Can staff in a doctor’s office phone in prescriptions?

The use of an intermediary¹ to communicate verbal prescriptions between a prescriber and a pharmacist should be used with caution. Regulated members are expected to prioritize patient safety and use professional judgment when determining whether to accept a prescription communicated in this manner. The use of an intermediary should generally be limited to unusual or urgent situations where timely patient care would otherwise be compromised. When deciding whether to accept a prescription communicated through an intermediary, regulated members should consider the following:

1. Communication of verbal prescriptions through intermediaries does not diminish the prescriber’s responsibility for accuracy and appropriateness of the prescription. Regulated members must be able to communicate directly with the prescriber if clarification or confirmation of authenticity is required.
2. New prescriptions may be communicated verbally to a regulated member through an intermediary only
   • in unusual or urgent situations,² and
   • by an intermediary who speaks directly with a regulated member. Under no circumstances may two intermediaries be used.
3. Communication via an intermediary should include the indication for which the medication is being prescribed as well as the name and credential of the intermediary.
4. Intermediaries must not communicate verbal prescriptions for narcotics or controlled drugs, including benzodiazepines and other targeted substances as defined in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its Regulations.
5. A prescription that is communicated verbally must be documented by the regulated member receiving the order as per the standards of practice.

1. For the purpose of these principles, intermediary refers to any individual “third party” or “agent” who communicates a medication prescription on behalf of a prescriber to a pharmacist. Intermediaries also refer to electronic devices such as voice messaging systems and telephone answering devices used to receive medication prescriptions. ↩︎
2. Unusual situations are circumstances that are not typical or that are out of the ordinary. Urgent/Emergent situations are circumstances that call for immediate action or attention. ↩︎