How To Refill a Prescription Without Going to the Pharmacy

For some people, medication is not just a luxury, it’s an essential part of daily life; but how do you refill a prescription without going to the pharmacy? 

COVID-19 is changing our world. What many of us took for granted, such as the simple ability to leave home to shop, is now a much more serious undertaking with a significant amount of risk attached to it. Some areas, including parts of California, have even enacted curfews and lockdowns in an effort to keep people safe.

While these measures are difficult to deal with, they are necessary. Limiting personal contacts is one of the best ways to reduce transmission. This, in turn, reduces fatalities and prevents hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

But what do you do if you need essentials, such as medications? As a responsible citizen, you want to do everything you can to stay healthy. This includes avoiding personal contact with others whenever you can. But you can’t exactly stop taking your medications, either – that’s risky in its own way.

3 Ways to Refill a Prescription Without Going to the Pharmacy

The good news is that pharmacies are still open and filling prescriptions for clients just as they always were. But that doesn’t mean you have to go in to refill a prescription or even pick up essential medical supplies. Most pharmacies are now offering alternatives to help you access what you need without arriving in person.

Here’s what we recommend.

1. Ask About Curbside Pickup

Many pharmacies are now offering curbside pickup for prescriptions and/or contactless exchange options. You’ll still head over to your local pharmacy as you normally would. But instead of getting out of your vehicle and entering the store, a pharmacy team member will bring them out to you or even place them in your trunk for you instead. This lowers the risk of transmission significantly.

In most cases, you will need to call ahead for contactless pickup options – and you may need to pay for your medications before you arrive. Most pharmacies will have the ability to accept Visa, Mastercard, or Visa/MC Debit over the phone.

Note that you can also request curbside pickup for many non-prescription medications and/or personal care products. This includes:

• Syringes
• Wound washes
• Bandages
• Ostomy supplies
• Canes
• NSAID drugs such as Tylenol or Advil

Don’t be afraid to ask about contactless pickup for these, too.

2. Try Delivery Instead

Depending on the services your pharmacy offers, you may be able to have your prescriptions delivered right to your door. This completely eliminates the need to leave your house for any reason and makes accessing your medicine easy.

Just as with contactless prescription refill and pickup, accessing delivery is as simple as calling ahead to let the pharmacy know what you need. You can refill a prescription, or request medical supplies, and sometimes, even basic food items or non-essential personal care supplies (including toilet paper). Payment is made over the telephone with a pharmacy team member, who then schedules your delivery on the spot.

In most cases, prescription delivery is free. Plus, deliveries are often the same day or scheduled for the next day instead. This makes it fast and easy to access what you need without needing to put yourself at risk.

3. Order Your RX Via Mail

Some pharmacies are now implementing mail order medication services. This service is virtually identical to delivery, but may be accessible via an online order through a secure website instead. You simply choose the medication you want to fill, enter your personal information, and choose how you want to pay. It’s really no different than shopping on Amazon or Walmart.com as long as you order from a registered pharmacy (preferably your usual provider).

You can order both new and old prescription fills via the mail. If the script is new, the pharmacy will have you fax, email, or scan a copy of your prescription to them so they can verify it with your doctor. You may also have your doctor fax in a prescription on your behalf. Once the pharmacy confirms it, they’ll fill your order and send it through the mail as quickly as they can.

Some mail order pharmacies even allow you to schedule regular deliveries for daily medications. You’ll add payment information in advance and then indicate when you need a refill. The pharmacy ensures it arrives by the time you need it every single time. This helps prevent forgotten refills and thus, missing one or more doses.

Tips for Picking Up Prescriptions If You Do Need to Go

There are exceptions to the options suggested on this list. Some people may just feel more comfortable going to the pharmacy, while others take controlled medications that cannot be mailed or delivered due to local laws.

If you have to refill a prescription and go into the pharmacy to pick it up, know that your pharmacy care team is more than happy to provide you with service – even during COVID-19. Most are already taking extra steps and special measures to ensure the safety of both clients and workers and to reduce the risk of transmission inside the store.

Here’s what you can do to stay safe, and help keep your pharmacy care team safe, when you come.

• Wear a mask – If you have COVID-19 symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, or a fever, wearing a mask will help protect others around you from getting sick. There’s also some evidence that masks might at least lower your risk for breathing in droplets when others sneeze or cough around you. Most research shows that N95 masks are the most effective in this regard. In addition, some places require you to wear a mask before entering stores, so it’s best to have one.
• Wash your hands – Do this before you leave home and after you return from your trip to the pharmacy. This is the best way to prevent COVID-19! You can also use a high-alcohol-content hand sanitizer before leaving your vehicle and after touching surfaces known to host germs (such as door handles).
• Call ahead – By letting the pharmacy care team know you’re coming, you give them a chance to get everything you need ready when you arrive. This limits the amount of time you need to spend in the store, thus lowering the risk of transmission for everyone involved.
• Fill all medications at once – Try your best to schedule your refills for the same time rather than ordering prescriptions one by one. This helps to reduce the amount of times you have to leave your home while also making it easier for the pharmacy care team to ensure you have everything you need. If your refill schedule is currently staggered, you may be able to get a partial or prorated fill to help ensure the next refills all fall on the same day.
• Don’t wait until the last minute – It’s smarter to schedule a refill at least a day or two in advance than to leave refills to the last second. This is especially true in a pandemic when COVID-19 could cause medication shortages, or more rarely, temporary pharmacy closures. Plan ahead for success.
• Come early – If your doctor prescribes you six months worth of medication, have the whole six months filled at once instead of a month at a time. While the initial cost will be higher, it will also prevent you from needing to come back into the pharmacy multiple times. Note that this may not be an option for narcotics and other scheduled prescription medications.

Final Thought

Taking care of your health is more important than ever – that includes taking all prescription medications as prescribed as per your doctor’s orders.

If you’re worried about coming into the pharmacy, or aren’t sure which arrangements to make, please know that your pharmacy care team is happy to help you find solutions. All you have to do is pick up the telephone and make that call.

Common Questions for Burt’s Pharmacy