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 .
If you have any questions, please contact your Mitchell Client Services Manager.