What should a pharmacy technician do if they suspect a prescription is forged?

When a pharmacy technician suspects that a prescription is forged, the appropriate course of action is to contact the prescriber for verification. This step is crucial for ensuring patient safety and maintaining the integrity of the pharmacy practice. By confirming the legitimacy of the prescription with the prescriber, the technician can determine whether the prescription is valid or fraudulent.

This approach also helps to prevent potential misuse of medications and protects the pharmacy from legal repercussions associated with filling forged prescriptions. It emphasizes the importance of due diligence and the technician's responsibility to ensure that all prescriptions being processed are legitimate and safe for the patient.

Other actions, such as filling the prescription and informing the patient later, discussing it with colleagues without proper consultation, or refilling it without question, could compromise patient safety and violate legal and ethical standards within pharmacy practice. These alternatives do not adequately address the seriousness of a suspected forged prescription and could lead to significant consequences.