Medical Board of California - Services for Licensees -
Thursday, December 23, 2004

Requirements for Triplicate Drug Prescription Forms

The triplicate prescription form required to prescribe
Schedule II medications is being replaced by a tamper-
resistant prescription pad that will be available from
private printing companies that have been approved by
the Board of Pharmacy and the Department of Justice.

The new form may be used after July 1, 2004 although
triplicate forms can still be used through December 31,
2004.

On January 1, 2005, all written controlled substance
prescriptions (for Schedules II-V) must be on the new,
tamper-resistant prescription form.

Special Alert Regarding Triplicate Prescription Forms:
The state exhausted its supply of triplicate prescriptions
earlier than anticipated and was unable to fill some
orders received before the July 1 deadline.

Physicians who run out of triplicates will be able to
use an "emergency-fill" exemption to write prescriptions
for controlled substances.

Department of Justice (DOJ) recommends that affected
physicians invoke the emergency prescription statute
(Health and Safety Code ?11167), which permits the use
of regular, nonsecure prescription forms for Schedule II
prescriptions in "an emergency where failure to issue a
prescription may result in the loss of life or intense
suffering." To do this, physicians simply write "11167"
on the regular prescription form and submit it to a
pharmacy.

Although section 11167 requires physicians to follow-up
by submitting a triplicate or tamper-resistant form to
the pharmacist within seven days of the initial
prescription, DOJ and the pharmacy board recognize that
because of the lack of proper prescription forms that
may be impossible for some physicians. DOJ will not
pursue enforcement efforts against these physicians who
have documented their situation, including their
attempts to order the appropriate forms.