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 of the prescribed medication, with the exception of those areas or counties included in an emergency order or proclamation of a state of emergency declared by the Governor, in which the executive order may authorize the pharmacist to dispense up to a 30-day supply, providing that:

1. (1) The prescription is not for a medicinal drug listed in Schedule II appearing in chapter 893.
2. (2) The medication is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy in a chronic condition.
3. (3) In the pharmacist's professional judgment, the interruption of therapy might reasonably produce undesirable health consequences or may cause physical or mental discomfort.
4. (4) The dispensing pharmacist creates a written order containing all of the prescription information required by this chapter and chapters 499 and 893 and signs that order.
5. (5) The dispensing pharmacist notifies the prescriber of the emergency dispensing within a reasonable time after such dispensing.

History.--ss. 19, 27, ch. 86-256; s. 3, ch. 89-77; s. 59, ch. 91-137; s. 6, ch. 91-156; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 30, ch. 93-211.