Who is required to dispense Medication Guides?

Medication Guides are required to be dispensed to patients receiving certain medications that carry significant risks and require patient education. The responsibility for dispensing these guides falls to dispensers, which includes pharmacists who provide outpatient services. This ensures that patients are informed about the specific risks associated with their medications and understand how to use them safely.

When medications have a REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) that includes Medication Guides, it is critical for patient safety that these guides accompany the medication. This is especially important in outpatient settings, where patients need to be clearly informed about their treatments outside of a controlled healthcare environment such as a hospital.

Pharmacists are specifically trained to provide this information effectively. While healthcare providers in hospitals might educate patients as well, the primary legal responsibility for dispensing Medication Guides lies with dispensers in outpatient settings, as they are the ones providing the actual medication to the patient.