(a) In the event a pharmacist receives a request for a prescription refill and the pharmacist is unable to readily obtain refill authorization from the prescriber, the pharmacist may dispense a one-time emergency refill of up to a 72-hour supply or the smallest dispensable package size of the prescribed medication, providing that all of the following apply:
- (1) The prescription is not a medicinal agent listed in Schedule I or II pursuant to Title 20, Chapter 2, or the controlled substances list for Schedule I or II maintained by the State Board of Health.
- (2) The medication is essential to the maintenance of life or the continuation of therapy in a chronic condition. Only those drugs designated by a joint rule adopted by the Board of Pharmacy and Board of Medical Examiners shall be refilled, according to the procedure established in this section.
- (3) The dispensing pharmacist creates a written order containing all of the prescription information required by this chapter and Title 20, Chapter 2.
- (4) The dispensing pharmacist provides notification to the prescriber of the emergency dispensing within 24 hours after the dispensing.
- (b) The Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Medical Examiners, through joint rule, may adopt additional rules to implement this section.
(Acts 1991, No. 91-554, p. 1023, §1; Act 2023-231, §1.)