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 as Schedule II-V controlled substances;
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. If no current prescriber exists, the pharmacist is required to document this in their internal record-keeping system.

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