Under what circumstances can a pharmacy provide an emergency supply of medication?

A pharmacy can provide an emergency supply of medication when a patient is in a prescription emergency and cannot contact their prescriber. This situation typically arises when patients have run out of their medication and are unable to reach their healthcare provider to obtain a new prescription. Emergency supplies are intended to ensure continuity of care, especially for medications critical for managing ongoing health conditions or symptoms.

In this context, the pharmacy has protocols to follow, which might include verifying the patient's medication history and ensuring that the supplied medication is appropriate based on the patient's needs. This helps to manage situations where a brief delay in medication access could lead to adverse health outcomes.

The other options do not align with the established guidelines for emergency medication supplies. For instance, a stock shortage does not justify providing an emergency supply, nor does presenting a prescription from another pharmacy or the fact that a medication is for a chronic condition. Those scenarios do not meet the criteria for emergency dispensing because they don't indicate an immediate need where the patient's health is at significant risk.