What does a "duplicate therapy" rejection indicate?

A "duplicate therapy" rejection indicates that the patient has already filled the prescription. This rejection occurs when a new prescription for a medication is submitted, and the pharmacy's system identifies that the patient has an active prescription for the same medication or class of medication that may provide similar therapeutic effects.

This safeguard is important as it helps prevent potential issues such as overdosing or adverse reactions due to taking multiple medications that are essentially treating the same condition. In essence, the rejection serves as a prompt for the pharmacy staff to review the patient's medication profile to ensure the patient is not being prescribed unnecessary duplicate therapies, which could lead to complications in treatment.

The other choices do not accurately represent the meaning of a "duplicate therapy" rejection. For instance, a dosage increase, contraindications, or medication costs are separate concerns that would not directly trigger a duplicate therapy alert.