Can a pharmacist change the "do not fill before" date on a prescription?

A pharmacist cannot change the "do not fill before" date on a prescription because doing so would undermine the prescribing authority of the prescriber and could violate legal and regulatory standards for handling prescriptions. The "do not fill before" date is put in place by the prescriber to indicate when the medication is appropriate for dispensing.

Altering this date could potentially lead to early dispensing of medication, which can have significant implications for patient safety, drug efficacy, and overall treatment plans. Prescribers set these dates to manage medication therapy in accordance with clinical guidelines, therapeutic goals, or patient circumstances. Therefore, any modification to such important details without proper authorization is not permitted and must be strictly followed to ensure both compliance with pharmacy laws and the integrity of the medication management process.