Ask a Travel Nurse Question:
This is probably a ridiculous question, but how do most people handle prescription medication refills while they are on assignment and away from their usual pharmacy?! I will be traveling with my husband and take oral birth control, which I obviously don’t want to miss. I won’t be coming back home every month to get my RX filled at my local pharmacy. Any advice?
Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:
Travel often involves coming up with solutions to what are normally routine tasks. I always go straight to a source for answers. Talk to your pharmacist. They are representatives of the place where they are employed and should therefore want to do whatever they can to keep your business. If they are a small pharmacy, they might have to come up with a solution for you, but bigger chains should make this process pretty easy.
If a smaller pharmacy cannot accommodate you, you might have to switch to a larger chain. You should find a Walgreens or grocery pharmacies (like Fry’s, Safeway, etc) in just about any big city location. A Walgreens in Denver should be able to get script info from a Walgreens in Boston. But to be sure, check this out by calling the Denver store before leaving from Boston for your assignment. Pre-planning should take care of any surprises.
If they are a chain store, they might also have an association with a mail-order company. If not, you can always check online sites that fill prescriptions via mail order, but do some research to find a reputable provider.
You can also ask your physician’s office if they have any ideas. You might need to visit them anyway to get you doctor to write you a three month script for mail order meds. You will also want to follow up with your insurance (if they cover your medication), to be sure that the option you choose will continue to fall under their coverage.