Department of Pharmacy Policies & Procedures

Number: 5:20

Effective Date: October 1987

Revisions: 9/98; 9/99; 10/08

Reviewed: 11/09

Approval: October, 1999

Subject: DISCHARGE PRESCRIPTIONS

When approved by hospital administration, the Hospital Inpatient Pharmacy can fill and dispense discharge prescriptions only when the Outpatient Pharmacy is closed. Quantities dispensed by the hospital pharmacy will be limited to reasonable supplies that will allow the patient to continue drug therapy until an additional supply can be obtained from the Outpatient Pharmacy or the patient's community pharmacy.

1. The physician should write a separate set of discharge prescriptions for filling and dispensing by the hospital pharmacy. Since the hospital pharmacy can only dispense limited quantities, the patient will need another set of prescriptions to be filled by a community pharmacy.

2. The discharge prescriptions are filled in accordance with the procedure for dispensing of outpatient prescriptions.

3. The filled prescriptions will be picked up at the ACRC pharmacy or tubed by the inpatient pharmacy if ACRC is closed.

4. If a separate set of prescriptions are not written and if the physician is not longer available, the pharmacy can photocopy the prescriptions and dispense the limited quantities. This does not apply to Schedule II Controlled Substances.

5. When a photocopy is used, the original prescription must be annotated with the number of doses dispensed, the brand name or the manufacturer's name, the date and the name of the pharmacist. The photocopy (with the annotation) is filed in the hospital pharmacy; the original prescription is returned to the patient.

6. Discharge prescriptions are billed on the patient's bill by the computer.

7. All prescriptions filled as discharge prescriptions in inpatient pharmacy will be treated as "No Refills".

8. Quantities to be dispensed will be as follows:

a. For most medications a 72 hour supply as calculated by the dosage schedule stated on the prescription.

b. Up to a 10 day supply of anti-infectives can be dispensed.

c. Medications that are packaged in a dispensing package, such as oral antibiotic suspensions in 150 or 200 ml. containers, will be dispensed as the total package.

d. Prescriptions filled in ACRC pharmacy may be filled for the entire amount.

e. Approval for longer periods of time may be obtained from the Director of Pharmacy or their designee.

1. Discharge prescriptions will be filled in Outpatient Pharmacy during normal business hours.

2. For charging purposes, discharge patients will be treated just as clinic patients.

3. Prescriptions are to be picked up at the out-patient pharmacy during week days and from the ACRC pharmacy on weekends and holidays.