The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is allowing pharmacists to dispense a one-month supply of controlled substances without a written prescription to those affected by recent devastating tornado and storms.
Thursday's waiver allows pharmacists to use their judgment to fill the prescriptions for morphine, oxycontin and other medications that are typically more tightly controlled by the government.
"To ensure the health and safety of those impacted by these recent devastating storms, we must ensure that Missourians are able to continue receiving prescribed medications in a timely manner," Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a statement announcing the provision. “We thank the medical professionals across our state who are playing a critical role in helping Missouri communities recover."
The order is meant to serve those whose prescriptions or prescription records were destroyed or lost in the storms.
The use of such medications is highly regulated by the government because the drugs are associated with a high risk of misuse or addiction. Controlled substances can be illegal drugs, such as heroin, or legal drugs with medical uses, such as painkillers.
According to the waiver signed by Health Director Sarah Willson, state-licensed pharmacists “shall use discretion and professional judgment in dispensing refills of controlled substance prescriptions for individuals impacted by the Spring storms of March through May.”
The dispensing can occur at any location where a pharmacist is working in Missouri, the waiver states. That includes retail pharmacies such as Walgreens, clinics or emergency shelters.
Pharmacists should first attempt to reach the prescribing physician before taking this step, according to the waiver. They also must notify the original prescriber of the emergency refill within a “reasonable” amount of time.
In an interview earlier this week, Dr. Catherine Moore, a family physician at Affinia’s North Florissant clinic, said worries about medications have been some of the most pressing health concerns for people affected by the tornadoes.
“[One of the] things that we've already been confronted with is that some of the pharmacies still don't have power. So some of my patients are frantically calling in asking for us to transfer their medications to a different pharmacy in a different neighborhood,” she said. “Some patients have lost their medications or don't have access to their medications, and we're trying to work with their insurance companies to make sure that they have free refills.”
While the waiver was issued shortly after a tornado hit St. Louis, it is meant to apply to those affected by storms throughout the state in March, April and May of this year.
The provision will expire at the end of June unless the governor decides to extend it.
