getting prescriptions filled?

Question

how soon can you get perscriptions filled between refills? i had always thought it was a week, but the pharmacy i went to recently told me they could only fill it 2 days early. is that the rule or is every pharmacy different?

Answer 1

This is a legal restriction to prevent abuse and hoarding. If you have a 30-day supply, you should not need to refill on day 20 or sooner. Although restrictions may vary from one plan to the next, generally speaking you should not be asking for more when you have 80% or more of the previous month's supply.

Answer 2

It depends on what it is and if you are using insurance or not. For example, they will not fill a script for a controlled drug like Vicodin or Valium early. They will fill one for say an anti-biotic or blood pressure meds early if you need them to. However, if you are usuing insurance to pay, the insurance compnay won't pay for it until a certain amount of time has gone by since the last one was filled. sometimes it is 2 days, maybe 3, just depends on the insurance co.

Answer 3

Where I am (MA) I also cannot get any of my prescriptions filled until no more than 2 days in advance.

I was told by the Pharmacist that this is because of people abusing certain medications like pain killers and anti-depressants by taking more than the prescription suggests.

Answer 4

The frequency is determined by your insurance plan. I can refill mine 6 days early.
If you need to fill a prescription early, you need a new script from your doctor.

Answer 5

Legally, as long as you have valid refills, you can fill it as often as you wish. There is an issue with controlled medications, but that is all.
If you have insurance, they might limit when you can get refills.