21 CFR 201.100

A drug subject to the requirements of section 503(b)(1) of the act shall be exempt from section 502(f)(1) if all the following conditions are met:

(a) The drug is:

(1)(i) In the possession of a person (or his agents or employees) regularly and lawfully engaged in the manufacture, transportation, storage, or wholesale distribution of prescription drugs; or

(ii) In the possession of a retail, hospital, or clinic pharmacy, or a public health agency, regularly and lawfully engaged in dispensing prescription drugs; or

(iii) In the possession of a practitioner licensed by law to administer or prescribe such drugs; and

(2) It is to be dispensed in accordance with section 503(b)

(b) The label of the drug bears:

(1) The statement “Rx only” and

(2) The recommended or usual dosage and

(3) The route of administration, if it is not for oral use; and

(4) The quantity or proportion of each active ingredient, as well as the information required by section 502 (d) and (e); and

(5) If it is for other than oral use, the names of all inactive ingredients, except that:

(i) Flavorings and perfumes may be designated as such without naming their components.

(ii) Color additives may be designated as coloring without naming specific color components unless the naming of such components is required by a color additive regulation prescribed in subchapter A of this chapter.

(iii) Trace amounts of harmless substances added solely for individual product identification need not be named. If it is intended for administration by parenteral injection, the quantity or proportion of all inactive ingredients, except that ingredients added to adjust the pH or to make the drug isotonic may be declared by name and a statement of their effect; and if the vehicle is water for injection it need not be named.

(6) An identifying lot or control number from which it is possible to determine the complete manufacturing history of the package of the drug.

(7) A statement directed to the pharmacist specifying the type of container to be used in dispensing the drug product to maintain its identity, strength, quality, and purity. Where there are standards and test procedures for determining that the container meets the requirements for specified types of containers as defined in an official compendium, such terms may be used. For example, “Dispense in tight, light-resistant container as defined in the National Formulary”. Where standards and test procedures for determining the types of containers to be used in dispensing the drug product are not included in an official compendium, the specific container or types of containers known to be adequate to maintain the identity, strength, quality, and purity of the drug products shall be described. For example, “Dispense in containers which (statement of specifications which clearly enable the dispensing pharmacist to select an adequate container)”: Provided, however, That in the case of containers too small or otherwise unable to accommodate a label with sufficient space to bear all such information, but which are packaged within an outer container from which they are removed for dispensing or use, the information required by paragraph (b) (2), (3), (5), and (7) of this section may be contained in other labeling on or within the package from which it is to be dispensed; the information referred to in paragraph (b)(1) of this section may be placed on such outer container only; and the information required by paragraph (b)(6) of this section may be on the crimp of the dispensing tube. The information required by this paragraph (b)(7) is not required for prescription drug products packaged in unit-dose, unit-of-use, on other packaging format in which the manufacturer's original package is designed and intended to be dispensed to patients without repackaging.

(c)(1) Labeling on or within the package from which the drug is to be dispensed bears adequate information for its use, including indications, effects, dosages, routes, methods, and frequency and duration of administration, and any relevant hazards, contraindications, side effects, and precautions under which practitioners licensed by law to administer the drug can use the drug safely and for the purposes for which it is intended, including all purposes for which it is advertised or represented; and

(2) If the article is subject to section 505 of the act, the labeling bearing such information is the labeling authorized by the approved new drug application or required as a condition for the certification or the exemption from certification requirements applicable to preparations of insulin or antibiotic drugs.

(d) Any labeling, as defined in section 201(m) of the act, whether or not it is on or within a package from which the drug is to be dispensed, distributed by or on behalf of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor of the drug, that furnishes or purports to furnish information for use or which prescribes, recommends, or suggests a dosage for the use of the drug (other than dose information required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section and § 201.105(b)(2) contains:

(1) Adequate information for such use, including indications, effects, dosages, routes, methods, and frequency and duration of administration and any relevant warnings, hazards, contraindications, side effects, and precautions, under which practitioners licensed by law to administer the drug can use the drug safely and for the purposes for which it is intended, including all conditions for which it is advertised or represented; and if the article is subject to section 505 of the act, the parts of the labeling providing such information are the same in language and emphasis as labeling approved or permitted, under the provisions of section 505, and any other parts of the labeling are consistent with and not contrary to such approved or permitted labeling; and

(2) The same information concerning the ingredients of the drug as appears on the label and labeling on or within the package from which the drug is to be dispensed.

(3) The information required, and in the format specified, by §§ 201.56, 201.57, and 201.80.

(e) All labeling described in paragraph (d) of this section bears conspicuously the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, as required for the label of the drug under § 201.1.

(f) Reminder labeling which calls attention to the name of the drug product but does not include indications or dosage recommendations for use of the drug product is exempted from the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section. This reminder labeling shall contain only the proprietary name of the drug product, if any; the established name of the drug product, if any; the established name of each active ingredient in the drug product; and, optionally, information relating to quantitative ingredient statements, dosage form, quantity of package contents, price, the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor or other written, printed, or graphic matter containing no representation or suggestion relating to the drug product. If the Commissioner finds that there is evidence of significant incidence of fatalities or serious injury associated with the use of a particular prescription drug, he may withdraw this exemption by so notifying the manufacturer, packer, or distributor of the drug by letter. Reminder labeling, other than price lists and catalogs solely intended to convey price information including, but not limited to, those subject to the requirements of § 200.200 of this chapter, is not permitted for a prescription drug product whose labeling contains a boxed warning relating to a serious hazard associated with the use of the drug product. Reminder labeling which is intended to provide consumers with information concerning the price charged for a prescription for a particular drug product shall meet all of the conditions contained in § 200.200 of this chapter. Reminder labeling, other than that subject to the requirements of § 200.200 of this chapter, is not permitted for a drug for which an announcement has been published pursuant to a review of the labeling claims for the drug by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council (NAS/NRC), Drug Efficacy Study Group, and for which no claim has been evaluated as higher than “possibly effective.” If the Commissioner finds the circumstances are such that reminder labeling may be misleading to prescribers of drugs subject to NAS/NRC evaluation, such reminder labeling will not be allowed and the manufacturer, packer, or distributor will be notified either in the publication of the conclusions on the effectiveness of the drug or by letter.

[40 FR 13998, Mar. 27, 1975, as amended at 40 FR 58799, Dec. 18, 1975; 42 FR 15674, Mar. 22, 1977; 43 FR 37989, Aug. 25, 1978; 44 FR 20659, Apr. 6, 1979; 44 FR 37467, June 26, 1979; 45 FR 25777, Apr. 15, 1980; 63 FR 26698, May 13, 1998; 64 FR 400, Jan. 5, 1999; 67 FR 4906, Feb. 1, 2002; 71 FR 3996, Jan. 24, 2006]