When can emergency medication supplies be provided?

Emergency medication supplies can be provided when no refills remain and the pharmacy is awaiting authorization from the prescriber. This situation often arises when a patient is in immediate need of their medication but cannot access it due to a lack of refills. In such cases, providing a limited supply of medication helps ensure continuity of care and addresses the patient's urgent health needs while waiting for a prescription authorization.

The other options don't align with the regulations surrounding emergency medication supplies. Providing medication only during office hours would restrict access when patients might need it most. Allowing requests at any time could lead to misuse and is not typical policy for handling emergency medication situations. Finally, verifying availability with the manufacturer is not a standard practice for distributing emergency medication supplies, as it does not directly pertain to patient needs but rather to the supply chain aspect, which cannot always be confirmed in urgent situations.