By Patricia Prewitt
My Personal Rx Adviser

After writing the article about traveling with medications, I thought about some friends who travel out of the country for more than 30 days at a time. Here are some good things to know about the process of managing prescription refills.
How soon may I pick up my prescription refill for a medication I take routinely?
For most maintenance medications (like blood pressure or cholesterol drugs), you can typically refill your prescription when you have used about 75-80% of the medication. This usually means around 5-7 days before your current supply runs out. Your insurance plan may also have refill timing limits, so check with your pharmacy.
How soon can I refill a prescription that is a controlled substance?
Controlled substances (such as opioids or ADHD medications) follow stricter refill rules. These are often regulated by state and federal laws. Generally, you cannot refill a controlled medication more than two days before the scheduled refill date. Your pharmacist can give exact timing based on your prescription and location.
How can I obtain a refill sooner if I am going on an extended vacation out of the USA for over 40 days?
Request a “vacation override” from your insurance company or prescriber. Your pharmacy may also help with this. You’ll typically need documentation of your travel dates and may need approval from both your doctor and insurance provider to obtain more than a 30-day supply. Some medications may already be dispensed in a 90-day supply, so this might not be an issue.
How do I transfer my prescription to a different pharmacy?
Call the new pharmacy and provide them with your current prescription information and the name of the previous pharmacy. They will handle the transfer for you. Note that certain medications, especially controlled substances, may require a new prescription from your doctor.
How do I transfer my prescription to CostPlusDrugs mail-order pharmacy?
Visit www.costplusdrugs.com and follow the instructions for setting up an account. This requires a credit card on file as well as intake documents for safety protocols. It is likely that you will need a new prescription sent directly to CostPlus. It is important to proactively check the website to make sure that your medication is available.
What happens if my medical provider wants me to stop taking a particular prescription?
My suggestion would be to call or visit your pharmacy to notify them of the change. Automations will often trigger reminder phone calls to pick up a prescription. You may be able to cancel the order on some reminder-call systems. It is especially important to notify mail-order services of cancellations to avoid auto shipping and billing. Refunds for prescriptions are generally not allowed.

Content provided is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified medical professional. The opinions expressed within are those of the author.

About the Author: Patricia Prewitt is a local Massachusetts resident who spent more than 30 years in  the pharmaceutical industry. Tricia is a consumer education advocate, and loves helping people find ways to save money on their prescriptions. More information and free resources are available on her website at https://mypersonalrxadvisor.com/resources or call her at 508-507-8840. Favorite Quote: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James