What does the term 'refill' of medication refer to?

• A. The expiration date
• B. The method of administration
• C. The number of times the medication can be resupplied by the pharmacy without re-orders
• D. The unit dose per tablet

Answer: (C)

Refill refers to how many additional times the pharmacy is allowed to dispense more of the same medication under the current prescription without needing a new order from the clinician. The prescriber states how many refills are permitted, and the pharmacist can provide doses up to that limit as long as the patient remains within the allowed time frame and the prescription isn’t expired. This concept affects ongoing access to the medication and helps prevent gaps in treatment, while still ensuring the clinician can review and renew treatment as needed.

It’s not about how long the medication lasts before it expires (expiration date), the method you use to take it (administration method), or the strength per tablet (unit dose).