PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE)Federal RequirementsMedium
A patient approaches the pharmacy counter with a prescription for phenobarbital 30 mg, to be taken once daily. The prescription is dated 3 months ago. What is the maximum federal validity period for this prescription, and how many refills are allowed?
- A1 year, no refills
- B1 year, 5 refills
- C6 months, 5 refills
- D6 months, no refills
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. 6 months, 5 refills
Phenobarbital is a Schedule IV controlled substance. Federal law dictates that Schedule III, IV, and V prescriptions are valid for 6 months from the date of issue and may be refilled up to 5 times within that 6-month period.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Both 1 year validity and 'no refills' are incorrect for Schedule IV substances.
- B. 1 year validity is for non-controlled substances; 5 refills is correct for CIII-V within 6 months.
- D. While 6 months validity is correct, 'no refills' is incorrect for CIII-V.
CIII-V Prescription Validity
Federal law limits Schedule III, IV, and V controlled substance prescriptions to be valid for 6 months from the date of issue and allows a maximum of 5 refills within that period.
- Applies to Schedules III, IV, and V.
- 6-month validity from issue date.
- Maximum of 5 refills.
- Refills cannot extend beyond the 6-month period.
Memory trick: C3-5: Six months, Five refills, Feel fine.