Relating to the dispensing of a refill of a chronic maintenance drug to a patient

This bill provides that in addition to existing provisions relating to the refilling of a prescription without prescriber authorization, a pharmacist may exercise professional judgment by refilling a prescription for a chronic maintenance drug if the pharmacist is unable, after reasonable efforts, to obtain authorization from the prescriber or another health care provider responsible for the patient’s care; and if in the pharmacist’s professional judgment, the refusal to dispense the refill of the chronic maintenance drug will endanger the patient’s life or health or will disrupt essential drug therapy for a chronic condition of the patient. The bill authorizes the pharmacist to dispense an amount of the chronic maintenance drug not to exceed the amount of the most recent prescription or the standard quantity of the drug dispensed, and to dispense the chronic maintenance drug refill in accordance with standard procedures and documentation requirements adopted by rules of the board of pharmacy. The bill defines a chronic maintenance drug as a drug, other than a controlled substance, that is prescribed to a patient to be taken on a recurring basis, and is used as a life-saving rescue drug for a chronic condition or is essential to the continuation of drug therapy for a chronic condition.