Does Virginia require an expiration date or beyond use date (BUD) on prescription vial labels in community practice?

In Virginia, there is no requirement for an expiration date or beyond-use date (BUD) to be labeled on prescription vials in community practice. This means that while it is critical for pharmacists to maintain proper medication safety and efficacy, the state regulations do not mandate that these dates be included on prescription labels for community dispensed medications.

It's important to note that although pharmacists are encouraged to use their professional judgment in determining the appropriate BUD based on medication stability and patient safety, the law does not impose this as a requirement for all dispensed prescriptions. Compounded medications, on the other hand, do have specific labeling guidelines that require BUDs, which differs from standard commercial prescriptions. Therefore, the lack of a requirement in community practice specifically addresses the general labeling practices for prescriptions that do not fall into the compounded category.