1. (a) A pharmacist or pharmacist intern may dispense an equivalent drug product or interchangeable biological product instead of the prescribed drug if

   1. (1) the prescribing practitioner does not indicate on the prescription drug order that a specific brand must be dispensed, using language such as "brand medically necessary", "dispense as written", "do not substitute", or other similar wording indicating that the practitioner does not want it substituted;
   2. (2) the patient is notified and consents to the substitution;
   3. (3) repealed 10/31/2019; and

   4. (4) for the drug product actually dispensed, the pharmacy record contains one of the following:

      1. (A) the drug product's manufacturer or distributor;
      2. (B) national drug code number;
      3. (C) short name code; or
      4. (D) trade name.
2. (b) The determination of the drug product to be dispensed for a prescription drug order is a professional responsibility of the pharmacist. A pharmacist may not dispense any product that in the pharmacist's professional opinion is not an equivalent drug product as the term "equivalent drug product" or "interchangeable biological product" is defined in AS 08.80.480.
3. (c) Nothing in this section prohibits a patient from requesting the original trade product instead of the substituted product if there is nothing on the prescription drug order from the prescribing practitioner that indicates that the practitioner wants only the substituted product dispensed.

(Eff. 1/16/98, Register 145; am 10/9/2008, Register 188; am 6/29/2018, Register 226; am 10/31/2019, Register 232; am 4/3/2020, Register 234; am 8/30/2020, Register 235)

Authority: AS 08.80.005, AS 08.80.030, AS 08.80.295