Interchangeable Drugs

(1) Medical Emergencies (a) In a medical emergency a pharmacist may fill a prescription marked "no substitution" bydispensing a less expensive interchangeable drug product as allowed bythe Massachusetts List of Interchangeable Drugs if the particular brand is not in stock; similarly, a pharmacist may fill a prescription not marked "no substitution" in a medical emergency by dispensing the brand name product as written if he or she has no less expensive interchangeable drug product in stock to be dispensed. (b) In such instances, the pharmacist must record the date, hour, and nature of the medical emergency on the back of the prescription or in the computerized pharmacy system and the person purchasing the drug product must indicate acceptance of this deviation from the law in writing. All such prescriptions shall be clearly identifiable and available for review by the Board. 247 CMR - 52 (2) Generic Prescriptions. Upon receiving a prescription for a generic name drug product with no manufacturer specified by the prescriber, a pharmacist may select, regardless of whether or not the prescriber has marked "no substitution" on the prescription, any legally marketed drug product whether or not it appears in the Massachusetts List of Interchangeable Drugs, in accordance with the prescriber's intent and the normal exercise of professional judgment. (3) Labeling (a) When a less expensive generic drug product has been dispensed, the words "interchange" plus the generic name and manufacturer of the product shall appear on the label in the following manner: "Interchange": (Generic name of less expensive drug product dispensed plus manufacturer); (b) When a less expensive brand name drug product has been dispensed, the words "interchange" plus either the generic name and manufacturer of the product or the less expensive brand name dispensed shall appear on the label in the following manner: "Interchange": (generic name of less expensive brand drug plus manufacturer of brand name of less expensive drug product); (c) In addition to the above, the brand name of the prescribed drug product may also appear on the label in the following manner: "Interchange": (name of less expensive generic drug product plus manufacturer or brand name drug product actually dispensed) for (brand name drug product dispensed); (d) Abbreviations are permissible as long as they are commonly understood. For example, "IC" may be used for "interchange" and manufacturers' names may be abbreviated as shown in the Massachusetts List of Interchangeable Drugs; (e) 247 CMR 9.05 shall only apply to prescriptions dispensed by a pharmacy with a Drug Store Pharmacy License.