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APhA Policy Manual

Back to DISPENSING AUTHORITY

Dispensing and/or Administration of Legend Drugs in Emergency Situations

DISPENSING AUTHORITY
  1. APhA supports making insect sting kits and other, life-saving, emergency, treatment kits available for lawful dispensing by pharmacists without a prescription order, based on the pharmacist’s professional judgment.
  2. APhA supports permitting pharmacists to lawfully dispense and administer legend drugs in emergency situations, without an order from a licensed prescriber, provided that:
    1. there is an assessment on the part of the pharmacist and the patient that the drug is needed immediately to preserve the well-being of the patient;
    2. the normal legal means for obtaining authorization to dispense the drug must not be immediately available, such as in cases where the patient’s physician is not available; and
    3. the quantity of the drug, that can be dispensed in an emergency situation, is enough so that the emergency situation can subside, and the patient can be sustained for the immediate emergency, as determined by the pharmacist’s professional judgment.
  3. APhA supports expansion of state Good Samaritan Acts to provide pharmacists immunity from professional liability for dispensing in emergency situations without order from a licensed prescriber.
  4. APhA supports permitting pharmacists to lawfully dispense and/or administer legend drugs without an order from a licensed prescriber during disaster situations.
Reference: (Am Pharm. NS19(7):68; June 1979) (Reviewed 2002) (Reviewed 2006) (Revised 2007) (Reviewed 2012) (Reviewed 2012) (Reviewed 2017) (Reviewed 2021) (Reviewed 2022) (Reviewed 2023)
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