Section 1330.720  Transfer of Prescription

a)         A prescription may be transferred between pharmacies for the purpose of original fill or refill dispensing, provided that:

1)         The transferring pharmacy must invalidate the original prescription on file and record the name of the receiving pharmacy, the date of issuance of the copy, and the name of the pharmacist, student pharmacist, or pharmacy technician issuing the transferred prescription order; and

2)         The pharmacy receiving the transferred prescription directly from another pharmacy records the following:

A)        The name, address and original prescription number of the pharmacy from which the prescription was transferred;

B)        All information constituting a prescription order, including the following:  name of the drug, original amount dispensed, date of original issuance of the prescription, and number of valid refills remaining; and

C)        The pharmacist, student pharmacist, or pharmacy technician receiving the transferred prescription informs the patient that the original prescription has been cancelled at the pharmacy from which it has been transferred.

b)         A prescription for Schedule II, III, IV and V drugs may be transferred only from the original pharmacy and only one time for the purpose of original fill.  A prescription for Schedule III, IV, and V drugs may be transferred only from the original pharmacy and only one time for the purpose of a refill and may not be transferred further.  However, a pharmacist who is electronically sharing real-time on-line computerized systems may transfer up to the maximum refills permitted by law and the prescriber's authorization in accordance with 21 CFR 1306.26(a).

c)         Computerized systems must satisfy all information requirements of this Section, including invalidation of the original prescription when transferred between pharmacies accessing the same prescription records or between pharmacies of the same ownership.  If those systems that access the same prescription records have the capability of cancelling the original prescription, pharmacies using such a system are exempt from the requirements of this subsection if the transferred prescription can always be tracked to the original prescription order from the prescribing practitioner and the original prescription can be produced.

d)         When prescription information is transferred to another pharmacy for the purposes of original fill, the transferring pharmacy must enter a prescription into its system as if that prescription were filled at that pharmacy.

e)         Nothing in this Section shall apply to transactions described in Section 20 of the Act.

f)         A prescription shall only be transferred upon the request or authorization of the person for whom the prescription was issued, except upon closure of a pharmacy, in which case notice shall be made to that person, orally or in writing, of the closure and the location where the prescription is transferred.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 10225, effective June 28, 2024)