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Prescription Medicine - refill on board?


engrdad
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My wife has frequent migraines and takes prescription pain medication for them. Because they are controlled substance, they cannot be filled but once a month (2 days max prior to 30 days from previous fill). Our cruise leaves on the 25th of this month and the earliest we can get a refill of her medication is the 28th.

 

Question is: can the doctor on board fill a medication prescription?

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I would say almost for certain NO. We did get them to write scripts when Ike was going to hit Galveston and we overnighted in Cozumel until the storm passed, and they could not tell us when we would get back.

 

We then paid to take a taxi to the hospital, who charged us $60 to rewrite the scripts with a Mexican doctor's signature, which we then took a taxi to the largest pharmacy in town, and amazingly enough managed to get a weeks worth of prescribed medication. (another $100 in cash). These were seizure drugs and I wasnt able to sleep so scared my sister would run out and we also had the original pill bottles the prescibed drugs came in.

 

Since your drugs might not be so heavily controlled, they might have them onboard, but I would guess not.

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My wife has frequent migraines and takes prescription pain medication for them. Because they are controlled substance, they cannot be filled but once a month (2 days max prior to 30 days from previous fill). Our cruise leaves on the 25th of this month and the earliest we can get a refill of her medication is the 28th.

 

Question is: can the doctor on board fill a medication prescription?

 

No, they do not have a pharmacy on board. You might try telling your local pharmacy that we will be out of the country on re-fill day and they might do it earlier. Up until last year I didn't know I could do this.

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My wife has frequent migraines and takes prescription pain medication for them. Because they are controlled substance, they cannot be filled but once a month (2 days max prior to 30 days from previous fill). Our cruise leaves on the 25th of this month and the earliest we can get a refill of her medication is the 28th.

 

Question is: can the doctor on board fill a medication prescription?

 

If you are willing to pay cash, you can probably take the bottle to a drug store with the script and they can look up the medication in a book and probably fill it. The names of drugs seem to change a little in other countries, but it could be done that way if you are willing to pay cash.

 

Some countries will fill just about any prescription if they have the drug on hand. Ours was such unusual medication that we had to go to a doctor's office to get scripts, and the hospital seemed like the easiest way. 3 scripts, $20 each script he wrote.

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My wife has frequent migraines and takes prescription pain medication for them. Because they are controlled substance, they cannot be filled but once a month (2 days max prior to 30 days from previous fill). Our cruise leaves on the 25th of this month and the earliest we can get a refill of her medication is the 28th.

 

Question is: can the doctor on board fill a medication prescription?

 

Almost certainly no. Particularly when you're talking about a controlled substance. She needs to call her doctor and tell him that she's going on vacation -- they usually can issue a prescription to cover the gap if necessary.

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The answer is no, but if your wife talkes to her doctor explaining the issues, they might write you (a different family member) the script and that way your wife would not be without meds.

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I work for a medical assistance company and part of our service is assisting in medication refills. One caveat we pose is that the same drug restrictions do not necessarily exist outside the US. Dosages may differ, despite what the bottle says. It doesn't mean this is always true just something that is possible. Thus we strongly urge members to carry all the meds they will need plus a few extra weeks' worth. I think your best plan of action is to call your pharmacy and insurance company, show them proof of trip documention and request a refill on the 24th. They should know the concerns abroad and hopefully will be able to assist.

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I forgot one of my prescriptions, and went to the med center to see if they could get me the prescription. The doctor said if it was a basic med, there was no problem with one of the nurses getting off the ship to fill it for me. But they cannot get any controlled substance meds.

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I take some heavy duty drugs also and our pharmacist will give us a partial order if we need it early and then when we get back she fills the remainder of the prescription.

 

ask your pharmacy many many people experience this and get what they need.

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Forgot to mention that this is an Alaskan cruise. Therefore, still in the U.S.A. I will give Princess a call. Then maybe pursue the pharmacy/ doctor suggestion.

 

OR... a potential option is to get it filled at a pharmacy in Juneau or Skagway. We have the script.

Edited by engrdad
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I think if she has that many migraines she should consult with another doctor , my husband had alot got a new dr. new meds and now maybe one every 6-8 months. I also dont know what they are giving her but most migrain meds are not controlled substances insurance just wont pay except every 30 days for some expensive meds. If it's Alaska it is still USA so a script will work if they have it in stock.

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check with your insurance carrier. they can permit an early refill. Also most pharmacists can give you a few extra pills to carry you over but if its a class III drug will be reluctant to do so. Do you use a major chain or a local pharmacist? If its class III fed rules limit supplies as well. In most cases your doctor can write a 90 supply and you can get it filled by mail order from your insurance carrier.

they do have basic drugs on board for an emergency. Which they can use if necessary. They may or may not consider this an emergency.

Edited by smeyer418
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Forgot to mention that this is an Alaskan cruise. Therefore, still in the U.S.A. I will give Princess a call. Then maybe pursue the pharmacy/ doctor suggestion.

 

OR... a potential option is to get it filled at a pharmacy in Juneau or Skagway. We have the script.

Won't work. You MUST have a script written by a doctor in Alaska to get it filled in Alaska. Working in this field, I have never known any doctor that's going to write a script for an out-of-state patient for this type of medication.

 

I question such frequent use of pain meds for migraines. Don't know your wife's history, but she might benefit from a consult with a neurologist. There are some very good migraine meds.

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The answer is no, but if your wife talkes to her doctor explaining the issues, they might write you (a different family member) the script and that way your wife would not be without meds.

 

No way this will ever happen with a controlled substance! The doctor could lose their license.

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Won't work. You MUST have a script written by a doctor in Alaska to get it filled in Alaska. Working in this field, I have never known any doctor that's going to write a script for an out-of-state patient for this type of medication.

 

I question such frequent use of pain meds for migraines. Don't know your wife's history, but she might benefit from a consult with a neurologist. There are some very good migraine meds.

 

 

Listen folks, I am not looking for any medical advice. You don't know our situation and have no basis to question anything. However, since several are interested.... We have seen a neurologist for over 10 years. Saw several other neurologist before this. Tried all the regular meds (all the variations of the triptans, propranolol, inderal, depakote, verapomil, effexor, etc, etc, etc). Now we are waiting on new discoveries (try them as soon as they get FDA approval) and in the mean time are treating with pain meds.

 

Also, our doctor is in a southern state and we are living temporarily in MI. There has been no problem with our doctor writing scripts and filling them in MI. It depends on the states and their laws (each is different).

 

OK, will calm down now. Everybody has their cross to bare. I just don't have a lot of patience when people come across as judgemental. Every body has their own story and unless you know it completely, we need to worry about the logs in our own eyes.

Edited by engrdad
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My wife has frequent migraines and takes prescription pain medication for them. Because they are controlled substance, they cannot be filled but once a month (2 days max prior to 30 days from previous fill). Our cruise leaves on the 25th of this month and the earliest we can get a refill of her medication is the 28th.

 

Question is: can the doctor on board fill a medication prescription?

 

My wife also gets migraines from time to time and take a special prescription as well. While the ships carry some medications I am sure the one she takes would not be available on the ship.

 

I would contact your doctors office to see if the can prescribe something else for your wife.

 

Keith

Edited by Keith1010
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I have been in the same circumstance and when I explained to the pharmacy that I was leaving town they refilled my med early for me.

The ship does have some meds. For example my grandson was given antibiotics and cough medicine, but I would not try to actually fill a prescription there.

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Listen folks, I am not looking for any medical advice. You don't know our situation and have no basis to question anything. However, since several are interested.... We have seen a neurologist for over 10 years. Saw several other neurologist before this. Tried all the regular meds (all the variations of the triptans, propranolol, inderal, depakote, verapomil, effexor, etc, etc, etc). Now we are waiting on new discoveries (try them as soon as they get FDA approval) and in the mean time are treating with pain meds.

 

Also, our doctor is in a southern state and we are living temporarily in MI. There has been no problem with our doctor writing scripts and filling them in MI. It depends on the states and their laws (each is different).

 

OK, will calm down now. Everybody has their cross to bare. I just don't have a lot of patience when people come across as judgemental. Every body has their own story and unless you know it completely, we need to worry about the logs in our own eyes.

 

 

I read all the posts and not one person was judgmental as you put it to me they seemed rather concerned for your wife and her pain and tried to help with the pharmacy question

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Your local Pharmacist may be able to fill them early for this case, but most often it's the insurance company that wont authorize the refill until a certain date. I would call or stop by and explain the situation to your Doctor and Pharmacist, and have them call the insurance company to explain the situation.

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two things One if you use a nationwide Pharmacy they may be able to fill it for you in Alaska. We are from Ill and were able to fill my wifes script from CVS in Louisiana for Nardil for her migranes. Two My DW migraines would last for 5-10 days at a time, she went to the Diamond Headache clinic in Chicago. The were able to control them for the last several years.

 

Keith

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Call your insurance company. They will fill for vacations. Let them know how long you will be gone and it can be arranged. Did this for DD's study abroad. They usually only fill 3 months.

 

Another idea it to buy the prescription on your own and get reimbursement from your insurance company.

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