NRS639.2353. Transmission of prescription to pharmacist; contents of written prescription; specific directions for use; requirements for written prescription; authentication of prescription given by electronic transmission.

  Except as otherwise provided in a regulation adopted pursuant to NRS 453.385 or 639.2357:

      1.  A prescription must be given:

      (a) Directly from the practitioner to a pharmacist;

      (b) Indirectly by means of an order signed by the practitioner;

      (c) By an oral order transmitted by an agent of the practitioner; or

      (d) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 5, by electronic transmission or transmission by a facsimile machine, including, without limitation, transmissions made from a facsimile machine to another facsimile machine, a computer equipped with a facsimile modem to a facsimile machine or a computer to another computer, pursuant to the regulations of the Board.

      2.  A written prescription must contain:

      (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the name and signature of the practitioner, and the address of the practitioner if not immediately available to the pharmacist;

      (b) The classification of his or her license;

      (c) The name of the patient, and the address of the patient if not immediately available to the pharmacist;

      (d) The name, strength and quantity of the drug prescribed;

      (e) The symptom or purpose for which the drug is prescribed, if included by the practitioner pursuant to NRS 639.2352;

      (f) Directions for use; and

      (g) The date of issue.

      3.  The directions for use must be specific in that they indicate the portion of the body to which the medication is to be applied or, if to be taken into the body by means other than orally, the orifice or canal of the body into which the medication is to be inserted or injected.

      4.  Each written prescription must be written in such a manner that any registered pharmacist would be able to dispense it. A prescription must be written in Latin or English and may include any character, figure, cipher or abbreviation which is generally used by pharmacists and practitioners in the writing of prescriptions.

      5.  A prescription for a controlled substance must not be given by electronic transmission or transmission by a facsimile machine unless authorized by federal law and NRS 439.581 to 439.595, inclusive, and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

      6.  A prescription that is given by electronic transmission is not required to contain the signature of the practitioner if:

      (a) It contains a facsimile signature, security code or other mark that uniquely identifies the practitioner;

      (b) A voice recognition system, biometric identification technique or other security system approved by the Board is used to identify the practitioner; or

      (c) It complies with the provisions of NRS 439.581 to 439.595, inclusive, and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

      (Added to NRS by 1979, 342; A 1979, 1696; 1983, 1510; 1985, 885; 1993, 634; 1995, 292; 1997, 688; 2001, 836, 1633; 2005, 181, 2749; 2007, 658; 2011, 1763)