The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Drug Control Division (DCP) has issued guidance for health care providers regarding refills and reissuances of controlled substance prescriptions for patients without an in-person visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DCP explains that “practitioners may issue prescription refills for controlled substances using their professional discretion for a patient under their care without seeing the patient in-person within certain parameters.” The parameters are as follows:

• Schedule-Specific Requirements for Controlled Substance Prescriptions
  • Schedule II prescriptions cannot be refilled; however, practitioners with a pre-existing relationship with a patient who have prescribed a particular controlled substance for the patient previously can reissue the prescription without an in-person visit. Additionally, no prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance can contain more than one (1) prescription.
  • Schedule III and IV prescriptions can be refilled up to five (5) times every six (6) months as authorized by the prescribing practitioner.
  • Schedule V prescriptions can be refilled as authorized by the prescribing practitioner.

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