What must a pharmacist do with an emergency oral CII prescription?

In the context of handling an emergency oral prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance, the correct action for the pharmacist is to reduce the prescription to writing with all required elements. This is crucial because, according to federal law, for an emergency oral prescription to be valid, the pharmacist must create a written record that includes all the necessary details such as the patient’s information, drug prescribed, dosage, quantity, and the prescriber’s identification.

This written documentation serves several key purposes: it provides an official record for accountability, ensures compliance with regulatory standards, and facilitates any necessary follow-up with the prescriber. Additionally, the prescriber must provide a written prescription to the pharmacy within a specified timeframe (usually 7 days), which further emphasizes the need for the pharmacist to document the prescription accurately.

Filing the prescription without changes or confirming with the prescriber would not fulfill the regulatory requirements necessary to ensure that the prescription is valid and traceable. Discarding it after use would not allow for any record keeping, which is essential in scenarios involving controlled substances.