Question

A customer has transferred a prescription for Ortho Tri-Cyclen from a different pharmacy. Which of the following is required before it is dispensed to the patient?

1) Verification of negative pregnancy test
2) Mandatory pharmacist conducted patient counseling
3) Dispensed in child resistant container
4) Dispensed with patient package insert

Answer 1

Dispensing Ortho Tri-Cyclen, a birth control medication, requires that it is dispensed with a patient package insert according to federal law. While pharmacist counseling and child-resistant containers are common practices, they are not specific to this medication.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a prescription for Ortho Tri-Cyclen, a type of birth control pill, is transferred from one pharmacy to another, there are certain protocol that must be followed before it is dispensed to the patient. The requirement that must be met before this medication is dispensed includes:

Dispensed with patient package insert: Federal law requires that oral contraceptives like Ortho Tri-Cyclen are dispensed with a patient package insert that provides detailed information about the use, benefits, and risks associated with the medication.

While verification of a negative pregnancy test may be clinically prudent before the initiation of a birth control regime, it is not a federal dispensing requirement. Mandatory pharmacist-conducted patient counseling may be required by state laws whenever a prescription is dispensed. Lastly, the requirement that the medication is dispensed in a child-resistant container is a general requirement for most prescription medications unless the patient requests otherwise.