Some drugs may typically be dispensed in packages of 6 tablets or 28 tablets. The pharmacy’s expectation is to receive an order for 6 tablets or 28 tablets respectively. A prescription for 1 tablet of an oral contraceptive that comes in a 28 pack is likely to be denied or questioned by the pharmacy. The pharmacy does not expect to receive 1 package but rather the number of individual units in the package.
Packaging sometimes changes over time and this policy allows both the prescriber and the pharmacy to maintain a consistent record of what was ordered and dispensed. To avoid confusion, please request the number of the provided units that are to be dispensed. This removes ambiguity and can avoid delays of the pharmacy completing the prescription.
NOTE: Use of individual units has been required by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP), and many ambiguous units (such as "bottle") have been removed from the dispense units dropdown.