A 68-year-old male, active and otherwise healthy, presents to your pharmacy requesting a refill of his long-standing medication, ramipril 5 mg daily. He normally sees his physician every 6 months, but his appointment was unexpectedly cancelled, and the earliest reschedule is in 6 weeks. He has 1 week of medication left and no refills remaining. In a province where pharmacists have refill extension authority, what is the most appropriate action?

Question: A 68-year-old male, active and otherwise healthy, presents to your pharmacy requesting a refill of his long-standing medication, ramipril 5 mg daily. He normally sees his physician every 6 months, but his appointment was unexpectedly cancelled, and the earliest reschedule is in 6 weeks. He has 1 week of medication left and no refills remaining. In a province where pharmacists have refill extension authority, what is the most appropriate action?

Answer options:

• Refuse the refill as it requires a new prescription from his physician.
• Dispense a full 30-day supply and ask him to book an earlier appointment. ✅ Dispense a short-term emergency supply (e.g., 2 weeks) to bridge until his rescheduled appointment.
• Call the physician's office to request a new prescription immediately.

Correct answer: Dispense a short-term emergency supply (e.g., 2 weeks) to bridge until his rescheduled appointment.

Explanation: As a pharmacist in a province with refill extension authority, providing a short-term emergency supply (e.g., 2 weeks) of a chronic, essential medication like ramipril is appropriate to prevent an interruption in therapy while the patient awaits a physician appointment. This ensures continuity of care without overstepping the bounds of the extension authority, which is often for a limited duration.