and written, oral, or electronic

authorization has been given by the prescribing practitioner.

Under this bill, in the event a pharmacist receives a request for a prescription

to be refilled and the prescription cannot otherwise be refilled as provided under law,

the pharmacist may extend the existing prescription order and dispense (provide)

the drug to the patient if 1) the pharmacist has been unsuccessful in attempting to

procure a new prescription order or refill authorization from the prescribing

practitioner after attempting to contact the prescribing practitioner or his or her

office; 2) the patient is on a consistent drug therapy program and has previously

refilled the prescription at that pharmacy or through another pharmacy in the same

pharmacy chain; 3) the drug is essential to the life of the patient, or the interruption

of the drug therapy could result in undesirable consequences for the patient's health;

and 4) the pharmacist has not received and is not otherwise aware of instructions

from the prescribing practitioner prohibiting further dispensing pursuant to or

extension of the prescription order.

Under the bill, however, the following limitations apply: 1) a prescribing

practitioner may indicate in a prescription order “no extensions,” in which case the

pharmacist would be prohibited from extending the prescription order as provided

in the bill; 2) the authority may not be used by a pharmacist to dispense more than

a seven-day supply of the prescribed drug or the minimum amount necessary to

dispense at least a seven-day supply of the drug, whichever is less; 3) a pharmacist

may not extend a prescription order for a controlled substance; 4) a pharmacist may

not extend a prescription order for a particular patient if a prescription order was

previously extended for that patient in the previous one-year period for that drug;

and 5) the pharmacist, after extending a prescription order and dispensing the drug

to the patient, must notify the prescribing practitioner or his or her office.