PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCE)Federal RequirementsMedium
A patient approaches the pharmacy counter requesting a refill for their prescription of gabapentin. The prescription was originally written 10 months ago for 120 capsules with 5 refills. According to federal regulations for non-controlled legend drugs, how many refills can still be dispensed?
- A0 refills
- B1 refill
- C4 refills
- D5 refills
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. 4 refills
Federal law for non-controlled legend drugs (like gabapentin) allows refills for up to one year from the date the prescription was written. Since 10 months have passed, there are still 2 months (and thus 4 refills, assuming monthly fills) remaining within the one-year validity period, provided the prescriber authorized 5 refills initially.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Incorrect. The prescription is still valid for refills within one year of its written date.
- B. Incorrect. More than one refill is allowed within the one-year period.
- D. Incorrect. The prescription's validity period limits the number of refills, even if more were originally authorized.
Non-Controlled Legend Drug Refill Validity
Federal law states that prescriptions for non-controlled legend drugs are valid for refills for up to one year from the date the prescription was written, unless otherwise specified by the prescriber or state law.
- One-year validity period for refills.
- Applies to non-controlled (non-scheduled) drugs.
- State laws may impose shorter limits.
Memory trick: Non-Controlled Rx: One Year to Get Refills, then it's 'Finished'!