Best Practice for Entering Transfers with Partial Refills Remaining

If your pharmacy software system does not allow you to enter 90 tablets plus 2.7 refills, then the safest way to enter the prescription is for 333 tablets plus 0 refills, with a dispensed quantity of 90 tablets. However, beware of these additional audit pitfalls:

1. Remember to refer to the original written quantity to ensure the correct dispensed quantity is filled.
   1. If you dispense a quantity less than the original written quantity, remember to notate the reason for cutting down the quantity (med sync, med packaging program, patient preference, etc.)
   2. If you dispense a larger quantity than the original written quantity, remember to obtain approval from the prescribing practitioner if you are in a state without accelerated refill permissions. If you are in a state that allows accelerated/consolidated refills, remember to notate the reason for dispensing a larger quantity (patient preference, plan limit, etc.).
   3. For more information regarding quantity changes, refer to the June 2021 Newsline article, Dispensed Quantity is Different from the Prescription – Do I Need to Document?
2. Never dispense more than the quantity remaining on the prescription.
3. Remember to enter the correct original written date to ensure the prescription is only filled while it is truly valid, not after it expires.
4. Regardless of the method by which the pharmacy obtained the transfer (phone or fax), the origin code should be 5.

PAAS Tips:

• For additional information on transferred prescriptions, refer to following Newsline articles
  • Transfer Prescription Continue to Be Targeted (January 2022)
  • Self-Audit Series #6: Transfer Prescriptions (July 2021)