Prescription Requirements, Dispensing, Labeling, and Transfers
What makes a prescription valid
Patient name and address, drug name, strength and quantity, complete directions, prescriber name, address and (for controlled substances) DEA number, date of issue, refills authorized, and the prescriber's signature. Oral orders are acceptable for non-controlled drugs and CIII–V; CII requires a written or electronic prescription, with only the narrow emergency-oral exception. Electronic prescriptions for controlled substances require two-factor authentication of the prescriber and must be validated against the pharmacy's system. A pharmacist may clarify but may not add or materially alter prescriber intent.
Dispensing and labeling
The label must show pharmacy name and address, prescription number, date filled, patient name, prescriber, drug name/strength/quantity, directions, refills authorized or remaining, beyond-use or expiration date, and required warnings - including the federal caution that transferring a controlled substance to anyone other than the patient is prohibited. Auxiliary and counseling labels, plus documentation of the dispensing pharmacist, support the record.
Transfers
Transfers are pharmacist-to-pharmacist, documented with the original prescription number, pharmacy, date, drug, quantity remaining, and both pharmacists' identities. Schedule II prescriptions are not transferable for refill purposes; electronic CII prescriptions may be transferred once, for initial dispensing only. CIII–V may be transferred with remaining refills intact.
Worked example
A prescriber's office calls in 'Adderall 20 mg, thirty days, no refills.' Politely refuse to take it orally; ask for an electronic or written CII prescription. If it were lorazepam, the oral order would be lawful if reduced to writing promptly and all elements are captured.