Virginia Administrative Code › Title 18 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING › Agency 110 - BOARD OF PHARMACY › Chapter 20 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF PHARMACY › Part V - Prescription Order and Dispensing Standards › Section 18VAC110-20-270 - Dispensing of prescriptions; certification of completed prescriptions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. In addition to
				  the requirements in §
										54.1-3408.01
				  of the Code of Virginia for an oral prescription or written prescription,
				  including those transmitted via facsimile or electronically, a prescription
				  shall include a quantity or duration of the order by which the pharmacist can
				  calculate the authorized quantity using directions for use. Except for
				  prescriptions transmitted electronically in compliance with
				  18VAC110-20-285,
				  written prescriptions shall also include the prescriber's manual signature. In
				  cases of failed electronic prescriptions, Schedule VI prescriptions transmitted
				  electronically may be routed to the pharmacy's facsimile machine and may bear
				  an electronic signature.
B. After
				  the prescription has been prepared and prior to the delivery of the order, a
				  pharmacist shall inspect the prescription product to verify its accuracy in all
				  respects and place his initials on the record of dispensing as a certification
				  of the accuracy of and the responsibility for the entire transaction. If more
				  than one pharmacist is involved in verifying the accuracy of the prescription
				  product, a record shall be maintained identifying the date of dispensing, each
				  pharmacist involved in the process, and the individual task for which each
				  pharmacist is responsible for verifying the accuracy. Such record showing
				  verification of accuracy shall be maintained on a pharmacy record and, if
				  necessary, an alternate record consistent with
				  18VAC110-20-255
				  for the required time period of two years unless otherwise specified in
				  regulation. If the dispensing involves central or remote processing, records of
				  pharmacist verification shall be maintained in a manner consistent with
				  18VAC110-20-276
				  and 18VAC110-20-515.
C. If a
				  pharmacist declines to fill a prescription for any reason other than the
				  unavailability of the drug prescribed, he shall record on the back of the
				  prescription the word "declined"; the name, address, and telephone number of
				  the pharmacy; the date filling of the prescription was declined; and the
				  signature of the pharmacist.
D. If
				  a pharmacist determines from a prescriber or by other means, including the use
				  of his professional judgment, that a prescription presented for dispensing is a
				  forgery, the pharmacist may refuse to return the forged prescription to the
				  person presenting it. The forged prescription may be given to a law-enforcement
				  official investigating the forgery, or it shall be retained for a minimum of 30
				  days before destroying it in the event it is needed for an investigative or
				  other legitimate purpose.
E. An
				  on-hold prescription shall be entered into the automated data processing system
				  if such system is employed by the pharmacy, and a pharmacist shall verify the
				  accuracy of the data entry at that time. The pharmacist subsequently dispensing
				  the on-hold prescription on a future date shall, at a minimum, conduct a
				  prospective drug review consistent with §
										54.1-3319A
				  of the Code of Virginia. If an on-hold prescription is returned to a patient
				  prior to the initial dispensing of the drug, the pharmacist shall delete the
				  entry in the automated data processing system.
F. A pharmacy may use a drop box for the
				  collection of written prescriptions and refill requests. The drop box shall be
				  located in a visible area within the permitted facility and shall be locked at
				  all times with access to the items placed in the drop box restricted to
				  pharmacists practicing at the pharmacy or an authorized pharmacy technician
				  practicing at the pharmacy when a pharmacist is on duty. The drop box shall be
				  constructed in a manner to prevent the theft or loss of a written prescription
				  or confidential information and shall be bolted to the floor or a fixed
				  structure. Pharmacists shall in some manner inform the public that containers
				  left in a drop box for refill should not contain unused drugs.
Statutory Authority: §§
												54.1-2400
						and
						54.1-3307
						of the Code of Virginia.