The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy (SOBP) has issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Pharmacist FAQ – Diagnosis Code & Acute Prescribing, on whether pharmacists should fill scripts that lack a required diagnosis/procedure code or exceed acute prescribing limits. The FAQ reads in part:
Will pharmacists be required to enforce the acute pain prescribing limits?
No. The responsibility of adhering to the limits is the responsibility of the prescriber. Pharmacists should be aware that there are exceptions to the rules and therefore there is no expectation that pharmacists enforce the limits.
Can I dispense a prescription if it does not contain a diagnosis or procedure code?
Yes. While a pharmacist has the option to call a prescriber to obtain the code, paragraph (K) of rule 4729-5-30 does permit the processing of a prescription without the diagnosis code. Per rule 4729-37-04, if the code is not provided the pharmacy must indicate “NC” when reporting the diagnosis or procedure code to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS).
Can I dispense a prescription if it does not contain the days’ supply (i.e. the prescription still indicates PRN or “as needed”)?
Yes. While a pharmacist has the option to call a prescriber to obtain the days’ supply, paragraph (K) of rule 4729-5-30 does permit the processing of a prescription without the prescriber indicating the days’ supply of the prescription. In that specific instance, the pharmacy should follow the requirements in rule 4729-37-04 for reporting the days’ supply. The responsibility of adhering to the limits is the responsibility of the prescriber. Pharmacists should be aware that there are exceptions to the rules and therefore there is no expectation that pharmacists enforce the limits.