The bill amends Chapter 5-19.1 of the General Laws regarding pharmacies by introducing a new section, 5-19.1-37, which authorizes pharmacists to dispense a one-time refill of a prescription for up to one hundred days under specific conditions. These conditions include:

1. The pharmacist is unable to readily obtain refill authorization from the prescriber, or the patient does not have a prescriber;
2. The prescription is not for a drug classified in Schedule II-V;
3. The medication is essential to the maintenance of life or the continuation of therapy for a chronic condition;
4. In the pharmacist's professional judgment, the interruption of therapy might reasonably produce undesirable health consequences or cause physical or mental discomfort; and
5. The dispensing pharmacist must notify the prescriber of the refill within seven business days, or if no current prescriber exists, document this in their internal record-keeping system.

This act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.