https://reason.com/2023/09/08/dea-finally-relaxes-prescription-transfer-rules/

"Those who take drugs on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) list of controlled substances can now have their prescriptions transferred to another pharmacy.

The revised rule, which was announced last week, went into effect on August 28. Before, any prescriptions for Schedule II–V drugs could only be filled at the pharmacy location where it was sent. The rule applies only to electronic prescriptions, and prescriptions for drugs not on the controlled substance list remain free to be transferred."

"The revision scraps the need to involve your prescribing physician, but that doesn't mean the process is streamlined: Even now, according to the DEA's announcement, "a prescription can only be transferred once between pharmacies." It further "must remain in its electronic form; may not be altered in any way; and the transfer must be communicated directly between two licensed pharmacists." And finally, "any authorized refills transfer with the original prescription, which means the entire prescription will be filled at the same pharmacy.""

"As The New York Times reported last month, "Parents and caregivers across the country are spending hours each month hunting down pharmacies with A.D.H.D. medication in stock and asking their doctors to either transfer or rewrite prescriptions, a process many equate to having a second job.""

"The rule was intended to prevent "pharmacy shopping," or when a patient fills a single prescription at multiple pharmacies in order to get more pills than prescribed."