2007 California Health and Safety Code Article 4. Refilling Prescriptions

CA Codes (hsc:11200-11201)

11200.  (a) No person shall dispense or refill a controlled
substance prescription more than six months after the date thereof.
   (b) No prescription for a Schedule III or IV substance may be
refilled more than five times and in an amount, for all refills of
that prescription taken together, exceeding a 120-day supply.
   (c) No prescription for a Schedule II substance may be refilled.



11201.  A prescription for a controlled substance, except those
appearing in schedule II, may be refilled without the prescriber's
authorization if the prescriber is unavailable to authorize the
refill and if, in the pharmacist's professional judgment, failure to
refill the prescription might present an immediate hazard to the
patient's health and welfare or might result in intense suffering.
The pharmacist shall refill only a reasonable amount sufficient to
maintain the patient until the prescriber can be contacted.  The
pharmacist shall note on the reverse side of the prescription the
date and quantity of the refill and that the prescriber was not
available and the basis for his judgment to refill the prescription
without the prescriber's authorization.  The pharmacist shall inform
the patient that the prescription was refilled without the prescriber'
s authorization, indicating that the prescriber was not available and
that, in the pharmacist's professional judgment, failure to provide
the drug might result in an immediate hazard to the patient's health
and welfare or might result in intense suffering.  The pharmacist
shall inform the prescriber within a reasonable period of time.
Prior to refilling a prescription pursuant to this section, the
pharmacist shall make every reasonable effort to contact the
prescriber.
   The prescriber shall not incur any liability as the result of a
refilling of a prescription pursuant to this section.