The Georgia Board of Pharmacy (“Board”) reminds pharmacy licensees in this time of emergency that Georgia Law and the Board’s Policy #14 provide for the refill of certain medications for up to 30 days for persons in the areas covered by the State of Emergency declared by Governor Kemp. This policy is consistent with O.C.G.A. §§ 26-4-80(f), & 26-4-80(j), and the Governor’s Emergency Declaration. This statement is consistent with previous hurricane and severe weather emergency statements issued by the Board.

O.C.G.A. § 26-4-80(f)(1) provides, that when filling or refilling a prescription, in an area for which “the Governor has issued an executive order or proclamation declaring a state of emergency or the National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning, the pharmacist may dispense up to a 30 day supply in the counties or areas affected by such order, proclamation, or warning,” provided:

  1. The prescription is not for a Schedule II controlled substance as set out in Code Section 16-13-26;
  2. In the pharmacist’s professional judgment, the prescription is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy for a chronic condition;
  3. In the pharmacist’s professional judgment, the interruption of such therapy might reasonably produce undesirable health consequences or cause physical or mental discomfort;
  4. The dispensing pharmacist creates and signs a written order containing all of the prescription information required by this article and by Chapter 13 of Title 16; and
  5. The dispensing pharmacist notifies the prescriber of the emergency dispensing within 48 hours after such dispensing and each such dispensing thereafter.

Additionally, persons who are evacuated from those emergency areas may also receive a 30-day refill of medication by a Georgia pharmacy or pharmacist without risk of disciplinary action by the Board, provided:

  1. The refill is not for a controlled substance;
  2. In the pharmacist’s professional judgment, the prescription drug is essential to the maintenance of the patient’s life or to the continuation of therapy;
  3. The pharmacist makes a good faith effort to reduce the information to a form that may be maintained for the time required by law or rule, indicates it is an “emergency refill prescription,” and maintains the records as required by state and federal law and as required by state and federal disaster agencies for consideration for possible reimbursement programs implemented to ensure continued provision of care during a disaster or emergency;
  4. The pharmacist informs the patient or the patient’s agent at the time of dispensing that the prescription drug is being provided without the practitioner’s authorization and that authorization of the practitioner is required for future refills; and
  5. As emergency conditions permit, the pharmacist notifies the practitioner that the refill occurred.