Accumulating Medicines

sss3 · #1 10/12/12, 07:15 AM

Most Pharmacy's will refill a prescription 10 days before the 30 says are up. Save that 10 pills. Do this every month and you should be able to store a supply. Ins. should still pay for this.

StephanieH · #2 10/12/12, 07:20 AM

How do you end up with more medicine this way? If my meds are 1x a day for 30 days and 3 refills, isnt that still the same amount even if I refill early? Or does this work for a long term med?

elkhound · #3 10/12/12, 07:23 AM

cant you mail order meds 90 days at a time.

Explorer · #4 10/12/12, 08:05 AM

I get all my meds at the local pharmacy 90 days at a time. Just ask your Doc. for a three month supply. I have been doing this for years with several different Docs. with no problem. Also I have asked for extra prescriptions from my Doc and now have six months to a year supply for all the med I take.

DryHeat · #5 10/12/12, 08:28 AM

I manage my elderly MIL's prescriptions and have built up an emergency supply for her by trying to ask for routine monthly refills 4-5 days in advance. Every now and then the pharmacy has tried to switch it over to automatic 90-day refills and I simply have said "NO" and explained that I'm in fact setting aside extras in case of any serious supply interruption. Maybe they think I'm a fruit loop or whatever but neither have they argued beyond that explanation. It's the truth, delivered casually, and seems to be accepted as not a bad idea.

Of course, you really couldn't manage a simple limited treatment of antibiotics this way, this is for chronic condition meds like blood pressure, diabetic, asthma, and so on, and wouldn't be ideal if dosages and/or meds being prescribed were sometimes switched around.

belladulcinea · #6 10/12/12, 09:46 AM

I did that for awhile too and I did get a month's worth set aside. Then I asked my doctor to rewrite the scrips for 90 days, I pay for 90 days and the insurance pays for 90 days. It's not that you can't get them it's that the insurance will only pay for x number of days/pills. I have all prescriptions I know won't change over time done like this and even if they do change I have a pill splitter on hand if they decrease or increase.

Jakk · #7 10/13/12, 04:55 PM

I asked the Dr to give me a prescription with a different dose. Instead of one 100 mg tablet 2x a day, I got a prescription to take two 50 mg tablets 2x a day. I was able to refill both scripts each month for three months.

PrairieBelle22 · #8 10/13/12, 09:17 PM

Instead of stocking up on pills that will expire or eventually run out, i have began switching from synthetic medications to herbal solutions. I am actually feeling better since some of my medication changes. I am in transition right now. My end goal is to be able to grow or forage for all the medications that my family will need.

Belle

Cyngbaeld · #9 10/14/12, 01:26 PM

I think Belle's solution is best for many conditions. I take Uva Ursi for chronic pyelonephritis (it is from a congenital malformation so I never quite get rid of it.) The antibiotics were giving me too many side effects and not working all that well anymore.
I take a combination of boron, calcium and magnesium and no longer need arthritis meds and hardly ever need tylenol or anything now. Occasionally have a headache so I take 1/2 a tylenol. I found that works as well as the 2 extra strength I was taking.
I use coffee or yaupon holly for asthma, but by changing my environment and avoiding allergens as much as possible, I rarely need anything. I was using an inhaler and was maxed out on it. I haven't used it in several yrs now.
Many conditions can be managed quite well with improved diet and herbs.

PrairieBelle22 · #10 10/15/12, 03:55 PM

Cyng, I am interested in learning more about your coffee and yaupon holly remedy for asthma. I have mild asthma and still on inhaler but i sure would like to go to a natural remedy.

Belle

barefootboy · #11 10/15/12, 05:45 PM

Some meds won't keep, so I recomend you rotate your supply so you still have a surplus, but they will be fresh.