Allowed
Note: PharmaLink has compiled the information below for reference only. State dispensing regulations change frequently and we recommend consulting an attorney or your state medical or pharmacy board with specific questions or to verify your eligibility to dispense.
Montana is a recent addition to the list of dispensing states, and its rules reflect that: broad authority for non-controlled drugs, and a flat prohibition on controls.
A recent change in the law
On May 14, 2021, Montana passed Senate Bill 374 into law, which overturned the previous ban — aside from rare exceptions — on practitioner dispensing in the state.
Because the change is recent, older reference material still describes Montana as a non-dispensing state. Any guidance predating mid-2021 is simply out of date on this point.
Registration
Going forward, practitioners may dispense medications to patients under their own care as long as they have registered with the state Board of Pharmacy. The authority is limited to the practitioner’s own patients, not patients of other providers.
Controlled substances are prohibited
The regulation prohibits the dispensing of controlled medications. This is the defining limit of a Montana dispensary: the formulary is non-controlled only, with no permit or registration available to extend it.
For most practices that is workable, since the majority of routinely dispensed medications are non-controlled. But it means a Montana location cannot mirror a controlled substance workflow used at a site in a permissive state.
As always, all state and federal regulations must be followed when dispensing, including drug storage and labeling requirements.
Prescription drug registry reporting
Montana’s Prescription Drug Registry (MPDR) requires controlled substance dispensing information, or a zero report, no later than the close of the next business day. That deadline moved from an eight-day window in 2018, so older summaries understate it.
Reporting errors and warning messages must be corrected and resubmitted by the close of the next business day after the original submission. Given Montana’s prohibition on practitioner dispensing of controls, these obligations are most relevant to practices coordinating with pharmacy partners.
Dispensing in Montana with PharmaLink
Dispensing medications to your patients offers meaningful benefits: additional practice revenue, better medication adherence, greater convenience for patients, and fewer pharmacy callbacks for your staff. PharmaLink provides the dispensing software, equipment, and support — so most practices can start dispensing within days of completing their application. PharmaLink does not sell, source, or ship medications; your practice purchases those directly from suppliers you select, under your own licenses.
- Cash & carry dispensing — patients pay at the point of care with transparent pricing.
- Workers' comp dispensing — treat injured workers, with claim data captured for your billing partner.
- Private insurance dispensing — adjudicate claims to your patients' insurance plans.
- Mail order & home delivery — send prescriptions to a fulfillment pharmacy that ships directly to your patients.
If you plan to dispense controlled substances, PharmaLink's software automatically reports to state PDMPs in all states where we operate.