# Can a Pharmacist Dispense Prescription Medication to a Minor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427 "2006-09-27T23:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/1 "2006-09-27T23:08:40Z")
Say that Jeff, a 16-year-old, has a standing order at his pharmacy for, I dunno, Coumadin, with automatic refills. Since the pharmacy is on his way home from school, can he just stop and pick up his refills himself? If so, would the law be different if he were picking up something with a bigger abuse potential - say, Xanax or a prescription narcotic or something? Ignoring the question of refills for the moment - can said teenager have the original paper script filled at the pharmacy by himself, or would he need a parent/guardian present? DISCLAIMERS: This is a purely hypothetical question. I am not a pharmacist, minor or parent/guardian of a minor. You are not my lawyer, I am not your client, blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/2 "2006-09-28T12:37:23Z")
No takers? ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/3 "2006-09-28T14:34:54Z")
I’m sure it depends on what state your in, I work at a pharmacy here in Georgia, so I’m only qualified to talk about this state. And the answer is, Yes. There are no laws against dispensing perscriptions to a minor, even if it is a controlled substance. However, your parents are fully within their rights to come to the pharmacy and pick up a list of every medication you use… Unless you think ahead and have it filled under child acknologement in the HIPPA laws. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/4 "2006-09-28T17:42:25Z")
I never had any problems picking up mine (or my parents’s) prescriptions when I was underage. ---
**Author:** ![DVsickgirlDV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@DVsickgirlDV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVsickgirlDV)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/5 "2006-09-28T19:12:42Z")
I used to get birth control without any problems when I was underaged ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/6 "2006-09-28T20:18:47Z")
In the UK and Ireland anyone between 16 and 18 (i.e. above the age of consent, and below the age of majority) has confidentiality rights to their medication, and can pick up whatever they have been prescribed, without parental knowledge or consent, provided they are considered fit to give consent (i.e. exceptions for some people who are mentally unwell or those with learning disabilities may be made). Someone under 16 who a doctor considers able to give consent can be presribed medication without parental knowledge or consent, provided a doctor considers the medication in their best interest, and they cannot be persuaded to inform their parents. This is most commonly birth control for 14 and 15 year old girls. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/7 "2006-09-29T02:20:48Z")
Back when I worked in a pharmacy in MA (late 80’s / early 90’s), there were no restrictions that I knew of for minors picking up prescriptions. Granted, security was fairly lax, and depended more on us knowing our customers. In theory, if you knew the name of someone who had a prescription waiting, you could just walk in and ask for it. Specially restricted drugs, such as narcotics, required a signature, but no ID. ---
**Author:** ![Joshc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@Joshc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joshc)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/8 "2019-02-14T09:11:51Z")
So I went to pick up my insulin here recently here in Georgia USA and I’m 17 all most 18 and they tryed to say I couldn’t pick it up because of my age and I’ve never had this problem before and I’m wondering if things have changed. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/9 "2019-02-14T12:15:07Z")
Hmmm. I once tried to pick up a prescription for my gf. They ask for the person’s birthdate, and I’m very bad with dates. I knew it was January, but the woman, though she felt bad for me, needed a date. I told her I honestly didn’t know, but guessed a date. Wrong. I guessed twice more and hit it on the third. She accepted that, but the look of disapproval she gave me hurt. I have since added birthdate to important contacts on my phone. And on review, I see that this thread is almost old enough to pick up a prescription. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-pharmacist-dispense-prescription-medication-to-a-minor/374427/10 "2019-02-14T12:41:27Z")
> [@Joshc](#): > > So I went to pick up my insulin here recently here in Georgia USA and I’m 17 all most 18 and they tryed to say I couldn’t pick it up because of my age and I’ve never had this problem before and I’m wondering if things have changed. I’m a licensed pharmacist in the state of Georgia, I have not heard of any law or rule that has passed keeping a minor from picking up their own prescription. So whatever you experienced wasn’t a law, it might be a policy of the chain or particular pharmacy you went to. The one exception to that is if you were buying the insulin or the needles OTC, without a valid rx from a doctor. There might be a law about selling hypodermic needles without a script to someone under 18, to tell the truth, its never come up so I’ve never checked. Wow, this thread is so old that I was still a tech when I last posted on it!