Frequently Asked Questions

The pharmacist, as a practice standard, has always had the responsibility of verifying an illegible prescription with the physician.

Although the law doesn’t grant specific rulemaking authority, the Board of Pharmacy, at its August meeting, will consider whether or not to draft a rule specifying the standard of practice for pharmacists on how to handle a prescription that does not meet the new requirements.

The law does not prohibit filling a prescription that the pharmacist would otherwise have filled prior to July 1,2003. Keep in mind also that pharmacists, as a routine standard of practice, have always verified with a physician a prescription that was unclear or illegible.

There is no reporting requirement in the law, however, arguably, if a prescription written by a health care practitioner does not meet the requirements it could be viewed as a general violation of the law. Again, for the first year the department’s focus will be educational not punishment.

The pharmacist will handle the script in the same manner as it was handled prior to July 1, 2003. If the pharmacist would have filled the prescription on June 30, then nothing in the law prevents the pharmacist from filling it on July 1.

Any information not contained on the preprinted prescription should be hand printed.

The law does not grant a “grace” period. It went into effect on July 1, 2003. The Department’s focus in the first year will be on education, not punishment.

No. The law applies to a “written prescription for a medicinal drug issued by a health care practitioner licensed by law to prescribe such drug…” A pharmacist is not licensed by law to prescribe drugs.

The law clearly references written prescriptions, not written orders. There is a distinct difference between the two. An order relates to administration; a prescription relates to dispensing. Thus, in our interpretation, the law does not apply to written orders.

No. The law requires that it must be capable of being understood by the pharmacist.

No.

That the prescription be legibly written or typed; that the quantity of the drug must be written in numerical and textual format (e.g. 10 -ten); that the date of the prescription must be written in textual letters (e.g. July 1, 2003); and that the practitioner must sign the prescription on the day it is issued.