Are you into the survival thing?

[Linda0818]

(at CD, of course)

I couldn't stock up on my meds if I wanted to. How do you guys do it when doctors and pharmacies keep such close tabs on refills??? For example, my pharmacy won't let me refill a medication until the last one is pretty much gone.

 

[Addie]

(at CD, of course)

I couldn't stock up on my meds if I wanted to. How do you guys do it when doctors and pharmacies keep such close tabs on refills??? For example, my pharmacy won't let me refill a medication until the last one is pretty much gone.

I am in the same boat. I get my meds on MOT cards. MOT stands for "Medicine On Time." It is a plastic card with 30 windows on it and each card is color coded. Yellow is for morning, Orange is for mid afternoon, and blue is for evening. I get a month's supply at a time. Each window is dated. And the cards are delivered to me at my home two days before I run out. These are all "Prescribed" drugs. Any over the counter meds I need such as Mucinex, I can order anytime I want to.

When the end of the month comes, if I remember them I bring the empty ones back to be cleaned, sterilized and filled again. A good system, but there is no way I can get an extra 30 day supply. I would have to grab my present supply and hope the disaster happens on the second day of the month. One of my meds is gabapentin. It now is considered a "street" drug and is now controlled at to just how much a doctor can prescribe at any one time. No way can it be refilled earlier than prescribed than two days before the your present supply runs out.

 

[Linda0818]

My scripts are scattered over different days of the month, so getting them all on one day wouldn't be possible either.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

You could, Linda, with a call to your doctor or pharmacist. Most can arrange a "sync my meds" arrangement so that you can pick them all up at one time.

 

[Linda0818]

You could, Linda, with a call to your doctor or pharmacist. Most can arrange a "sync my meds" arrangement so that you can pick them all up at one time.

I might try that. I'm getting tired of running to the pharmacy several times a month to pick up prescriptions.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

You can always get another refill...you just have to pay full price, no insurance. Tell your doc and pharmacist why you want it, for emergency go bag. Insurance is why your meds are only given on strict schedule. Without insurance you should be able to pick up an extra month.

 

[Kayelle]

I could pick up a 30 day emergency supply of my Xarelto with an out of pocket cost of $446.00. Ykies.

 

[Caslon]

(at CD, of course)

I couldn't stock up on my meds if I wanted to. How do you guys do it when doctors and pharmacies keep such close tabs on refills??? For example, my pharmacy won't let me refill a medication until the last one is pretty much gone.

I can't get more than 30 tabs at a time, if I don't want to pay out of pocket. I asked why and got the reply "it's something to do with your insurance company, and how they operate." I never got that part fully explained. Maybe they subsist on a pay as you go (subsidized) and don't want to get too far ahead by filling 60 tablets instead of just 30 at a time. For those with privately paid insurance policies, this isn't an issue apparently. My brother has such a plan and he can get 60 days worth of meds, no problem.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I could pick up a 30 day emergency supply of my Xarelto with an out of pocket cost of $446.00. Ykies.

Yeah, it's expensive, but it is also a one time pay for peace of mind.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I can't get more than 30 tabs at a time, if I don't want to pay out of pocket. I asked why and got the reply "it's something to do with your insurance company, and how they operate." I never got that part fully explained. Maybe they subsist on a pay as you go (subsidized) and don't want to get too far ahead by filling 60 tablets instead of just 30 at a time. For those with privately paid insurance policies, this isn't an issue apparently. My brother has such a plan and he can get 60 days worth of meds, no problem.

You can ask your doctor to write the prescriptions for a 60 or 90 day supply. As written by your doctor you can only get 30 days. The insurance company will only pay by what the doc has written. I have 90 day supplies on all my meds.

 

[GotGarlic]

Yeah, it's expensive, but it is also a one time pay for peace of mind.

It's out of reach when you take 14 meds.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

It's a suggestion for a survival kit, not a mandate.

 

[GotGarlic]

It's a suggestion for a survival kit, not a mandate.

I realize that - it's just part of the discussion. I've already accepted that if there's a truly catastrophic disaster, I won't last very long. It's sort of top of mind right now - I just finished a really good book about an epidemic that wipes out at least half of the world's population. Internet and reliable medical infrastructure are among the first to go.

 

[Linda0818]

You can always get another refill...you just have to pay full price, no insurance. Tell your doc and pharmacist why you want it, for emergency go bag. Insurance is why your meds are only given on strict schedule. Without insurance you should be able to pick up an extra month.

I don't know if they'll go for that. If I try to fill a script that looks even the slightest bit 'off', they'll crowd me at the counter and ask all kinds of questions and grill me on why I'm filling this when I just filled that, etc.

I could possibly ask my doctor and she may agree. But there's one script I know I can't get extra of, as it's a controlled substance. I'm prescribed Ativan for anxiety. And that one they keep a very close eye on, as well as tight control. I don't know why, really. If I wanted to abuse them and possibly kill myself, all I'd have to do is just wait until I get a new refill and down the whole thing at once

Okay, not funny, but just making a point.

I can't get more than 30 tabs at a time, if I don't want to pay out of pocket. I asked why and got the reply "it's something to do with your insurance company, and how they operate." I never got that part fully explained. Maybe they subsist on a pay as you go (subsidized) and don't want to get too far ahead by filling 60 tablets instead of just 30 at a time. For those with privately paid insurance policies, this isn't an issue apparently. My brother has such a plan and he can get 60 days worth of meds, no problem.

One of my medications, for blood pressure, has been given to me before with 180 tabs in one bottle. However, if there's ANY of my meds I rely on, it's my Ativan. And, as I said above, that one is tightly controlled.

 

[Kayelle]

Yeah, it's expensive, but it is also a one time pay for peace of mind.

It's shocking that one Xarelto works about to about $15 a day. It would be worth it to buy enough for a few days. If my heart can take it, maybe I'll work out an out of pocket expense for my remaining six prescriptions assuming the pharmacy will sell me less than a month's supply.

 

[GotGarlic]

It's shocking that one Xarelto works about to about $15 a day. It would be worth it to buy enough for a few days. If my heart can take it, maybe I'll work out an out of pocket expense for my remaining six prescriptions assuming the pharmacy will sell me less than a month's supply.

Check with your insurance company. Sometimes you can get three months worth of Rx via mail order for a two-month co-pay.

 

[Linda0818]

I realize that - it's just part of the discussion. I've already accepted that if there's a truly catastrophic disaster, I won't last very long. It's sort of top of mind right now - I just finished a really good book about an epidemic that wipes out at least half of the world's population. Internet and reliable medical infrastructure are among the first to go.

Now that's a scary thought

 

[roadfix]

Yeah, walkie talkies and amateur radios would be the only reliable means of communication if the digital infrastructure gets wiped out.

 

[Kayelle]

Scary indeed. Case in point..the devastating total number of deaths as a result of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

 

[GotGarlic]

Yeah, walkie talkies and amateur radios would be the only reliable means of communication if the digital infrastructure gets wiped out.

Don't you need electricity to operate a ham radio?