Board of Pharmacy
Chapter 855
Division 41
OPERATION OF PHARMACIES
855-041-4005
Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) - Procedures
(1) Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) means the practice of prescribing or dispensing an antibiotic drug for the treatment of a sexually transmitted disease to the partner of a patient without first examining that partner.
(2) Notwithstanding any other rules in this division that mandate requirements for a valid prescription and for labeling, when a prescription is marked EPT or a similar notation by the prescribing practitioner, this rule shall govern.
(3) An EPT prescription may only be dispensed for a drug that has been determined by the Department of Human Services (DHS) to be appropriately used for EPT.
Prescription
(4) An EPT treatment protocol must conform to the following:
(a) It must include a prescription for each named or unnamed partner of the patient;
(b) It must contain a hand written or electronic signature of the prescribing practitioner;
(c) The practitioner must identify the prescription in the following manner:
(A) Write “for EPT,” or a similar notation, on the face of the prescription;
(B) For a verbal order, the practitioner must identify the prescription as an “EPT Prescription,” or similar identification;
(C) The practitioner must identify the prescription for each partner either by including the name of the patient, such as “John Doe – Partner 1” or by labeling the prescription as “EPT Partner”
(d) An EPT Prescription expires 30 days after the date written;
(e) An EPT Prescription may not be refilled;
(f) If any component of the prescription is missing, the pharmacist must contact the prescriber or the prescriber’s agent and must record the additional information on the prescription.
(5) A patient may give the prescription to each unnamed partner for that person to fill at a pharmacy of their choice; or the patient may give all prescriptions to one pharmacy and then give the dispensed drugs to each unnamed partner.
Labeling
(6) The pharmacist must label the drug for the named patient in accordance with normal procedures as specified in the other rules of this division, however when either the patient or partner is unnamed, the pharmacy may create a unique identifier and use that instead of a name for both labeling and record keeping purposes.
(7) The pharmacist must assign a separate and unique identifier to each prescription and clearly identity this number on each corresponding prescription label.
Counseling
(8) The pharmacist is not required to obtain an EPT patient’s or partner’s name, address, or demographics; however, the pharmacist must:
(a) Provide counseling in the form of written patient information to accompany each prescription for each partner and ask the patient about any known allergies or other drugs being taken by each partner. The pharmacist should advise the patient to encourage each partner to call the pharmacist before taking the drug if they have experienced any adverse effect from a drug in the past or if they are taking other drugs;
(b) Document counseling.
Records
(9) All documentation required by this rule must be attached to the prescription and must be referenced to each partner’s prescription. Such documentation must be retained in accordance with the other rules in this division and must be made available to the Board upon request.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 689.205
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 689.505
History:
BP 53-2020, minor correction filed 08/06/2020, effective 08/06/2020
BP 1-2010, f. & cert. ef. 2-8-10