Final answer:
Emergency verbal C2 prescriptions are allowed under specific conditions where immediate treatment is necessary, no alternative is available, and the practitioner cannot provide a written prescription to the pharmacist. The practitioner must be authorized to prescribe C2 substances and must follow up with a written prescription within 7 days.
Step-by-step explanation:
The query relates to the protocol for emergency verbal prescriptions, also known as C2 prescriptions, which are for Schedule II controlled substances. Emergency verbal prescriptions are sometimes allowed in situations where immediate administration of the medication is necessary for proper treatment, no appropriate alternative treatment is available, and it is not reasonably possible for the prescribing practitioner to provide a written prescription to be presented to the dispensing pharmacist.
These emergency prescriptions are strictly regulated. Only practitioners who are authorized to prescribe Schedule II substances can call in an emergency verbal C2 prescription. The quantity prescribed and dispensed must be limited to the amount adequate to treat the patient during the emergency period. Prescribing practitioners are usually required to follow up with a written prescription within a certain time frame, typically 7 days. This hardcopy must be provided to the dispensing pharmacy for record-keeping purposes, and it must have written confirmation that it is a continuation of the verbal emergency prescription.