Emergency supply at patient request — GPhC CRA MCQ

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HardPharmacy Law and EthicsEmergency supply at patient requestGPhC CRA

All regulation 225 conditions are met for a patient taking a combined oral contraceptive as 21 active tablets followed by a 7-day tablet-free interval. What is the statutory maximum emergency quantity at the patient’s request?

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Correct answer: D — 21 tablets

The emergency-supply table gives oral contraceptives their own maximum: a quantity sufficient for one full treatment cycle. For this 21-day product, that is the 21 active tablets followed by the prescribed tablet-free interval; no tablets are supplied for the interval. It is not converted to the generic 30-day maximum. All other emergency-supply, recording and labelling conditions still apply.

Reference: Human Medicines Regulations 2012: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916/pdfs/uksi_20121916_en.pdf; Community Pharmacy England: Pharmacy First urgent supply briefing (February 2026): https://cpe.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Briefing-002.26-PF-Urgent-supply-of-medicines-and-appliances.pdf