Arizona MPJE (Pharmacy Jurisprudence) Practice Exam

What constitutes a prescription-only drug to be misbranded before dispensing?

1. Cautions the doctor to check for drug interactions

2. Does not bear the statement "Rx only"

3. Has the patient's name on it

4. Is subscribed by a nurse

The correct answer is: Cautions the doctor to check for drug interactions

The correct understanding is that a prescription-only drug is considered misbranded before dispensing primarily when it does not bear the statement "Rx only." This is a critical requirement that informs both healthcare providers and patients that the medication can only be dispensed with a valid prescription, highlighting its status and regulatory restrictions. While cautioning the doctor to check for drug interactions is an important aspect of patient safety, it does not define the misbranding of a prescription-only medication. A prescription can have a patient's name on it, which is typical for individual prescriptions and does not contribute to misbranding. Similarly, if a nurse subscribes the prescription within the legal scope of their practice, it likewise does not make the drug misbranded. Thus, the absence of the designation "Rx only" on the label or packaging is a direct indicator of misbranding in the context of prescription-only drugs prior to dispensing.