PDFWAC 246-869-105

Continuity of care refills in proclaimed emergencies.

Notwithstanding WAC 246-869-100 (2)(f), when the governor issues an emergency proclamation for an event which prevents continuity of health care for persons and animals because their prescribed medications are no longer available to them due to the emergency event, pharmacists and pharmacies may provide emergency prescription supplies for medications during the period of the proclaimed emergency as provided below:
(1) An initial supply of up to thirty days of current prescriptions for legend drug (noncontrolled) medications or seven-day supply of current prescriptions for controlled substance medications in Schedules III, IV, and V may be provided to patients under the following conditions:
(a) Presentation of a valid prescription container complete with legible label indicating there are remaining refills, or confirmation of the prescribed medication and available refills by review of the patient's current medical records or pharmacy records or in the professional judgment of the pharmacist; or
(b) If the prescription is expired or has no refills and the pharmacist is unable to readily obtain refill authorization from the prescriber, the pharmacist may dispense a one-time emergency refill of up to a seventy-two hour supply of the prescribed medication as described in WAC 246-869-100 (2)(f) or up to a thirty-day supply of a maintenance medication.
(2) For each medication dispensed under this section, a pharmacist shall:
(a) Document the dispensing as a prescription, noting where the information from subsection (1)(a) of this section was obtained, whether from the prescription container, the patient's prescriber or from the pharmacy records;
(b) Inform the patient's provider and the pharmacy at which the patient obtains his or her medications of the dispensing as soon as possible following the emergency dispensing;
(c) Mark the face of the prescription as an "emergency" prescription.
(3) Nothing in this rule modifies insurers' requirements for coverage and payment for prescribed medications.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.64.005 and 18.64.500. WSR 17-01-146, § 246-869-105, filed 12/20/16, effective 12/31/16.]