[PW] Can a Drug Prescription Be Written for One Year? (also, can a year's supply of a prescription drug be obtained at one time?)

[Craig Miller]

No authoritative source but I reside in California where you can get
prescriptions with refills valid for up to one year's worth of daily 
dosing.  (I
have a chronic condition and the doctor must write a new scrip every year,
even though the medication doesn't change.)  My medical plan will only
send 90 days worth of pills at a time, but I believe that particular 
limitation
is the plan, not any regulation.

Craig.


At 09:14 AM 12/7/2007, Franco, Adrienne wrote:
>A patron wants to know if a drug prescription may be written for one year.
>First, am I correct in assuming that drug prescription laws and 
>regulations would be determined at the state rather than the federal level?
>Also, would this more likely be a regulation or a law?
>
>I'm thinking it would be more likely to be covered by state 
>regulations than state or federal laws.
>
>I know that you can obtain a prescription which covers at least 6 
>months, based on my own personal experience.  However, I don't 
>believe you can obtain all 6 months of the drug at one time, but 
>that you would have to obtain monthly refills.  I suspect that a 
>person can get a prescription covering a year (is that 
>correct?).  Even if one could get a one-year prescription, I still 
>don't think it's legal to obtain the entire year supply at one time.
>
>Please share feedback as to the best sources to find the answer to 
>this question.  I've used Lexis-Nexis Academic unsuccessfully 
>(looking at law review articles, state and federal codes and federal 
>regulations); I've also searched general databases such as 
>proquest.  In addition to sources, what search strategies would you recommend?
>
>Adrienne Franco
>Reference & Instructional Services Librarian
>Iona College Libraries
>715 North Avenue
>New Rochelle, NY  10801-1890
>(914) 633-2348
>_______________________________________________
>Project Wombat
>list at project-wombat.org
>http://www.project-wombat.org/



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Craig Miller        Wolfmill Entertainment          craig at wolfmill.com
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