When discharging a patient, prescriptions from inpatient inventory are allowed as which fill?

• A. First fill only
• B. Any number of refills
• C. Only the second fill
• D. No refills allowed

Answer: (A)

The thing being tested is how discharge medications sourced from the hospital’s inpatient inventory are treated for dispensing. Medications in inpatient stock are meant to provide an immediate, one-time supply to bridge the patient from hospital to outpatient care. Because that stock is finite and tightly controlled, it is designated for the first fill at discharge only. After that initial supply, any additional refills should be handled through the patient’s outpatient pharmacy with a new or continued prescription, ensuring proper prescribing, insurance processing, and follow-up.

So the discharge prescription from inpatient inventory is treated as the first fill.