Pharmacy Practice Question

[RX8]

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Kind of a dumb question here but I found myself debating what is legally allowed by law and what isn't:

You have a script for Vibramycin 100mg capsules written for 1 PO TID. All that you have in stock is 50mg capsules and 100mg tablets.

Can you legally switch the capsules for the tablets and fill it as such? Do you change the quantity dispensed and the sig and give the 50mg capsules? Or do you call the prescriber and have them switch the 100mg capsules for 100mg tablets?

 

[Sparda29]

Kind of a dumb question here but I found myself debating what is legally allowed by law and what isn't:

You have a script for Vibramycin 100mg capsules written for 1 PO TID. All that you have in stock is 50mg capsules and 100mg tablets.

Can you legally switch the capsules for the tablets and fill it as such? Do you change the quantity dispensed and the sig and give the 50mg capsules? Or do you call the prescriber and have them switch the 100mg capsules for 100mg tablets?

I'm not familiar with the dosing release of the tablets vs capsules, but generally at my pharmacy we interchange the tablets for the capsules. The other option would be a pain in the ass, but you could possibly take the tablets and compound them into capsules.

We've also made the change in quantity before. Oh yeah, I'm assuming that both the 50 mg capsule and 100 mg tablet are both Doxycycline Hyclate and not the mono version.

 

[Vitamin K]

The other option would be a pain in the ass, but you could possibly take the tablets and compound them into capsules.

No, that's not an option. The Doxcycline Hyclate is available as a 100mg capsule, so you can't compound it legally.

 

[Vitamin K]

I'd probably go with 50mg caps, 2 TID. Probably wouldn't bother the doc for that one.

 

[atticus27]

Pharmacists I've worked with won't interchange tablets for capsules without a physicians authorization.

 

[WagsTale]

I make substitutions like this quite often. As long as you're not changing into or out of an extended release formulation, I say go for it. We get scripts for Amoxicillin 500 tablets all the time and I sub for the capsules. Same with fluoxetine, cephalexin...etc. Seriously not worth wasting your time or the doc's.

 

[RX8]

Yeah but I'm saying if you were to follow the law to a tee, wouldn't you need a prescriber's permission to switch from tablets to capsules? Think about it as if this was a question on a law exam. I'd say that you'd need permission for the interchange, but I wouldn't even know where to look for an official answer to such a question

 

[WagsTale]

I have searched the DEA website as well as both states I'm currently licensed in and found nothing. Not only that, but I don't remember ever hearing of this being a problem. I think you are being overcautious with regard to this particular situation. Don't sweat the small stuff dude! 🙂

 

[njac]

I just studied for MPJE. If they wrote for caps, you need to do caps.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

especially for doxy. I believe tablets is for acne while capsules is for stuff like lyme disease. So the answer to your specific question is no.

 

[RX8]

I just studied for MPJE. If they wrote for caps, you need to do caps.

That's what I was thinking as well. Where did you see this in the law? I've looked all over and didn't find it anywhere.