Early refill request for a strong opioid painkiller
PEBC OSCE practice station
Ethics, consent & capacity · 2 min to read · 7 min to perform
Mr Gordon Whitfield, aged 54, has attended before and asks for his oxycodone to be refilled today.
Gordon WhitfieldHey. I need my oxycodone filled today, please. I know it's a bit early but I really need it.
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You are a pharmacist in a community pharmacy. Mr Gordon Whitfield, aged 54, has attended before and asks for his oxycodone to be refilled today. His profile shows the last supply was dispensed ten days ago with a 28-day supply. The prescriber's clinic is closed. He is alone and seems tense. Decide how to respond: assess the situation, discuss it with him, decide what you can and cannot do, and agree on a plan that keeps him safe. The assessor will not take part in the conversation.
What this station tests
- Check records and the provincial monitoring information, and do so without accusing.
- Early opioid refills need prescriber authorization; do not dispense around the rules.
- Refusal alone is not enough: offer a route to care tonight.
- Offer naloxone and warn about alcohol and sedatives with opioids.
- Document accurately and keep the person engaged with their prescriber.
Sources for the clinical content
- Justice Laws Canada: Controlled Substances Regulations (SOR/2025-242)
- Ontario College of Pharmacists: Prescription refills, intervals and part-fills
- Health Canada: Naloxone, Save a Life fact sheet
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.