What must be obtained from a patient when transferring a prescription?

When transferring a prescription, obtaining consent from the patient is crucial for several reasons. This process ensures that the patient is informed and agrees to the transfer of their personal health information and medication details between pharmacies. Consent protects patient confidentiality and aligns with HIPAA regulations, which require healthcare providers to obtain authorization before sharing protected health information.

While the other options do have relevant context in pharmaceutical practice, they do not specifically address the necessity of patient consent in the transfer process. For instance, health insurance information can facilitate billing, a verbal agreement might be a step in communicating the transfer but does not ensure legal protection or privacy compliance, and a doctor's referral is typically not required for a prescription transfer. Hence, ensuring the patient's consent is paramount in maintaining ethical standards and compliance with healthcare regulations during the prescription transfer process.