Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) Written
prescriptions shall be issued only on New Jersey Prescription Blanks (NJPB).
1. All prescription blanks shall be numbered consecutively and shall be
printed on non-reproducible, non-erasable safety paper bearing the optometrist's license number and National
Provider Identifier Number, if applicable;
2. All prescription
blanks shall be secured from a vendor approved by the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law
and Public Safety;
3. A record shall be maintained of the receipt
of New Jersey Prescription Blanks; and
4. The Office of Drug
Control in the Division of Consumer Affairs shall be notified as soon as possible but no later than 72 hours
from the time that the optometrist becomes aware that a New Jersey Prescription Blank has been altered, lost,
or stolen from the optometrist's possession.
(b) Every
optometrist shall provide the following information on all prescriptions:
1. The prescriber's full name, address, telephone number, license number
and academic degree or identification of professional practice. This information shall be preprinted on all
prescriptions;
2. The full name of the patient;
3. The date of issuance of prescription; and
4. The signature of the prescriber, hand-written.
(c) Every optometrist certified to prescribe pharmaceutical agents pursuant
to the provisions of N.J.A.C. 13:38-4 and
45:12-9.8 through 9.12 shall, in addition to the information set
forth in (a) above, provide the following on all prescriptions for pharmaceutical agents:
1. The optometrist's certification number;
2. The name, strength and quantity of drug or drugs to be
dispensed;
3. Adequate instruction for the patient, which shall
include, but not be limited to, duration, frequency and dosage. The use of "p.r.n." or "as directed" without
further instruction shall be deemed insufficient direction.
4.
The number of refills permitted or time limit for refills, or both; and
5. Every prescription blank shall be imprinted with the words "substitution
permissible" and "do not substitute" and shall contain space for the optometrist's initials next to the
chosen option, in addition to the space required for the signature in (a)4 above.
(d) In addition to the provisions of (a) and (b) above, optometrists
certified to prescribe pharmaceutical agents pursuant to the provisions of N.J.A.C. 13:38-4 and
45:12-9.8 through 9.13 shall comply with the following:
1. The optometrist shall advise all patients by sign or pamphlet or similar
notice available in a conspicuous location in the optometrist's office that the patient may request that the
optometrist substitute a generic drug, when available, for any prescribed medication.
2. The optometrist shall not dispense a prescription as provided for in
45:12-1 et seq., in an amount exceeding a 72-hour supply unless
the prescription is dispensed at no charge to the patient.
i.
Notwithstanding (d)2 above, an optometrist may dispense a pharmaceutical agent, as provided for in
45:12-1 et seq., that is delivered to the eye through a contact
lens and may dispense such pharmaceutical agent at a charge to the patient.
3. The optometrist shall ensure that each medication dispensed directly to
a patient is placed in a container or envelope labeled in a legible manner with at least the following
information:
i. The optometrist's full name, license and certificate
number;
ii. The full name of the patient;
iii. The date the medication is dispensed;
iv. The name, strength and quantity of medication dispensed; and
v. Adequate instructions for the patient regarding the frequency of
administration of the medication.
(e) In no
instance shall an optometrist sign a blank prescription form or dispense medications without complying with
the requirements of this section.
(f) Any licensee who practices
outside his or her scope of practice, as defined in
45:12-1, will be deemed to have engaged in professional
misconduct pursuant to 45:1-21(e).
(g) Each prescription for a controlled dangerous substance shall be written
on a separate NJPB.
1. An NJPB that contains prescriptions for two or more
controlled dangerous substances shall be invalid.
2. An NJPB that
contains a prescription for only one controlled dangerous substance and contains other medication(s) shall
not be valid.
(h) All licensees are prohibited from
prescribing controlled dangerous substances as outlined in 24:21-5
, Schedule I,
and 24:21-6, Schedule II, except that licensees may prescribe controlled dangerous substances containing
hydrocodone, regardless of schedule.
(i) Each prescription for a
pharmaceutical agent shall be for the purpose of diagnosing and treating deficiencies, deformities, diseases,
or abnormalities of the human eye and adnexae.
(j) An optometrist
may transmit a prescription to a pharmacist telephonically or electronically.
