The state of Florida has issued a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Michael. Among the provisions, this will lift some restrictions for early refills and allow an additional 30-day refill for maintenance medications.
In accordance with Section 465.0275, F.S., pharmacists may dispense up to a 30-day supply of maintenance medication for a chronic condition.
Section 465.0275(2), F.S., states that, pursuant to an emergency order, a pharmacist may dispense up to a 30-day supply in the areas or counties affected by the order provided that:
- The medication is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy in a chronic condition;
- In the pharmacist's professional judgment, the interruption of therapy might reasonably produce undesirable health consequences or may cause physical or mental discomfort;
- 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; and
- The dispensing pharmacist notifies the prescriber of the emergency dispensing within a reasonable time after such dispensing.
However, a 30-day prescription for a medicinal drug listed in Schedule II appearing in chapter 893 is not permitted under Section 465.0275, F.S.
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;
- Or dispense a one-time emergency refill of one vial of insulin to treat diabetes mellitus, irrespective of the issuance of an Executive Order.
View the full statute here.
If you have any questions, please contact your Mitchell Client Services Manager.