Question

a pharmacy technician receives a refill request for omeprazole (prilosec) 40mg. the prescription was written for a 30-day supply with six refills. the date on the prescription was 7 months prior to todays date, and the prescription has had a total of seven refills. which of the following actions should a pharmacy technician take?

recommend an over-the-counter (otc) medication instead.
ask the pharmacist to authorize a 7-day emergency supply.
refill the prescription because is still valid.
contact the prescriber for a new prescription.

Explanation:

Analyze the prescription details

The prescription is for omeprazole 40mg, which is a non-controlled legend drug. The original prescription was written for a 30-day supply with six refills.

Evaluate the refill history and validity

Using the Prescription Expiration Rules and Non-Controlled Substance Refills knowledge points:

• A standard non-controlled prescription is typically valid for up to 1 year (12 months) from the date it was written.
• The prescription was written 7 months ago, so it has not expired based on time alone.
• However, the prescription was authorized for only six refills. The prompt states that the prescription has already had a total of seven refills (which means the original fill plus six refills have been completed, exhausting all authorized refills).

Determine the appropriate action

Using the Non-Controlled Substance Refills knowledge point:

• Since there are no remaining refills left on this prescription, the pharmacy technician cannot refill it.
• The technician must contact the prescriber to obtain authorization for a new prescription.
• Recommending an OTC medication is outside the scope of practice for a technician, and an emergency supply is not warranted here without pharmacist intervention or is not the primary resolution for an exhausted prescription.

Answer:

• Recommend an over-the-counter (OTC) medication instead.
• Ask the pharmacist to authorize a 7-day emergency supply.
• Refill the prescription because is still valid.
• Contact the prescriber for a new prescription. (Correct answer)