Is a pharmacist allowed to refuse filling a non-controlled substance prescription (e.g., OCP) when the prescription is not yet expired?

[kaycee18]

Where can I find a law to get her to fill my OCP?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Pharmacists can refuse to fill whatever they want. That may or may not go against their corporate policy if they work for a chain. Just take your business elsewhere.

 

[zelman]

Re: Title - Yes.
Re: Post - Probably in a totalitarian state.

 

[BenJammin]

Yes it is our professional duty and obligation. Just go to another pharmacy.

 

[BidingMyTime]

What state are you in? In IL, pharmacists can refuse to fill any prescription....unless it is for religions reasons (ie birth control, pills that could be abortifacient.) Most states have a conscience clause for pharmacists, IL unfortunately does not.

However, I'm sure there is more to this story, pharmacists make money by filling prescriptions, we *want* to fill your prescriptions. The pharmacist should have given you a reason why they can't fill your prescription (no, they don't have to legally, but there is no reason why they wouldn't.) Of course, if it's an ins issue, the pharmacist will fill your script, but *YOU* will have to pay for it. I've heard people say before the pharmacist won't fill my script, when they really mean, the pharmacist won't fill my script for free (or whatever they think their copay should be,) because their ins isn't covering the med.

 

[Sine Cura]

Do pharmacists contact prescribers for every OCP, Nuvaring, and patch to determine if the customer is supposed to skip the placebo/off week?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Do pharmacists contact prescribers for every OCP, Nuvaring, and patch to determine if the customer is supposed to skip the placebo/off week?

Unless it's going to harm the patient, ain't nobody got time for that.

 

[Sine Cura]

It's not uncommon for prescribers to tell the customer to skip placebo/off weeks but put no such notes on the Rx. Thus the PBM will reject as too soon to fill the next time around, then you'll get a 1 800 SHOP CVS for "refusing" to fill the birth control and the pharmacy is violating "civil rights" LOL

As we all know pharmacists are mind-readers. I tell my techs to offer cash out so the customer can STFU

 

[dmd20000]

If the prescription has 30 day supply and the insurance only pays for 90 day supply then the pharmacy won't be able to fill it unless you pay cash.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Where can I find a law to get her to fill my OCP?

Are you obese and a chain smoker with factor V Leidenhosen syndrome, or what?
Did a dentist prescribe it?
Did You prescribe it?

I need more details

 

[Laradd]

just go to a different pharmacy or ask why they won't fill it. maybe they have a good reason

 

[rxkrafted]

You aren't giving us enough information. Sounds like there is a piece of information you are hiding from us...

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

You aren't giving us enough information. Sounds like there is a piece of information you are hiding from us...

They sound like a typical loud, obnoxious person that is used to corporate customer service systems.

They deserve the McDonalds reality they created

 

[BenJammin]

This is the problem with America. We demand service from companies who treat us like trash. OP instead of demanding that this pharmacy bow at your alter, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

 

[Sine Cura]

What purpose does it serve to virtue signal on SDN?

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

What purpose does it serve to virtue signal on SDN?

That's a loaded question. Haha

 

[princeafrica]

A pt dropped off a fake rx (I knew within seconds because the handwriting was way too neat, cursive, and had the address handwritten). We called the doc office to verify, they said it was fake/stolen pad. We told the women the doc office said to not fill it and not give her back the script.

She stormed out of the drive thru and came inside and said she is calling the police (she did....) because we stole her prescription.

 

[HandsomeVampire]

A pt dropped off a fake rx (I knew within seconds because the handwriting was way too neat, cursive, and had the address handwritten). We called the doc office to verify, they said it was fake/stolen pad. We told the women the doc office said to not fill it and not give her back the script.

She stormed out of the drive thru and came inside and said she is calling the police (she did....) because we stole her prescription.

and get herself arrested? nice

 

[princeafrica]

and get herself arrested? nice

Yes looool! I wish I got a picture of her face when they turned around and arrested her. We let her tell her side of the story lol and halfway through the cops looked at each other to make sure they heard right and then arrested her lol.

 

[kaycee18]

Yes looool! I wish I got a picture of her face when they turned around and arrested her. We let her tell her side of the story lol and halfway through the cops looked at each other to make sure they heard right and then arrested her lol.

I did not write that prescription. The reason the pharmacist gave was that the prescription was 9 months old and that the state only allows them to fill it up within 6 months of getting the prescription (I still think she is confusing general medications from opiate rules - but can't find evidence to show her). This prescription was a printed prescription with my Ob/Gyn info on it and they could have contacted her. Writing prescription for oneself is a slippery slope as it start with little prescriptions and ends with narcotics. So, I make it a point to not expose myself to that temptation.

Secondly, I am not a smoker and do not have any medical problems.

I had to make another appointment to get a new script, Something I did not want to do.

Let's just say, I took my business some where else.

 

[Lexington2012]

Many BC pills have negative reimbursement. That means the pharmacy loses money every time they fill it because the insurance company pays so little. I've seen many independents refuse to fill money-losing prescriotions.

 

[Lnsean]

Isn't it crazy that just because someone chose to be a pharmacist that you think they're an indentured servant to you and your every whim. OP, take your craziness somewhere else.

 

[Sine Cura]

What pharmacist would care about the expiration date of a non-controlled Rx? What kind of state imposes a six-month expiration date on non-controlled Rx? What chain pharmacist cares about negative reimbursement on birth control?

Then again there a lot of passive-aggressive pharmacists that like to come up with b.s. rules.

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

What pharmacist would care about the expiration date of a non-controlled Rx? What kind of state imposes a six-month expiration date on non-controlled Rx? What chain pharmacist cares about negative reimbursement on birth control?

Then again there a lot of passive-aggressive pharmacists that like to come up with b.s. rules.

I forget what state it was but I had a pharmacist refuse to transfer a prescription that was on hold because it was written over 6 months beforehand and their state considered it expired

 

[awval999]

I did not write that prescription. The reason the pharmacist gave was that the prescription was 9 months old and that the state only allows them to fill it up within 6 months of getting the prescription (I still think she is confusing general medications from opiate rules - but can't find evidence to show her). This prescription was a printed prescription with my Ob/Gyn info on it and they could have contacted her. Writing prescription for oneself is a slippery slope as it start with little prescriptions and ends with narcotics. So, I make it a point to not expose myself to that temptation.

Secondly, I am not a smoker and do not have any medical problems.

I had to make another appointment to get a new script, Something I did not want to do.

Let's just say, I took my business some where else.

That is the law in Ohio. 6 months for initial fill or legally expired.

 

[owlegrad]

What pharmacist would care about the expiration date of a non-controlled Rx?

Um, all of them? Or are you saying you fill expired prescriptions?

 

[Rockinacoustic]

I did not write that prescription. The reason the pharmacist gave was that the prescription was 9 months old and that the state only allows them to fill it up within 6 months of getting the prescription (I still think she is confusing general medications from opiate rules - but can't find evidence to show her). This prescription was a printed prescription with my Ob/Gyn info on it and they could have contacted her. Writing prescription for oneself is a slippery slope as it start with little prescriptions and ends with narcotics. So, I make it a point to not expose myself to that temptation.

Secondly, I am not a smoker and do not have any medical problems.

I had to make another appointment to get a new script, Something I did not want to do.

Let's just say, I took my business some where else.

Sure the Pharmacist could have called to get a verbal prescription (or you for that matter), but the fact you needed to be seen again to get the new rx makes it sound like you haven't followed up with your provider for some time.

Don't like it? Write to your board in support of pharmacists prescribing OCP in your state.

 

[kaycee18]

That is the law in Ohio. 6 months for initial fill or legally expired.

Thank you for this information. It was surprising to me that they would not fill it given that i have filled prescription older than 6 months in other states. I guess it is really the ohio state laws.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

This prescription was a printed prescription with my Ob/Gyn info on it and they could have contacted her.

Why would they contact her?

 

[zelman]

Thank you for this information. It was surprising to me that they would not fill it given that i have filled prescription older than 6 months in other states. I guess it is really the ohio state laws.

Isn’t it weird how physicians who write prescriptions have minimal knowledge about the laws that pertain to those prescriptions, yet they assume the pharmacist who passed a law exam to practice there is somehow more ignorant of the law?

 

[kaycee18]

Why would they contact her?

because the expiration date on the prescription is 1 year later - which is weird. Also, what i read was that it was valid for one year post date written. Please folks, stop taking this personally. This is not an attack to the pharmacy career. We appreciate our pharmacists as physicians. As a patient who had to make another appointment, it was an inconvenience. I bet if they made a lot money on OCP, they would call and verify. People have called to verify toradol prescriptions.

 

[spacecowgirl]

That might be what the prescriber EMR defaults?

You came in here with an axe to grind, now you know, don't compare this to other verification calls you get (which I'm guessing is about the five day max, but I can readily admit when I'm wrong).

 

[RxPreceptor]

Again pretty amazing how many physicians have no clue about laws pertaining to the filling of Rxs he/she writes; I commonly get butt hurt patients yell at me for not filling his/her control substance(s) because he/she waited until the very last day to fill (no it's not 1 month expiration, it's 30 days...I'm sorry, playing calendar ignorance just makes you look stupid...Those 31 day months always have 31 days FFS). No, post dating is not allowed...don't show up @ 12:01am 7/13/2019 with Rx dated 7/13/2019 expecting me to be gullible enough to fill it.

Yes, please do complain to the boards of pharmacy for myself refusing your Rx because it failed one or more elements of being a valid prescription

 

[Rockinacoustic]

because the expiration date on the prescription is 1 year later - which is weird. Also, what i read was that it was valid for one year post date written. Please folks, stop taking this personally. This is not an attack to the pharmacy career. We appreciate our pharmacists as physicians. As a patient who had to make another appointment, it was an inconvenience. I bet if they made a lot money on OCP, they would call and verify. People have called to verify toradol prescriptions.

Our time is as precious as yours. Toradol for acute pain is more important than OCP that had 180 days to be filled.

 

[kaycee18]

btw, i discussed this issue with a pharmacy friend who stated that they do fill prescriptions so long as still within the 1year period as long as not controlled substances.

Seriously, it is an OCP to a young patient. It is not that much of a big deal - my doctor did not need to do any test to prescribe them.

Please, for those of you attacking, my advice to you is that you should not let power/authority of being a provider make you lose your ability to see a patient's need or think outside the box. We are all here to care for our patient's. I did not fill it on time because I understood I had a one year period to fill it. If I had gone in with an expired prescription, then I can blame myself. So, instead of attacking me, you could just state that the law in that particular states says otherwise like someone said earlier.

Remember that humans had always existed without pharmacists or doctors. We are just here to bill. So, please always remember that we are there to serve. Not raise our ego.

peace.

 

[kaycee18]

That might be what the prescriber EMR defaults?

You came in here with an axe to grind, now you know, don't compare this to other verification calls you get (which I'm guessing is about the five day max, but I can readily admit when I'm wrong).

no, i came here to find out where I could find resources to state my case. Don't make assumptions about me. You do not know me. and stop being defensive. This was not an attack on you or your choice of career.

 

[Carboxide]

btw, i discussed this issue with a pharmacy friend who stated that they do fill prescriptions so long as still within the 1year period as long as not controlled substances.

Seriously, it is an OCP to a young patient. It is not that much of a big deal - my doctor did not need to do any test to prescribe them.

Please, for those of you attacking, my advice to you is that you should not let power/authority of being a provider make you lose your ability to see a patient's need or think outside the box. We are all here to care for our patient's. I did not fill it on time because I understood I had a one year period to fill it. If I had gone in with an expired prescription, then I can blame myself. So, instead of attacking me, you could just state that the law in that particular states says otherwise like someone said earlier.

Remember that humans had always existed without pharmacists or doctors. We are just here to bill. So, please always remember that we are there to serve. Not raise our ego.

peace.

Just because one pharmacist doesn't follow the law doesn't mean that other pharmacists shouldn't.

 

[RxPreceptor]

https://www.pharmacy.ohio.gov/Documents/LawsRules/RuleChanges/OARRSRules/Sometimes%20We%20Just%20Have%20to%20Say%20No%20-%20Flier.pdf

Interesting/weird state law
I hope OP understands that pharmacy state laws can vary quite significantly from one state to another...even bordering states

 

[gwarm01]

You might find your answer here.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Where can I find a law to get her to fill my OCP?

no, i came here to find out where I could find resources to state my case. Don't make assumptions about me. You do not know me. and stop being defensive. This was not an attack on you or your choice of career.

Wow, you are being obtuse. Think outside the legal box? Well, good night and good luck.

 

[Carboxide]

one more aside....let's be clear. A pharmacist can refuse to fill for any reason, up to and including the phase of the moon. Does that make it always appropriate? No (although in this case it was indeed appropriate). But you have no recourse if they refuse except to take it elsewhere. Of course, taking it elsewhere because they followed the law is both petty and obtuse of you.

 

[owlegrad]

It’s interesting to me that you believed us but not the pharmacist who told you it was expired to begin with. And you still seem to believe the script wasn't 'really' expired - "If I had gone in with an expired prescription, then I can blame myself" - you DID go in expecting the pharmacist to fill an expired prescription AND didn't believe them when they told you it was expired.

 

[Hibiclens]

Could the rx have been taken across state lines and have been legally filled?

 

[Sine Cura]

Um, all of them? Or are you saying you fill expired prescriptions?

There is no California statue that causes non-controls to expire after an arbitrary period of time (some other states don't define expiration dates like MA) so pharmacists here have to come up with other excuses to explain why Rx can't be filled after a year (usually insurance limitations)

 

[Wickett]

btw, i discussed this issue with a pharmacy friend who stated that they do fill prescriptions so long as still within the 1year period as long as not controlled substances.

Seriously, it is an OCP to a young patient. It is not that much of a big deal - my doctor did not need to do any test to prescribe them.

Please, for those of you attacking, my advice to you is that you should not let power/authority of being a provider make you lose your ability to see a patient's need or think outside the box. We are all here to care for our patient's. I did not fill it on time because I understood I had a one year period to fill it. If I had gone in with an expired prescription, then I can blame myself. So, instead of attacking me, you could just state that the law in that particular states says otherwise like someone said earlier.

Remember that humans had always existed without pharmacists or doctors. We are just here to bill. So, please always remember that we are there to serve. Not raise our ego.

peace.

I am not going to attack you here, and for all I know the pharmacist in your case was a total jerk, but just for some pharmacist prospective. In general, we like to fill people's prescriptions. It is our job and we have sales and script goals to meet. It is much easier for us to simply fill a prescription and move on to the next. The vast majority of us do not want to get into an argument with a patient by refusing to fill a prescription. If we refuse, there is usually a legitimate reason (even in the case where a pharmacist can be argued to have faulty reasoning, there is at least some reasoning going on).

Our day becomes much harder when we refuse to fill anything. It is the least favorite part of my job and typically leads to some form of conflict. Most of us are not on some power/authority trip, where we jump at the chance to tell people no. There was a reason the pharmacist decided to tell you no, and I can almost guarantee it had nothing to do with exerting power over you. If you did get this rare, terrible pharmacist, then I apologize on behalf of them. However, in your quoted comment, you stated the pharmacist should have just informed you of the law, when in an earlier comment you said they told you it was legally expired (you simply chose not to believe them and thought they were wrong).

Also, I will try to call and help out a patient, as well as try to figure out insurance, but triage is an important thing in order for the hundreds of other people to get their medications on time, day in and day out. If we are busy and someone comes in with an unused, expired prescription, it is typically more expedient to tell the patient to directly speak to their prescriber about getting a new one. I will offer to fax over a refill request, but typically I am not going to drop everything and directly call the prescriber for a never filled, expired prescription.

If I call in this particular situation, typically I will just sit on hold for 15 mins, be sent to a voicemail system, leave a message that is almost never returned, then have to call more times over the next 48hrs to finally be told the request is denied and the patient needs an appointment. Prescribers typically deny very old prescriptions like that one (you said yourself that your prescriber said you would need an appointment for a new Rx). So what is exactly the problem here, and what could the pharmacist have done that would have changed the outcome? If they called, you probably would have waited hours or days for the pharmacy to simply tell you the prescriber denied the refill.

We simply do not have the time to hand hold every patient that walks in. We help when we can, but we only have so much time and staff to accomplish our myriad of tasks. And to be blunt, there are much higher priorities and other patients also waiting on much more important medications to be filled than someone's expired birth control prescription. Being in healthcare, I would think you would more than understand this. I wish you well and hope you have no more issues at the pharmacy.

 

[Lnsean]

I am not going to attack you here, and for all I know the pharmacist in your case was a total jerk, but just for some pharmacist prospective. In general, we like to fill people's prescriptions. It is our job and we have sales and script goals to meet. It is much easier for us to simply fill a prescription and move on to the next. The vast majority of us do not want to get into an argument with a patient by refusing to fill a prescription. If we refuse, there is usually a legitimate reason (even in the case where a pharmacist can be argued to have faulty reasoning, there is at least some reasoning going on).

Our day becomes much harder when we refuse to fill anything. It is the least favorite part of my job and typically leads to some form of conflict. Most of us are not on some power/authority trip, where we jump at the chance to tell people no. There was a reason the pharmacist decided to tell you no, and I can almost guarantee it had nothing to do with exerting power over you. If you did get this rare, terrible pharmacist, then I apologize on behalf of them. However, in your quoted comment, you stated the pharmacist should have just informed you of the law, when in an earlier comment you said they told you it was legally expired (you simply chose not to believe them and thought they were wrong).

Also, I will try to call and help out a patient, as well as try to figure out insurance, but triage is an important thing in order for the hundreds of other people to get their medications on time, day in and day out. If we are busy and someone comes in with an expired medication, it is typically more expedient to tell the patient to directly speak to their prescriber about a new prescription. I will offer to fax over a refill request, but typically I am not going to drop everything and directly call the prescriber for a never filled, expired prescription.

If I call in this particular situation, typically I will just sit on hold for 15 mins, be sent to a voicemail system, leave a message that is almost never returned, then have to call more times over the next 48hrs to finally be told the request is denied and the patient needs an appointment. Prescribers typically deny very old prescriptions like that one (you said yourself that your prescriber said you would need an appointment for a new Rx). So what is exactly the problem here, and what could the pharmacist have done that would have changed the outcome? If they called, you probably would have waited hours or days for the pharmacy to simply tell you the prescriber denied the refill.

We simply do not have the time to hand hold every patient that walks in. We help when we can, but we only have so much time and staff to accomplish our myriad of tasks. And to be blunt, there are much higher priorities and other patients also waiting on much more important medications to be filled than someone's expired birth control prescription. Being in healthcare, I would think you would more than understand this. I wish you well and hope you have no more issues at the pharmacy.

I don't even know why you are being so nice to her. She finds fault in a pharmacist telling her that a script she's been hanging onto for 6 months is expired. Are people not accountable for their own actions anymore?

 

[Lnsean]

btw, i discussed this issue with a pharmacy friend who stated that they do fill prescriptions so long as still within the 1year period as long as not controlled substances.

Seriously, it is an OCP to a young patient. It is not that much of a big deal - my doctor did not need to do any test to prescribe them.

Please, for those of you attacking, my advice to you is that you should not let power/authority of being a provider make you lose your ability to see a patient's need or think outside the box. We are all here to care for our patient's. I did not fill it on time because I understood I had a one year period to fill it. If I had gone in with an expired prescription, then I can blame myself. So, instead of attacking me, you could just state that the law in that particular states says otherwise like someone said earlier.

Remember that humans had always existed without pharmacists or doctors. We are just here to bill. So, please always remember that we are there to serve. Not raise our ego.

peace.

Honestly, I think you're the one on an ego trip: "FIND ME A LAW TO FORCE THIS GUY TO FILL MY SCRIPT." You aren't looking for advice. You're looking for vindication. When you're told what the law is, you still seem to refuse to admit that you're wrong by suggesting that other pharmacists have broken the law before, so it must be okay for this guy to do so as well. You're not here for patient care or any of that fake baloney, you're just here with an axe to grind because a guy behind the counter told you no, you couldn't have it your way, so you're mad and bitter.

If we were to tell you that there was such a law, you would have ditched your patients that moment to rush your butt out of your office back to the pharmacy to flaunt it in this guy's face. That's not patient care. That's just being vindictive.

 

[Wickett]

I don't even know why you are being so nice to her. She finds fault in a pharmacist telling her that a script she's been hanging onto for 6 months is expired. Are people not accountable for their own actions anymore?

I can insult with the best of them, but I don't see what it would accomplish here and plenty of people already have that covered. She probably won't read my long ass post anyway, but I just want one less patient (and prescriber) with unrealistic expectations of a pharmacy.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

This thread is amusing.

 

[pencilandpen]

Thank you for this information. It was surprising to me that they would not fill it given that i have filled prescription older than 6 months in other states. I guess it is really the ohio state laws.

just fyi in state of Maryland a prescription has 4 months for the initial fill or it is expired. After that first initial fill within 4 months, any refills on the prescription is good for 1 year from the date its written.