if some pharmacist told me i could fill half my script but would forfiet the rest simply because they wont have them in stock for 72 hours i would spit in his fucking face.
i dont think thats even correct....as in im quite positive they are not permitted to do that by law or whatever. maybe im wrong, i would love to see something in writing to prove that they can, in fact, do this.
Why spit in their face when you can just take your prescription elsewhere to be filled? It's not like they may run out when filling your script and tell you that you are out of luck with getting the rest. They tell you all of this up front and give you the option of filling the partial amount or going elsewhere, or leaving the prescription with them so they can order the rest for you and fill it all up at once upon arrival.
Here are my thoughts on it. When they run the prescription through the system to be filled they have to put down the full amount (this is for charging your insurance). If they don't have the full amount and are willing to do a partial prescription for you to fill the rest later they have to write down the amount they owe you on a piece of paper or something since they run the full amount through the system when they type the info in.
Edit: It says that they write down the amount on the prescription and sign it.
Now if they allowed for people to get the partial amount until the rest comes in, it could get very messy having a bunch of vouchers being written out for the remaining amount. When you come back for the full amount it's not like they can then go back in the computer and put in that you got the rest since they already put in the prescription for the full amount. When I was given partial amounts they wrote on the prescription bottle and on the paper that comes with it "70 filled, owe 20" (those quantities are just an example), and I showed that to them when I came back for the rest.
So when it comes down to it I think that a lot of pharmacies don't want to have to deal with allowing people to get the rest at a later date since it would be too hard to keep track of, and they really can't risk having controlled substances going unaccounted for. Also if the person doesn't come back for the remainder of the script in the next few days then what? The inventory could get screwed up and it could cause problems when they need to order more.
That's why I think that busy chain pharmacies seem to be the ones that don't allow this, but some slower "Mom & Pop" pharmacies do, since they may just have a couple of pharmacists on staff who could remember you and where they wrote down the remaining amount. Also people may claim to have not gotten the remaining pills that they are owed when they in fact have, which can cause problems in a busy pharmacy that has a bunch of different pharmacists on staff.
I just found something that verifies what I was saying about partial scripts in NYS.
(l) A pharmacist may partially fill an official New York State prescription for a schedule II controlled substance or those schedule III or schedule IV controlled substances listed in section 80.67(a) of this Part provided that:
(1) the pharmacist does not have a sufficient quantity to fill an emergency oral or official prescription and he/she makes a notation of the quantity supplied on the prescription (or written record of the emergency oral prescription). The remaining portion of the prescription may be filled within 72 hours of the first partial filling. However, if the remaining portion is not or cannot be filled with the 72-hour period, the pharmacist shall so notify the prescribing practitioner. No further quantity may be supplied beyond 72 hours without a new prescription (
source).
I found basically the same thing for the state of California.
Section 1745, of Title 16 of the CCR refers to the partial filling of Schedule II prescriptions when a pharmacist is unable to supply the full quantity ordered by the prescriber for patients who are NOT skilled nursing or terminally ill patients. If the pharmacy is unable to dispense the full quantity prescribed, a partial amount may be dispensed, and the remaining portion may be filled within 72 hours of the first partial filling. If the remaining portion is not filled within the 72-hour period, the remaining portion can NOT be dispensed, the prescriber must be notified, and a new prescription will be required (
source).
So basically after 72 hours of it being partially filled the prescription is no longer valid. That's why they told me they couldn't fill the partial amount when they knew the shipment wasn't coming in for another 4 days. I think that although partial scripts can be filled (considering the remainder can be filled in the next 72 hours), certain pharmacies opt out of this stipulation since it's too much to risk if the person doesn't come in during those next 3 days or if there is a problem with the supply where it doesn't get there within those 3 days.