DrugBuyers.Com: Amount of Days between refills?"Please Reply"

Refill frequency may be entirely at the discretion of the pharmacy, subject to serveral provisions which can or may mitigate the pharmacy's discretion.

There is no universal applicable regulation. However, as part of virtually all licensure requirements, pharmacies are charged with performing their profession in the best interests of its customers. Because substances are most typically controlled due to their abuse potential, regulating the rate at which it dispenses refills is one means by which a pharmacy complies with its "best interest" standard of care requirement. More clearly stated, the wholesale frequent dispensation of refills is a significant indicator of potential diversion and abuse; and facilitating the practice without reasonable justification jeopardizes a pharmacist's or pharmacy's licensure.

Physicians can restrict the rate at which pharmacies may refill the prescriptions as well. Whether it is to discourage diversion, protect from overdose, or simplify dosing, prescribers may, although rarely do, issue refills with specific refill intervals.

Insurance companies impose the most common refill restrictions. Most will only cover a specific days' supply per fill, (typically 30 for retail pharmacies and 90 for mail-order chronic care medications), as a means of ensuring that the patient receives no more medication at a reasonable interval, for which it would have to reimburse the pharmacy, than is needed. Insurers also dissuade the stockpiling, diversion, or otherwise unnecessary coverage or prescriptions by requiring, in most cases, that it will cover refills only after consumption of 75% of the previous fill according to its dosage schedule.

This has become the common standard for determining "refill dates", and while a pharmacy may choose to dispense a refill to a customer with the understanding that it will not be insured, in the absence of a specific need, most simply refer the customer to return on the appropriate date as a matter of policy. While most use approximately 75% consumption as their refill threshholds, many pharmacies choose to implement a higher consumption level for controlled medications. Automatically determining refill intervals based on a variety of criteria is a standard parameter feature in virtually every Pharmacy Mangement System, or instantly occurs vitually universally at the insurer as part of its DUR (drug utilization review) if the prescription is submitted for reimbursement.

While these standards apply to virtually every prescription dispensed, the ultimate dispensing discretion is up to the pharmacy itself, and eventually the individual pharmacist.