Filling Prescriptions on the road

Bednarski1 · 07-03-2017, 09:55 PM

[B][/Were leaving for a couple month trip and wondering how we can pick up our prescriptions at various Walgreens. The way things are now you have to pick up your prescription no earlier then the day it's due. Any feedback from you guys would really help us out.

herbike · 07-03-2017, 10:05 PM

Have your Dr give you a 90 day prescription, if they can. That's what we do, sometimes we end up on the road at the end, we talk to the druggist and usually work out something.

Bednarski1 · 07-03-2017, 10:32 PM

Yes the 90 day supply has worked well in the past but our Dr will only do 30 days and that has been the problem.

rsdata · 07-03-2017, 10:56 PM

national chain drug stores will keep a copy of the prescription on their computers and you can fill it anywhere... sign up for that service before you leave

OR

have someone at home fill it and overnight it to yourself C/O the ranger station of a state park that you may be visiting... I have had amazon deliveries made that way

BooBoo23 · 07-03-2017, 11:02 PM

Carry a written prescription with you. If your script is on file at your local store sometimes it takes quite a while for them to send the prescription to the store you are at. Any narcotic drug is limited to 30 day prescription, Dr's don't want the feds coming down on them. DW takes oxycodone and some time getting enough to last a trip can be a problem, they sometimes have to be rationed.

Skyliner · 07-04-2017, 01:01 AM

First of all, find another pharmacy other than Walgreens. They are awful when it comes to getting a prescription done on time. Sam's Club and Walmart pharmacies will get the RX done in 20 minutes or so, often while you shop.

Try to transfer prescriptions within a chain pharmacy for safety reasons. These xfers are done electronically. If you fill your meds at Safeway at home and want it transferred to a Costco pharmacy, it requires a phone call by the pharmacist and this increases the risk of an error.

Control substance prescriptions (not including schedule 2 drugs) can only be transferred once and only refills on a controlled substance RX can be xferred.

Good luck in filling a schedule 2 controlled substance on the road. Many pharmacies will tell you they don't have it in stock just to get rid of you especially if the prescription is out of state. If they do decide to fill it, don't be offended if the RPH asks why you are using the pain meds. He has a corresponding responsibility to ensure the pain prescription is for a valid reason and that a valid doctor/patient relationship exists. A call to the prescriber to validate some info may delay your pain med prescription. Just because your doctor wrote you a prescription doesn't mean an RPH has to fill it. DEA is harder on pharmacists than it is on doctors.

Some states only allow prescriptions to be transferred once so make sure you ask first.

Carrying a paper prescription for maintenance meds is a great idea and your best bet.

Lots of folks get 6 to 12 months of their maintenance med at one time and pay cash since most insurances don't pay for more than a 90 day supply.

I agree that a reliable way to get pain meds is to establish a relationship at your home pharmacy, have the staff get to know a family member who picks up your prescriptions and then have them mail them to your location.

Don't expect that your pills will look the same. It is not unusual to get different manufacturers of your medication dispensed when using other pharmacies.

If you are on an expensive brand medication, give the pharmacy 3-4 business days in advance. Profit pressures mean that pharmacies often don't stock expensive meds unless they already have another customer on it.

Some insurances may not work out of state.

If you are out of refills don't wait until you have taken your last pill to get your medication. Doctors often take 24-48 hours to approve a new prescription and you may be SOL until then. RPH's are not required by law to give you an emergency fill of your maintenance medications while awaiting for a new RX from your prescriber. Not running out of pills is your responsibility. Don't take it out on the pharmacy if your prescriber is slow to responding to a new (refill) RX request.

Witch Doctor · 07-04-2017, 04:05 AM

This all depends on what meds you are taking, as stated some Drs. Will Not write something for over a 30 day supply, and also my insurance will not pay for a 90 day supply of anything. By Law a Dr. can not call in a narcotic substance to a Walgreen's or CVS over the phone. ( You can thank the DEA) Any other meds they can call in. The best way is to get your DR to write for 3 or 4 mos. put it on file at your chain, they can call your store and get it filled may take a day. I was gone for 4mos, I was lucky because of the VA. They send your meds to you they sent mine to a CG I was wintering in last year. There was one drug that the VA couldn't fill or would fill my private Dr. wrote a prescription for refills and I had to go the CVS and have that one filled, never had a problem, never over a day. Walgreen's and CVS are big chains with stores all over. CVS I think is easier to find. Also talk to your Dr. and let him/her know what you are planning, you will be surprised how they can work things out...Not much they can do about things like drugs that fall under narcotics....

rjshiflet · 07-04-2017, 04:51 AM

I got off without one of my medications last week - and fortunately I use WalMart for t hat particular one. I went to the local WallyWorld, had it transferred and got it filled there. The only hitch was...they only had 3 tablets, so I got three one day and the remaining 67 the next day.

Now I'll just have to remember to transfer it back home before I need it next time.

ScottBrownstein · 07-04-2017, 07:20 AM

With a national chain, like CVS or Walgreens, all you have to do is go on-line and order a refill to be picked up at the nearest store. You don't have to move the script or carry it with you, all you need to do is order the refill...and pick it up.

Personally I have used Walgreens (switched from CVS) since they seem to have better geographic coverage than the others.

BGKirkham · 07-04-2017, 07:56 AM

I was on extended TDY in California a couple of years ago and ran out of one of my meds. I use Rite-Aid and I went to one in California and they were able to fill it. So, if you use a national chain, I doubt you'll have a problem, but if you use a local mom and pop, I'm not sure what you can do. It might be useful to talk to them and see if they have any options that may make it easier to get your prescription filled elsewhere.

BandJCarm · 07-04-2017, 08:01 AM

Walgreens all over America fills mine if needed. My insurance prefers 90 day prescriptions. Most of the time, I use mail order and order online. I can have it delivered anywhere, just change 'delivery address' when filling out the online order.

DrLewie · 07-04-2017, 12:32 PM

Walgreen's prescription computer system is national. You can go in to any Walgreens with an refillable script and they will fill it just as if you were in your home pharmacy. We spend 2-3 months on the road every year and this has always worked...as long as we're not in an area where there are no Walgreens. It's rare, but there are Walgreenless parts of the country.

cheewilson · 07-04-2017, 12:34 PM

We do Walgreens and do fine. I have learned to do my refills from computer and I allow 2 or 3 days more than what I tell them. That way they are usually filled. They will notify when filled and ready for pickup. Walgreens has your prescriptions on file at a central location and any store can call up for you and fill if ready to fill. When we go south we need to go 80 miles to Walgreens (or any thing else) so important that all meds are filled and no return trips. I also change "my store location" as needed but have went into any Walgreens to fill when needed.

padcarroll · 07-04-2017, 12:57 PM

I use Walgreens with 90 day prescriptions. My insurance plan allows a one week lead time for renewal so I call the pharmacy where I plan to be and have them work out the details with the doc and insurance prior.

wnelsonfl · 07-04-2017, 01:16 PM

Walgreens worked well for me. Transfered a Publix Florida script to Walgreens Michigan in a few minutes.

wnelsonfl · 07-04-2017, 01:18 PM

Skyliner seems to be overcomplicating this

kayo · 07-04-2017, 01:49 PM

Any grocery chain affiliated with Krogers can handle any prescription on file at any of the other chain stores (i.e. a prescription on file at Smiths is refillable at City market etc.)

Goat Man · 07-04-2017, 02:18 PM

We use Walgreens and have gotten refills on the road. The only time we had a problem was in New York trying to fill a sleeping pill prescription. They said they had to have the hard copy, but we did fill it when we got to Maine.

bryanteddie0924 · 07-04-2017, 02:42 PM

Love Walgreens. I place the order for the prescription a couple of days early just to give them a chance to get things situated. My husband takes quite a few medicines that can only be filled the day of the last dose. Also easier if you take the bottle in with you. Takes a little planning but Walgreens honestly makes it easier.

conceptumator · 07-04-2017, 03:05 PM

We've found, with Cigna, that they will not allow more than a 30 day prescription to be dispensed by a pharmacy. You can get 90 days prescriptions filled via their own Tel-Drug system, but you have to be hone to receive the shipment. On 30 day prescritions, we just use Walgreens. As someone else said, any of their pharmacies nationwide can fill a prescription that us on file at any of their locations.

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