Can a pharmacist fax a refill request to the doctor? And, can a doctor fax a refill authorization to a pharmacy?

The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board has adopted Standards of Pharmacy Practice for the Facsimile Transmission of Prescriptions for Community Pharmacies, which may be found on our Standards, Policies and Guidelines page. Prescriptions (including prescriptions for narcotics and controlled drugs) may be received by pharmacists from prescribers and would be considered as equivalent to a written prescription, as long as the requirements of the Standards are met. The faxed prescription from the prescriber must include a statement (on the prescription itself) indicating the specific pharmacy to which the prescription is being sent, and an indication that the original copy of the prescription will be invalidated and not be transmitted elsewhere. (This requirement is meant to prevent multiple filling of the same prescription at different pharmacies.) There is no specific regulation or standard regarding a pharmacist requesting refills by fax, however, there should not be a problem ...  more