A medical assistant is asked to refill a patient's prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance over the phone. What is the correct action?
- A.Call the pharmacy and authorize the refill per the provider's standing orders
- B.Inform the patient that Schedule II substances cannot be refilled by phone and require a written prescription from the provider
- C.Fax the refill request to the pharmacy if the patient's last refill was 30 days ago
- D.Authorize up to a 7-day emergency supply and inform the provider later
Show answer & rationale
Correct answer
B. Inform the patient that Schedule II substances cannot be refilled by phone and require a written prescription from the provider
Rationale
B is correct: Under the Controlled Substances Act, Schedule II drugs (e.g., opioids, certain stimulants) have no refills. Each dispensing requires a new, written prescription from the licensed prescriber. Medical assistants cannot authorize refills, and telephone/fax refills are prohibited for Schedule II substances. A is incorrect: Medical assistants cannot independently authorize any prescription refill; this is the prescriber's role. For Schedule II, even the provider cannot call in a refill. C is incorrect: Schedule II substances cannot be faxed for refills under the CSA (though faxed original prescriptions have limited legal use for specific circumstances like home infusion). D is incorrect: Emergency supplies have very limited legal authorization pathways and cannot be authorized by a medical assistant independently.
Key concepts