Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 420b - Dependency-Producing Drugs
Section 21a-249. (Formerly Sec. 19-457). - Prescription requirements.

(a) All prescriptions for controlled drugs shall include (1) the name and address of the patient, or the name and address of the owner of an animal and the species of the animal, (2) whether the patient is an adult or a child, or his specific age, (3) the compound or preparation prescribed and the amount thereof, (4) directions for use of the medication, (5) the name and address of the prescribing practitioner, (6) the date of issuance, and (7) the Federal Registry number of the practitioner. No prescription blank containing a prescription for a schedule II substance shall contain more than one prescription. No prescription or order for a controlled substance issued by a practitioner to an inanimate object or thing shall be considered a valid prescription within the meaning of this chapter.

(b) Each prescribing practitioner, as defined in section 20-14c, who the Department of Consumer Protection authorizes to prescribe controlled substances, within the scope of practice of his or her license, shall electronically transmit the controlled substance prescription to a pharmacy. Electronically transmitted prescriptions shall be promptly printed out in hardcopy or created as an electronic record and filed by the prescriber. Electronically transmitted prescriptions shall be consistent with the requirements of the federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801, as amended from time to time. All records shall be kept on file for three years at the premises of the licensed practitioner and maintained in such form as to be readily available for inspection by the commissioner, his or her authorized agent or other persons, as authorized in section 21a-265, at reasonable times. For purposes of this subsection and subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this section, the term “electronically transmit” means to transmit by computer modem or other similar electronic device.
(c) A licensed practitioner shall not be required to electronically transmit a prescription when:
(1) Electronic transmission is not available due to a temporary technological or electrical failure. In the event of a temporary technological or electrical failure, the practitioner shall, without undue delay, reasonably attempt to correct any cause for the failure that is within his or her control. A practitioner who issues a prescription, but fails to electronically transmit the prescription, as permitted by this subsection, shall document the reason for the practitioner's failure to electronically transmit the prescription in the patient's medical record as soon as practicable, but in no instance more than seventy-two hours following the end of the temporary technological or electrical failure that prevented the electronic transmittal of the prescription. For purposes of this subdivision, “temporary technological or electrical failure” means failure of a computer system, application or device or the loss of electrical power to such system, application or device, or any other service interruption to such system, application or device that reasonably prevents the practitioner from utilizing his or her certified application to electronically transmit the prescription in accordance with subsection (b) of this section;
(2) The practitioner reasonably determines that it would be impractical for the patient to obtain substances prescribed by an electronically transmitted prescription in a timely manner and that such delay would adversely impact the patient's medical condition, provided if such prescription is for a controlled substance, the quantity of such controlled substance does not exceed a five-day supply for the patient, if the controlled substance was used in accordance with the directions for use. A practitioner who issues a prescription, but fails to electronically transmit the prescription, as permitted by this subsection, shall document the reason for the practitioner's failure to electronically transmit the prescription in the patient's medical record;
(3) The prescription is to be dispensed by a pharmacy located outside this state. A practitioner who issues a prescription, but fails to electronically transmit the prescription, as permitted by this subsection, shall document the reason for the practitioner's failure to electronically transmit the prescription in the patient's medical record;
(4) Use of an electronically transmitted prescription may negatively impact patient care, such as a prescription containing two or more products to be compounded by a pharmacist, a prescription for direct administration to a patient by parenteral, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous or intraspinal infusion, a prescription that contains long or complicated directions, a prescription that requires certain elements to be included by the federal Food and Drug and Administration, or an oral prescription communicated to a pharmacist by a health care practitioner for a patient in a chronic and convalescent nursing home, licensed pursuant to chapter 368v; or
(5) The practitioner demonstrates, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, that such practitioner does not have the technological capacity to issue electronically transmitted prescriptions. For the purposes of this subsection, “technological capacity” means possession of a computer system, hardware or device that can be used to electronically transmit controlled substance prescriptions consistent with the requirements of the federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801, as amended from time to time. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to a practitioner when such practitioner is prescribing as a telehealth provider, as defined in section 19a-906, section 1 of public act 20-2 of the July special session* or section 1 of public act 21-9*, as applicable, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 19a-906, subsection (c) of section 1 of public act 20-2 of the July special session* or subsection (c) of section 1 of public act 21-9*, as applicable.
(d) Any prescription issued in a form other than an electronically transmitted prescription pursuant to subsection (c) of this section may be issued as a written order or, to the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substance Act, 21 USC 801, as from time to time amended, as an oral order or transmitted by facsimile machine. Such oral order or order transmitted by facsimile machine shall be promptly reduced to writing on a prescription blank or a hardcopy printout or created as an electronic record and filed by the pharmacist filling it. No duplicate, carbon or photographic copies and no printed or rubber-stamped orders shall be considered valid prescriptions within the meaning of this chapter.
(e) Prescriptions for schedule II substances shall be electronically transmitted by the prescribing practitioner at the time of issuance and previously signed orders for such schedule II substances shall not be considered valid prescriptions within the meaning of this chapter. No practitioner shall prescribe, dispense or administer schedule II sympathomimetic amines as anorectics, except as may be authorized by regulations adopted by the Departments of Public Health and Consumer Protection acting jointly. To the extent permitted by the federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 USC 801, as from time to time amended, in an emergency, the dispensing of schedule II substances may be made upon the oral order of a prescribing registrant known to or confirmed by the filling pharmacist. The filling pharmacist shall promptly reduce such oral order to writing on a prescription blank, provided such oral order shall be confirmed by the proper completion and mailing or delivery of a prescription prepared by the prescribing registrant to the pharmacist filling such oral order within seventy-two hours after the oral order has been given. Such prescription of the registrant shall be affixed to the temporary prescription prepared by the pharmacist and both prescriptions shall be maintained on file as required in this chapter. The Department of Public Health and the Department of Consumer Protection, acting jointly, may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, allowing practitioners to prescribe, dispense or administer schedule II sympathomimetic amines as anorectics under certain specific circumstances. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a licensed pharmacist to determine the diagnosis of a patient prior to dispensing a prescription for such substances to a patient.
(f) All prescriptions for controlled substances shall comply fully with any additional requirements of the federal food and drug laws, the federal Controlled Substances Act, and state laws and regulations adopted under this chapter.
(g) Repealed by P.A. 82-419, S. 46, 47.
(h) Except when dispensed directly by a practitioner, other than a pharmacy, to an ultimate user, a controlled substance included in schedule III or IV, which is a prescription drug as determined under federal food and drug laws, shall not be dispensed without a written, electronically transmitted or oral prescription of a practitioner. The prescription shall not be filled or refilled more than six months after the date thereof or be refilled more than five times, unless renewed by the practitioner.
(i) A controlled substance included in schedule V shall not be distributed or dispensed other than for a medical purpose.
(j) A pharmacy may sell and dispense controlled substances upon the prescription of a prescribing practitioner, as defined in subdivision (28) of section 20-571.
(k) Pharmacies shall file filled prescriptions for controlled substances separately from other prescriptions. All schedule II prescriptions shall be filed in a separate file or in an electronic file. All schedule III, IV and V prescriptions shall be filed in another separate file or in an electronic file, except as otherwise provided for in regulations adopted pursuant to section 21a-243, 21a-244 or 21a-244a. All written controlled substance prescriptions shall, immediately upon filling, be filed chronologically and consecutively.
(l) (1) Any pharmacy may transfer:
(A) A prescription for a controlled substance included in schedule III, IV or V to any other pharmacy in accordance with the requirements set forth in the federal Controlled Substances Act 21 USC 801 et seq. and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as from time to time amended; and
(B) An unfilled prescription for a controlled substance included in schedule II, III, IV or V that was electronically transmitted in accordance with the requirements set forth in the federal Controlled Substances Act 21 USC 801 et seq. and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as from time to time amended. The pharmacy may transfer the unfilled electronic prescription by telephone or other electronic transmission if:
(i) Such transfer is consistent with the federal Controlled Substances Act 21 USC 801 et seq. and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as from time to time amended, and policies established by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration;
(ii) The pharmacy that first receives such prescription:
(I) Takes measures to prevent such prescription from being filled at any pharmacy other than the pharmacy to which the such pharmacy is transferring such prescription; and
(II) Records the name, telephone number and address of the pharmacy to which such pharmacy is transferring such prescription, and the name and license number of the pharmacist who receives such transferred prescription; and
(iii) The pharmacy that receives such transferred prescription records:
(I) All of the information required under subsection (a) of this section;
(II) That such prescription has been transferred;
(III) The name of the pharmacy that first received such prescription;
(IV) The date on which such prescription was issued;
(V) The date on which such prescription was transferred; and
(VI) Any refills issued for such prescription if such prescription is for a controlled substance included in schedule III, IV or V of the federal Controlled Substances Act 21 USC 801 et seq.
(2) The pharmacy that first receives an electronically transmitted prescription described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection may send a facsimile containing the prescription information for such prescription if such pharmacy is transferring such prescription pursuant to said subparagraph by telephone.
(m) A practitioner authorized to prescribe controlled substances shall not prescribe anabolic steroids for the sole purpose of enhancing a patient's athletic ability or performance.
(n) Each pharmacy, as defined in section 20-571, shall accept an electronically transmitted prescription for a controlled substance from a practitioner, as defined in section 21a-316. All records shall be kept on file for three years at the premises of the pharmacy and maintained current and separate from other business records in such form as to be readily available at the pharmacy for inspection by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, his or her authorized agent or other persons, as authorized in section 21a-265, at reasonable times. Prescription records received from the practitioner electronically may be stored electronically, provided the files are maintained in the pharmacy computer system for not less than three years. If the electronically transmitted prescription is printed, it shall be filed as required in subsection (k) of this section.
(1967, P.A. 555, S. 13; 1969, P.A. 161, S. 1, 2; 1972, P.A. 278, S. 5; P.A. 73-681, S. 6, 29; P.A. 77-165, S. 1; 77-277, S. 3; P.A. 78-310, S. 2, 4; P.A. 82-419, S. 37, 46, 47; P.A. 83-156; P.A. 85-613, S. 60, 154; P.A. 91-224, S. 1; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-72, S. 1; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-264, S. 58; P.A. 97-64, S. 2; P.A. 00-182, S. 4; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146; P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 05-73, S. 2; P.A. 09-22, S. 5; P.A. 17-131, S. 3; P.A. 18-148, S. 2; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-4, S. 8; P.A. 21-9, S. 2; 21-192, S. 9.)
*Note: Section 1 of public act 20-2 of the July special session and section 1 of public act 21-9 are special in nature and therefore have not been codified but remain in full force and effect according to their terms.
History: 1969 act deleted limiting phrase “to the extent permitted by the federal narcotic laws” in Subsec. (e) and deleted reference to compliance with “any additional requirements of federal narcotic laws” in Subsec. (f); 1972 act referred to “substances” rather than “drugs” and to “Schedule II” substances rather than to “Class A” narcotics, limited provisions of Subsec. (e) by adding “to the extent permitted by the Federal Controlled Substances Act”, restated Subsec. (f) to specify compliance with “any additional requirements” of food and drug laws and to specify federal drug law and added Subsecs. (g) to (i); P.A. 73-681 added Subsec. (a)(7) and prohibited issuance of prescription to “inanimate object or thing” in Subsec. (b); P.A. 77-165 referred to “federal registry” number rather than “BNDD” number in Subsec. (a)(7) and required one prescription per prescription blank; P.A. 77-277 added exception re Sec. 19-451a in Subsecs. (d) and (g); P.A. 78-310 added Subsec. (j); P.A. 82-419 amended section to allow more than one prescription on a blank except in case of schedule II substance, repealing Subsec. (g) which had required that filled prescriptions for controlled substances be filed separately, chronologically and consecutively; Sec. 19-457 transferred to Sec. 21a-249 in 1983; P.A. 83-156 added Subsec. (k) requiring filing of filled prescriptions for controlled substances separately, chronologically and consecutively; P.A. 85-613 made technical changes, deleting provision in Subsec. (j) which had required controlled substance prescriptions to be filed chronologically and consecutively; P.A. 91-224 amended Subsec. (c) to prohibit the prescription of Schedule II sympathomimetic amines as anorectics except as authorized by regulation; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-72 amended Subsecs. (d) and (h) to permit the use of electronically transmitted prescriptions; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-264 amended Subsec. (j) to change “licensed” practitioner to “prescribing” practitioner (Revisor's note: The reference in Subsec. (j) to “prescribing practitioner, as defined in subdivision (21) of …” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “prescribing practitioner, as defined in subdivision (22) of …”); P.A. 97-64 added new Subsec. (1) re transfer of prescriptions; P.A. 00-182 amended Subsec. (l) by replacing reference to 21 CFR 1306.26 with reference to 21 USC 801 et seq. and regulations promulgated thereunder; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Department of Consumer Protection with Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 05-73 added Subsec. (m) re the prescribing of anabolic steroids for the sole purpose of enhancing a patient's athletic ability or performance, effective May 31, 2005; P.A. 09-22 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b), added reference re schedule II prescriptions in writing in Subsec. (c), added references to Sec. 21a-244a and electronic record in Subsec. (d), replaced reference to federal laws and regulations with reference to the federal Controlled Substances Act in Subsec. (f) and added electronic file requirements and references to Secs. 21a-243 and 21a-244a in Subsec. (k), effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 17-131 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re prescription or order for controlled substance to an inanimate object or thing, amended Subsec. (b) by deleting provisions re written prescriptions and adding provisions re electronic transmission to pharmacy of prescription for controlled substance, added new Subsec. (c) re exceptions to electronic transmission requirement, added new Subsec. (d) re written order, oral order or order transmitted by facsimile machine, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (e) and amended same by replacing “signed” with “electronically submitted” and adding provisions re dispensing of schedule II substances upon oral order in an emergency, deleted existing Subsec. (d) re oral order or electronically transmitted prescription order, deleted Subsec. (e) re dispensing of schedule II substances upon oral order in an emergency, and added Subsec. (n) re acceptance of electronically transmitted prescription for controlled substance, effective January 1, 2018; P.A. 18-148 amended Subsec. (c)(5) by adding exception re practitioners prescribing as telehealth provider pursuant to Sec. 19a-906(c)(2), effective July 1, 2018; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-2 amended Subsec. (c) by adding references to section 1 of public act 20-2 of the July special session in Subdiv. (5), amended Subsec. (l) by redesignating existing provision as Subdiv. (1)(A), adding Subdiv. (1)(B) re transfer of an unfilled prescription that was electronically transmitted and adding Subdiv. (2) re requirements of pharmacy that first received an unfilled electronically transmitted prescription, effective July 31, 2020; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-4 amended Subsec. (j) by substituting reference to Sec. 20-571(24) for reference to Sec. 20-571(22), effective January 1, 2021; P.A. 21-9 amended Subsec. (c)(5) by adding references to section 1 of public act 21-9, effective May 10, 2021; P.A. 21-192 amended Subsec. (j) by substituting reference to Sec. 20-571(28) for reference to Sec. 20-571(24), effective July 13, 2021.

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