Schedule II drugs may NOT be what?

Schedule II drugs are classified under the Controlled Substances Act and are subject to strict regulations due to their high potential for abuse and addiction. As such, these drugs cannot be refilled. This means that each prescription for a Schedule II substance must be filled as a new and separate prescription, requiring the prescriber to issue a new written or electronic prescription each time the patient needs the medication.

This restriction is primarily in place to help minimize the potential for misuse and to ensure that healthcare providers have ongoing oversight of the patient's treatment with these powerful medications. Additionally, refills are typically allowed for Schedule III and IV drugs, but not for Schedule II, making this a significant point of distinction in federal law regarding controlled substances.

Other options, such as selling Schedule II drugs without a prescription, giving them as samples, or prescribing them over the phone, do involve specific regulations but are not outright prohibited in the same way that refilling is. For instance, while Schedule II drugs cannot be sold without a valid prescription, they can technically be prescribed over the phone in emergency situations, contingent on certain conditions being met and the pharmacist receiving a written prescription within a specified timeframe.