Question

A patient hands you a prescription to fill which the number of refills apparently altered. What should you do?

1) Contact the prescribing physician to verify the number of refills
2) Refill the prescription as it is
3) Ignore the altered refills and fill the prescription
4) Inform the patient about the altered refills and ask for clarification

Answer 1

If you notice an altered number of refills on a prescription, you should contact the prescribing physician for verification and inform the patient about the issue after verification.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are a pharmacist or a pharmacy technician and you encounter a prescription with an apparently altered number of refills, you should first contact the prescribing physician to verify the number of refills. This is a critical step in safeguarding against potential prescription fraud and ensuring that you are dispensing medication as intended by the healthcare provider. It is not advisable to refill the prescription as is or ignore the altered refills without verification. After verification, if there is a discrepancy, you should inform the patient about the issue and explain the proper process for obtaining the correct number of refills, which may involve obtaining a new prescription from their physician. Alterations in prescriptions can have legal and health implications, and thus must be handled with due diligence and professional responsibility.