04/11/2018

Pharmacy Board Rule: Partial Fills

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy recently amended rules governing partial fills of controlled substances. LeadingAge Ohio reached out to Bridget Protus of Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services to inquire as to how hospice inpatient pharmacies may be affected by the rule and she provided the following clarification:

For hospice/terminally ill or in long term care (LTC) facility, the C-II partial fill process is the same as before per A(1). The new portion is that now C-II can be partially filled for everyone, i.e. non-hospice/terminally ill/LTC, at the request of the patient or the prescriber as outlined in paragraph A(2)a,b,c of the rule.

This rule (OAC 4729-5-5-12) consolidates the former C-II partial fill law that only was available to hospice/terminally ill/LTC. This rule replaces OAC 4729-5-26, and includes the new language for everyone else. The “everyone else” language has additional partial filling restriction of must be completed within 30 days after the original prescription is written.

Hospice/terminally ill/LTC have “always” had ability to partial fill a C-II, and they have 60 days to complete the fills under 21 CFR 1306.13 as noted. The rule expands that to everyone now with the hopes of cutting back on the unused opioid supply in the general population that have post-op/post-procedure.

For example, if Mr. Smith doesn’t think he’ll need 20 hydrocodone/APAP after his tooth extraction, then he can have it filled for just 5 tablets. Should he use up those 5 tablets and still feel like he’s got pain severe enough to need more, he can go back to the pharmacy to receive more tablets on the same prescription for up to 30 days after his orthodontist wrote the prescription.

It really shouldn’t affect our patients but it will likely cause at least some initial confusion at pharmacies as patients, pharmacists, and prescribers adapt to the new language and process and the 30 day vs. 60 day change adds to the complication.

To review the new rules, click here.