Ohio Pharmacy Law Practice Test

Regarding prescription refill, which of the following is true concerning "Refill PRN"?

1. It allows for timed refills every month

2. It allows refills at the discretion of the pharmacist

3. It does not authorize any refills

4. It is valid for 1 refill per year

The correct answer is: It does not authorize any refills

"Refill PRN" refers to the practice of allowing refills of a prescription on an as-needed basis, rather than scheduling specific refills at regular intervals. By definition, it indicates that the refill can happen if the patient requires it, rather than providing a set number of refills or specific time frame for dispensing them. In this context, stating that "Refill PRN" does not authorize any refills is inaccurate. What it actually means is that the prescription may be refilled as needed, depending on the judgment of both the patient’s condition and the pharmacist. However, the misunderstanding may arise from the notion that it implies no refills are available; it actually permits the pharmacist the flexibility to evaluate the necessity of a refill when the patient needs it. This is critical for managing medications that can be needed sporadically and is particularly relevant for chronic conditions where medication use can vary. The choice that claims it does not authorize any refills would be misleading as "PRN" is inherently about allowing a process for refills to accommodate patient needs.