§ 28-414.01. Controlled substance; Schedule III, IV, or V; medical order, required; prescription; requirements; contents; pharmacist; authority to adapt prescription; duties.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section or when administered directly by a practitioner to an ultimate user, a controlled substance listed in Schedule III, IV, or V of section 28-405 shall not be dispensed without a written, oral, or electronic medical order. Such medical order is valid for six months after the date of issuance. Original prescription information for any controlled substance listed in Schedule III, IV, or V of section 28-405 may be transferred between pharmacies for purposes of refill dispensing pursuant to section 38-2871. (2) A prescription for controlled substances listed in Schedule III, IV, or V of section 28-405 must contain the following information prior to being filled by a pharmacist or dispensing practitioner: (a) Patient's name and address, (b) name of the drug, device, or biological, (c) strength of the drug or biological, if applicable, (d) dosage form of the drug or biological, (e) quantity of the drug, device, or biological prescribed, (f) directions for use, (g) date of issuance, (h) number of refills, including pro re nata or PRN refills, not to exceed five refills within six months after the date of issuance, (i) prescribing practitioner's name and address, and (j) Drug Enforcement Administration number of the prescribing practitioner. Beginning January 1, 2022, all such prescriptions shall be subject to section 38-1,146, except that all such prescriptions issued by a practitioner who is a dentist shall be subject to section 38-1,146 beginning January 1, 2024. If the prescription is a written paper prescription, the paper prescription must contain the prescribing practitioner's manual signature. If the prescription is an electronic prescription, the electronic prescription must contain all of the elements in subdivisions (a) through (j) of this subsection, must be digitally signed, and must be transmitted to and received by the pharmacy electronically to meet all of the requirements of 21 C.F.R. 1311, as the regulation existed on January 1, 2014, pertaining to electronic prescribing of controlled substances. (3)(a) A pharmacist who is exercising reasonable care and who has obtained patient consent may do the following: (i) Change the quantity of a drug prescribed if: (A) The prescribed quantity or package size is not commercially available; or (B) The change in quantity is related to a change in dosage form; (ii) Change the dosage form of the prescription if it is in the best interest of the patient and if the directions for use are also modified to equate to an equivalent amount of drug dispensed as prescribed; (iii) Dispense multiple months' supply of a drug if a prescription is written with sufficient refills; and (iv) Substitute any chemically equivalent drug product for a prescribed drug to comply with a drug formulary which is covered by the patient's health insurance plan unless the prescribing practitioner specifies "no substitution", "dispense as written", or "D.A.W." to indicate that substitution is not permitted. If a pharmacist substitutes any chemically equivalent drug product as permitted under this subdivision, the pharmacist shall provide notice to the prescribing practitioner or the prescribing practitioner's designee. If drug product selection occurs involving a generic substitution, the drug product selection shall comply with section 38-28,111. (b) A pharmacist who adapts a prescription in accordance with this subsection shall document the adaptation in the patient's pharmacy record. (4) A controlled substance listed in Schedule III, IV, or V of section 28-405 may be dispensed pursuant to a facsimile of a written, signed paper prescription. The facsimile of a written, signed paper prescription shall serve as the original written prescription for purposes of this subsection and shall be maintained in accordance with subsection (2) of section 28-414.03. (5) A prescription for a controlled substance listed in Schedule III, IV, or V of section 28-405 may be partially filled if (a) each partial filling is recorded in the same manner as a refilling, (b) the total quantity dispensed in all partial fillings does not exceed the total quantity prescribed, and (c) each partial filling is dispensed within six months after the prescription was issued. History: Laws 2014, LB811, § 7; Laws 2017, LB166, § 4; Laws 2020, LB1052, § 1; Laws 2021, LB583, § 2.