confused about scripts

[deanslist23]

ok, i'm confused because i hear different things. first of all, if a script is dated for the 9th, can it or can it not be filled before that? is it up to the pharmacy? it's hydrocodone and adderall. the reason i'm asking is because last month the rx's said the 9th and i didn't know it, i filled one on the 5th, and one on the 7th. this month when i went in they said they couldn't fill it until the 9th and when i told them it was filled on the 7th last month, they looked it up and checked the old rx and saw they did fill it early but said they couldn't. my husband had a rx dated for the 24th and the last fill was on the 28th and this same pharmacy said it couldn't be filled until the 28th, but the pharmacy next door filled it? it' s confusing because it seems like its really just up to the pharmacy. also, my dr office said it doesn't matter that it says the 9th, they can fill it a few days early, but i've always heard you can only fill it for the day it was written for?

[allmymarbles]

I think your doctor wants to make sure you don't overdose.

[deanslist23]

thank you. i live in ny. that's what i thought too, but they do it all the time. if it's illegal for them to do it, why do they? why don't they just say you can't have it yet? plus, our doctor all of a sudden (this month) said she had to write it for the 9th because that's when she wrote it last month and she has to write it for the same date every month!! she's never done that before, and the pharmacist said that's not true.

[allmymarbles]

You absolutely do not have to fill it on the day it is written. What I don't know is how long you can keep the prescription before filling it. Surely a week or two has gone for me and there has never been a problem.

[Sandra Y, RPh]

Because both medications are controlled substances, federal law states that the prescriptions should not be filled before the date the prescriptions were written on. It depends on what state you live in, but most states do not allow a physician to post-date (write prescriptions dated later than the date they are actually written) prescriptions. It is a mistake on the pharmacy's part that they filled the medications previously without looking at the date, but they should not be filled until the date written.

[deanslist23]

thank you for the info, however, i'm still confused about the date on the script. i live in the usa, if they write the date as 2/9, can i fill it anytime, or just 2/9?

[Tyler15951]

I am not sure where you live... in Canada or the USA? I am familiar with the regulations for prescriptions in Canada, in British Columbia at least. First, I haven't come across prescriptions that were dated "early" by a physician except in the case where the medication on the script required a Controlled Prescription OR Triplicate form. This is basically a special form that is usually used for many opioid drugs, with the purpose of trying to prevent adulteration of the prescription by the patient. Some of these drugs have a high abuse potential. Hydrocodone is one such drug that requires a Triplicate form, Adderal (dextroamphetamine) does not. Otherwise you can basically walk into a pharmacy with a ONE year script for many other medications--like the high blood pressure medication Ramipril--and have the entire thing filled. The reason many patients don't do this is either because they are just starting the drug, or due to insurance policies. Many insurance companies only allow 3 months of a prescription to be filled at a time, for coverage purposes. You are also correct in that the "choice" to dispense the medication is up to the pharmacist in charge of the pharmacy at the time. If you were to come in early for your medication they may suspect that your are not using your prescription properly and would not fill the prescription until the proper date; alternatively, they may fill the prescription for you if they understand the situation & trust you. For at least some of the time it comes down to the patient-pharmacist relationship.
***If you do not live in Canada BC, you could go talk to a pharmacist in your community & ask about the regulation of prescriptions in your particular province or state. They may be able to direct you to a reliable web-site.

Hope this helps,

Tyler