there's nothing wrong with refilling the script for your albuterol. there's nothing wrong with refilling the script for your wife's antidepressants that she's been on for 10 years. there will never be anything wrong with doing these things medicolegally, socially, morally, ethically, philosophically, professionally, etc etc etc. don't write your buddies for dilaudid and don't tell someone with a 108 degree fever they're fine and just need some penicillin.
that is all.
I regret to tell you that this is inaccurate. As noted by JAD above, State Medical Board actions are a matter of public record and easily obtained. And while most actions involving physician licensure are related to drug and alcohol use, inappropriate conduct, failure to update CMEs and inappropriate controlled substance prescribing, there are cases of the latter involving non-controlled substances.
"A physician is required to maintain adequate legal medical records, containing at a minimum, sufficient information to identify the patient, support the diagnosis, justify the treatment, accurately document the results, indicate advice and cautionary warnings provided to the patient and provide sufficient information for another practitioner to assume continuity of the patient's care at any point in the course of the patient's treatment. A.R.S. 32-1041(2)"
The above applies to ALL care, not just for controlled substances (for which there is a separate statute which forbids Arizona physicians from prescribing controlled substances to family, friends or others who are not patients of said physician.
The above was highlighted for a local physician who was treating his own daughter for depression. At the coroner's inquest into her death from overdose, it was noted that her room was filled with prescription bottles written by her father; many for controlled substances but also for antidepressants and other non-controlled substances. The Board noted, in its actions, that one of the failures of the respondent was a failure to keep adequate records, to discuss use and misuse of said medications, to perform a physical and psychiatric examination, etc. They specifically mentioned the non-controlled substances in their investigation.
I'd imagine it was horrific enough to have your child commit suicide, but to do it using medications you had prescribed and then to be reprimanded and put on probation by the medical board for violating standards of practice.
You don't get a free pass because your wife has been using her antidepressant for 10 years, or because the medication you are prescribing is not a controlled substance. The law states, at least here, that unless the person is a patient of yours and you have documented adequate medical records, that you are in violation.
It bears repeating that most physicians I know have written scripts for family and friends especially for long-term medications; I know I have. Its easy to convince ourselves that its ok to write a script for a UTI or refill someone's Albuterol script when they can't get to their PCP. But I also know that we are seen as easy targets especially if you're considered nice and approachable - I've had an office staff member ask me for Vicodin when she burned her arm, I've had a nurse request Percocet for migraines and numerous nurses during residency ask for non-narcotics.
You can do what you wish, but my advice would be never ever ever write a script for a controlled substance for someone who isn't a patient (and with adequate documentation) and you should definitely have second and even third thoughts about refilling those "benign" drugs (which as JAD points out, are not benign). My office staff now knows not to ask for a script for *anything*, at least from me - I won't do it. They have health insurance and they have PCPs.
