How long does a written narcotic prescription last in Alabama?

Answer 1

Federal law provides that prescriptions for Schedule II drugs expire six months from the date written. There's no automatic expiration period for Schedule III-V drugs (and Schedule I drugs wouldn't be prescribed in the first place, as they by definition have no valid medical use).

States are allowed to limit prescriptions further, but I don't believe that Alabama has done so.

Also, no pharmacist is required to fill a prescription that he believes to be fraudulent or suspicious, so if you walk in with a low-dose codeine (Schedule III) prescription from, say, 2007, you can at the very least expect that he's going to make a call or two before filling it.