Calling in controls

[ZakMeister]

I know that nurses are allowed to call in controls on behalf of MD from the office...but what about medical assistants or other personnel. Had an uptight “nurse” deny me a verbal xanax and say only doctor can authorize it. Can anyone please clarify?

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[CetiAlphaFive]

I think you're experiencing a communication issue.

You're saying "Nurses are able to verbally call in a prescription"

The nurse is saying, "Nurses are not able to authorize new prescriptions"

 

[Rouelle]

Any representative designated by a physician may verbally communicate a prescription authorized by the physician, assuming the prescription may be legally transmitted verbally.

 

[owlegrad]

Of course it may vary by state law but in my state any authorized representative of the physician may verbally call in a script. We actually do get issues in the long-term care setting where nurses at the nursing homes who are not agents of the doctor attempt to call scripts in and that is not allowed.

 

[Chrissystone]

Read your state law.

In NY, only the prescriber may call in verbal for control substance.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Read your state law.
In NY, only the prescriber may call in verbal for control substance.

I thought all NY controls had to be electronic unless under extraneous circumstances

 

[Chrissystone]

I thought all NY controls had to be electronic unless under extraneous circumstances

That is a prescriber law. As the pharmacist, you are not obligated to reject verbals or fax or written. You are however limited to a 5 day supply if taken verbally for a C2 or C5 and 30 day supply for C3 or C4.

 

[RxPreceptor]

*Emergency only circumstances, limited to shortest duration possible. Sorry, but PMZ + Codeine is not an emergency & not worth it due to stolen Rx pads. Company policy is actually more stringent than NYS law (72 hours). Yep, use your judgment

I usually just let the MD call in the order how they intended it first before hitting them with the restrictions as a good way to determine if it really is an emergency

 

[SoylentGreen]

Even if the nurse is legally allowed to call in controls the doctor may choose not to allow that. I dealt with an office that had a sketchy nurse and they called us and told us not to take call ins for controls from her (why they didn't just fire her I can only guess).

 

[Abby Atwood]

That is a prescriber law. As the pharmacist, you are not obligated to reject verbals or fax or written. You are however limited to a 5 day supply if taken verbally for a C2 or C5 and 30 day supply for C3 or C4.

That's really interesting. I had no idea. From what I'm seeing, it looks like benzodiazepine verbal fills are also limited to a 5 day duration even though they are C4s. I can't figure out why they would limit lyrica or vimpat verbal fills to 5 days but allow a 30 day fill on soma or ambien. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding or misreading NY law.
https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/controlled_substance/part/80/docs/80.pdf

 

[Chrissystone]

That's really interesting. I had no idea. From what I'm seeing, it looks like benzodiazepine verbal fills are also limited to a 5 day duration even though they are C4s. I can't figure out why they would limit lyrica or vimpat verbal fills to 5 days but allow a 30 day fill on soma or ambien. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding or misreading NY law.

Anabolic steroids and benzos are in special category that treats them like c2s. I think the c5 thing was in regards to the cough meds but never updated since. So now it applies to all scheduled c5s..