Vermont News: Faxed Schedule II Prescriptions for Hospice Patients

March 3, 2007 2:10 pm Topics: Controlled substances and Prescriptions

Published in the March 2007 Vermont Board of Pharmacy Newsletter

The Board of Pharmacy would like to clarify the rules regarding faxed Schedule II prescriptions for a hospice patient. According to the federal Controlled Substances Act as found in Code of Federal Regulations 1306.11(g): “a Schedule II narcotic substance written for a patient enrolled in a Medicare hospice program or a state licensed hospice program may be transmitted by the practitioner or practitioner’s agent to the dispensing pharmacy by facsimile. The practitioner or the practitioner’s agent must note on the prescription that the patient is a hospice patient. The facsimile serves as the original written prescription.” The hospice patient may reside in either a personal residence or a hospice facility. Although this is not clearly stated in the Vermont Rules (as it is with residents of long-term care facilities), it is the intent of the Board to follow federal guidelines regarding faxing Schedule II prescriptions for hospice patients. DEA’s intent, as well as the intent of the Vermont Board of Pharmacy, is to provide for the hospice patient’s immediate needs when a Schedule II narcotic is determined to be medically necessary. The Board would like to make it clear to pharmacists that it endorses following federal law and accepting faxed Schedule II narcotic prescriptions for hospice patients.