Effective: March 20, 2019
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 119 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) A pharmacist may dispense naltrexone without a written or oral prescription from a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The pharmacist is able to verify a record of a prescription for the injectable long-acting or extended-release form of naltrexone in the name of the patient who is requesting the drug, but the prescription does not provide for a refill or the time permitted by rules adopted by the state board of pharmacy for providing refills has elapsed.
(2) The pharmacist is unable to obtain authorization to refill the prescription from the prescriber who issued it or another prescriber responsible for the patient's care.
(3) In the exercise of the pharmacist's professional judgment:
(a) The drug is necessary to continue the patient's therapy for substance use disorder.
(b) Failure to dispense the drug to the patient could result in harm to the health of the patient.
(B) Before dispensing naltrexone under this section, the pharmacist shall offer the patient the choice of receiving either the oral form or injectable long-acting or extended- release form, but only if both forms of the drug are available for dispensing at the time of the patient's request or within one day after the request.
(C)(1) With respect to naltrexone dispensed in an oral form under this section, the pharmacist shall not dispense an amount that exceeds a five-day supply.
(2) With respect to naltrexone dispensed in an injectable long-acting or extended-release form under this section, both of the following apply:
(a) The pharmacist shall exercise professional judgment in determining the amount of the drug dispensed.
(b) The pharmacist may administer the drug by injection to the patient but only in accordance with section 4729.45 of the Revised Code.
(D) A pharmacist who dispenses naltrexone under this section shall do all of the following:
(1) For one year after the date of dispensing, maintain a record in accordance with this chapter of the drug dispensed, including the amount and form dispensed, the original prescription number, the name and address of the patient and, if the individual receiving the drug is not the patient, the name and address of that individual;
(2) Notify the prescriber who issued the prescription described in division (A)(1) of this section or another prescriber responsible for the patient's care not later than five days after the drug is dispensed;
(3) If applicable, obtain authorization for additional dispensing from one of the prescribers described in division (D) (2) of this section.
(E) A pharmacist shall exercise professional judgment in determining the number of times naltrexone may be dispensed under this section to the same patient.
(F) This section does not limit the authority of a pharmacist to dispense a dangerous drug under section 4729.281 of the Revised Code.