Which of the following are exceptions to informing the patient about interchangeable products?

The correct answer, which refers to the scenario when refilling a previous prescription specified for a brand, is grounded in the regulations concerning the use of interchangeable drug products in pharmacy practice. In Ontario, when a prescription is explicitly written by a prescriber for a specific brand name medication, pharmacists are generally required to dispense that specific brand unless the prescriber indicates otherwise. This is particularly important in cases where a therapeutic difference may exist between the brand and any generic alternatives.

When refilling a prescription that has already specified a particular brand, the understanding is that the patient has already been informed and has consented to the specific medication. Therefore, the pharmacist is not obligated to provide additional information about interchangeable products at that time. This approach protects patient safety and ensures continuity of care, particularly important for medications where switchability may affect the patient's response or the medication's efficacy.

Other scenarios, such as generic prescriptions (where the pharmacist has more discretion), medications on backorder (which may necessitate communication about alternatives), or prescriptions for controlled substances (which often have stricter guidelines), present different requirements for communication regarding interchangeable products.