Posted on 02/08/2022 1:25:40 PM PST by Bogle
I've been advised to hold back one pill from each prescription refill in case of future supply disruption. This is particularly important because I have epilepsy. Is this "hoarding" legal? And is there a maximum number of pills that is legally safe to keep (for instance--accumulate one extra week of pills, accumulate one extra month of pills, etc.)? For the record--Internet searches haven't answered my question. Thank you a great deal for any information!
I’d go ahead and do it.
This is what I did back when I was taking long-term prescription meds.
This leads to getting 12 fills in a 10-month period, at which point you need to call your doctor and ask about a new prescription, lest you burn through your cache.
You just reminded me. My Dr tells me to re-order two weeks before script runs out...to have some in case of delays...which has happened due to late delivery to pharmacy. But never more than 48 hrs.
If your prescriptions are generic, as most of mine are, I asked the doctor for a special one time 90 day script, non-insurance, which I paid for and picked up. So I have a 90 day backup of all my serious meds. Most cost only a few dollars and nothing over 10 dollars.
in most countries many drugs that are only avaible by prescription here are over the counter in that country
Lots of people go to mexico and other countries to get their drugs.
I had a discussion with our local emergency management officer about this very subject concerning disruption of services during a Cascadia Fault earthquake. He encouraged always having a reserve of your prescriptions. Local providers are very accommodating to this scenario.
Work with your provider and tell them what your concerns are.
Some Hannafords have a pharmacy. They seem to be pretty reasonable and do take Good Rx , which we have found to be very good for prescription prices.
I have Silver Scripts, too, but only because their monthly premium is the absolute rock bottom for prescription plans and since you have to have a Medicare Part D prescription plan, they are the ones that would cost the least.
I have no intention of using them though. Inadvertently, the local Rite-Aid filled a prescription wrong for me and charged it to Medicare part D in spite of the fact that I told them to use Good Rx Gold, and the prescription co-pay cost me four times with Silver Scripts what Good RxGold charged.
And of course, once you leave the store, they won’t take it back or make right their error.
I’m done with them.
Wow! I've never had that happen to me in all the years I had a prescription plan, while working for 25 years, and having been retired for almost 20. I can understand why you won't go back. I pay $5 for every one of my scripts except Jardiance. Because there is no generic for it, I have to pay $50 out of pocket for each 90-day script I fill. I can't complain since I save so much on all my other meds.
Some pharmacies have a rule about this. For example, they won’t let you refill a 30-day prescription until nearly 30 days have elapsed. I don’t know if it’s their policy or a law.
They gave me the generic, which I cannot take, instead of the name brand, and then blamed the doctor’s office.
I handed her a script with the medicine listed on it, and it did give the brand name and they claimed they had to fill it generically anyways.
Anyways, I have tried a couple drug store pharmacies and found both CVS and Rite Aid to be incompetent on many levels.
My son tells me the local Hannafords is where my d-i-l got her meds the cheapest and they were very happy with them.
They are next on my list to try.
But if I had to bet I’d say it was on orders from their insurer.
My oldest son uses the pharmacy in Hannaford's for his RA medications. I hope you have good luck with them.
Well, if you don’t take them anymore, that’s the best thing to do.
I’ve always heard the prepper-people saying that you should always have extra of any prescription drugs that you need on hand, in case of various ‘disasters’.
But I haven’t figured out how you do that, except for paying for them out of pocket - but even then you need a prescription.
It’s not an issue for me - I’m just on BP drugs, and some things for respiratory issues. For the latter, I can get OTC things.
But what about someone like a diabetic?
I complained to my doctor about the way prescriptions are filled.
I go annually and get a prescription renewal for the next ‘year’ which consists of an initial lot of 90 pills and 3 refills. When you do the math, that’s only 360 pills. What am I supposed to do for the other 5 or 6 days before the next year starts?
I guess they assume you will forget to take them 5 days and it’ll come out even.
What I have done (without anyone saying it was a good idea) is instead of taking my meds the same time I will move it back an hour or two over the course of a week or two and then gain one dose. I figure if the pill is good for 24 hours it’s probably not a problem to go 25 or 26 hours.
Clever.
But the wisdom of it probably depends upon the condition for which you are taking them ;-)
My son take epilepsy meds and while we didn’t plan this, we have some generic versions of his meds and switched to name brands because they work better. We have had to use the generic “stash” from time to time, when the pharmacy was out.
They have really tightened their time frame though, we used to be able to get a script filled a few days before he ran out but now it has to be filled the day after his last pill - it has been a pain because the pharmacy is not open when he takes his morning pill, meaning a few hours without coverage.
Had to use the Pharm Store in Canada for my main liver drug. With insurance it would cost $2,000. I now, with the Pharm Store, I pay $200.00. I keep about a month or two ahead.
If you can pay for it/absorb it then by all means.
Manufacturers hold back stock to find providers that pay more when the demand is high leverging against other competing entities. No rules concerning scarcity unless you want to create a lasting shortage.
Their prices seem high. compared to India prices. But....could be comparable, for your particular med.
I only checked their HCQ prices.
Always good to have a back up, though.
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