partial refills

[warp3dm1nd]

I go to this local pharmacy to fill my 2 prescriptions Subutex and Xanax and have been doing so for a year and they allow a person to do partial refills

Roughly 6 months ago they said the DEA told them that they cant fill the rest of the partial script of my subutex until the first part is used up. All of sudden the pharmacist has told me it applies to the xanax as well. Is this really the care or is it more of the pharmacy making rules up as they go.

Secondly can you transfer a partially filled prescription from one pharmacy to another?

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[wucool33]

I go to this local pharmacy to fill my 2 prescriptions Subutex and Xanax and have been doing so for a year and they allow a person to do partial refills

Roughly 6 months ago they said the DEA told them that they cant fill the rest of the partial script of my subutex until the first part is used up. All of sudden the pharmacist has told me it applies to the xanax as well. Is this really the care or is it more of the pharmacy making rules up as they go.

Secondly can you transfer a partially filled prescription from one pharmacy to another?

Why are you always getting them early then? If you are stockpiling/or taking more than prescribed, then that’s a problem.

 

[owlegrad]

No DEA regulation that I am aware of, but it is common sense. Why would you need to get more partials if you haven’t used up what you have?

 

[warp3dm1nd]

i work as a server so my money flow fluctuates so if i have a good night or nights then I use to go ahead and just go get the rest of my medication. There is multiple reasons why I could or would need to get the rest early. The point I want to know is this really a DEA rule or is the pharmacy making up it's own rules.

 

[CynicalIntern]

i work as a server so my money flow fluctuates so if i have a good night or nights then I use to go ahead and just go get the rest of my medication. There is multiple reasons why I could or would need to get the rest early. The point I want to know is this really a DEA rule or is the pharmacy making up it's own rules.

Depending on the state, there may not be a rule that says they have to wait until you're out.

However, it does not matter what state you're in, there is no law that says that they are obligated to give it to you when you want it.

 

[wucool33]

i work as a server so my money flow fluctuates so if i have a good night or nights then I use to go ahead and just go get the rest of my medication. There is multiple reasons why I could or would need to get the rest early. The point I want to know is this really a DEA rule or is the pharmacy making up it's own rules.

A pharmacist wouldn’t stop you if you only get it early a couple of times throughout the year, it’s another thing if you get it early all the time. There’s 0 reason for you to be getting it early that much and that often. There are actually laws against this in places such as New York...

And if the DEA does decide to investigate/sue your pharmacy, you being allowed to get your control meds early all the time would be cited in the lawsuit. I have seen it happen.

Why do you have a problem with this anyway? Are you selling your meds? If not, then you should have already stockpiled enough meds.

 

[Old Timer]

The reason is simple. Once you will a prescription, the next time you get it's a refill. Most states prohibit giving you the refill until the contents of the first fill are used according to the directions. I think you assume you are getting the "rest" of the first fill. If you were a regular, I would probably allow it. If you had an rx for 30 and got 10 on Monday, I would allow you to get the 20 on Tuesday, just not more than the original first fill..... Could be their system has been programed to clam down on you. The DEA actually allows this. Let's say you get an RX for Xanax 1 mg # 30 1 daily with 4 refills. Your plan only allows 14. Even though the rx indicates 4 refills, you can get it filled more than 5 refills because the DEA treats the qty as 3o per fill.

A pharmacist may partially dispense a prescription for schedules III-V controlled substances provided that each partial filling is recorded in the same manner as a refilling, the total quantity dispensed in all partial fillings does not exceed the total quantity prescribed, and no dispensing occurs beyond six months from the date on which the prescription was issued.

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/manuals/pharm2/pharm_content.htm

 

[maria1oh]

Cvs and rite aid updated their computers so if they refill a partial early then they get blocked. They have to over ride the block then their name ends up on a list that the supervisor will randomly call them out on and ask why something was filled too early.
so most pharmacists will not fill partial fills early unless there is substantial documentation to support it.

 

[pharm B]

Echoing what's been said above. If I have a regular and I know the circumstances, I'll complete a fill in pieces based on their funds. BUT I'd document it. And I'd make sure that the patient doesn't get more than they're supposed to for the month.

My way of looking at things is... pictures five years from now, you'll no longer be a waiter, you'll probably have moved, etc. If the DEA looks at your fill history in my pharmacy, I need to be able to defend my practice in that scenario.

Example: if I have a buprenorphine patient who is piecemealing it out and tries all too often to get more than they're supposed to in a month, I'll contact the prescriber and confirm with them that we're going to start making sure each fill lasts how long it should (9 tablets for 3 days, etc).

And... Document, document, document.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Every time I've had a patient do this it's always resulted in them trying to get a month's supply every 20 days or so by filling #1 or #2 doses every single day.