Prescription Medicine - refill on board?

[mfk68]

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

Im glad that is working for her. I also went to Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, they are great there.....I went thru so many different things when I was there. The have the best specialist there. Its been quite a few years since I have been there, but they offered me a lot of help to where I can control them mostly on my own now. I think of them often there and glad I was able to go to them for all the help that they provided me. :D

[cb at sea]

Definitely call your insurance provider, explain you need a vacation waiver...and they WILL refill. No problem...even with "controlled" substances.

[notentirelynormal]

Last year I was taking a cruise and was a week early to get one of my medications. It comes in a pen form so you can't exactly get "half" a pen. Well, the insurance company tried to talk to the pharmacy about only giving me a portion. I could hear the guy arguing with them telling them that it is pre-made before they get it. He gives up and tells me that I'll have to call them. I called and explained to the insurance company the conversation I overheard and then asked them "So, who exactly from the insurance company is going to swim out to the middle of the Caribbean Sea to deliver my medication when it's time for the order to be put through?" "What!?" she says. I said "You either fill my prescription 3 days early or your give me the name of the person who is swimming out to deliver it to me in the middle of my cruise." I handed the phone to the pharmacist and got my prescription.:rolleyes:

[engrdad]

Last year I was taking a cruise and was a week early to get one of my medications. It comes in a pen form so you can't exactly get "half" a pen. Well, the insurance company tried to talk to the pharmacy about only giving me a portion. I could hear the guy arguing with them telling them that it is pre-made before they get it. He gives up and tells me that I'll have to call them. I called and explained to the insurance company the conversation I overheard and then asked them "So, who exactly from the insurance company is going to swim out to the middle of the Caribbean Sea to deliver my medication when it's time for the order to be put through?" "What!?" she says. I said "You either fill my prescription 3 days early or your give me the name of the person who is swimming out to deliver it to me in the middle of my cruise." I handed the phone to the pharmacist and got my prescription.:rolleyes:

 

 

That it too funny. :) We have resolved the situation. My DW will not be without her medication while on board. Hopefully, she will be having so much fun that she will not need it anyway. Thanks to all who responded. Sorry if I got a little "irate" in one of my post. It is just that these headaches (along with other issues) have been a long and difficult struggle for us. She has been an inpatient at a pain clinic in Houston, TX before with no results. However, maybe we will check out the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago as mfk68 suggested.

[skrufy]

I have run into this problem a couple of times. I called the pharmacy the first time this happened and they gladly filled it those few days early. I get prescriptions from the V.A. and you know how hard it is to get things early from the Govt., they also filled with no problem.

[Maycreek44]

How did you make out getting her meds? I was searching this forum for the same reason. I have cancer and use a controlled substance for pain. I'm leaving for Bermuda on 9/4 and can't get a refill until the 7th. I'm in panic mode.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you resolved your problem.

 

My DH takes many, many prescriptions -- Security Blue allows us to get a 90 day supply. But sometimes that doesn't always work out for cruises.

 

So we have our doctor write out a separate prescriptions and we pay for the medications ourselves.

[Hlitner]

Interesting thread. Our big question would be, who has put a thirty day limitation on the script. The DEA (those wonderful Feds) do not restrict controlled substance drugs to 30 days so we know it is not Uncle Sam. So, the OP needs to know why the 30 day restriction...is it their State, Physician, or insurance company. We are not sure about the States that have restrictions, but physicians can easily change their own philosophy (particularly when you tell them the circumstances). As to insurance companies, they all have various policies when it comes to dealing with extended vacations. Most insurance companies will authorize more of the drug (assuming they get the appropriate script) upon request. Finally, you cannot ever depend on any cruise ship to fill a prescription. They do not have commercial pharmacies, and getting any drug would require an expensive trip to the ship's physician and the hope that they have your drug onboard. We have heard of ships making special arrangements, but this normally means that your physician needs to work with the cruise line's medical office (well in advance) to make special arrangements.

 

Hank

[njhorseman]

Once again an inactive thread is reopened, and people start posting without reading dates or prior posts.

 

THE OP POSTED TWO MONTHS AGO THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. :rolleyes:

Edited August 25, 2011 by njhorseman

[SuiteTraveler]

I come from a medical family and have some special prescriptions myself. The answer to this question is to go to your pharmacy and request a "VACATION OVERRIDE" on your prescriptions. "Vacation Override" are the "magic words" that tell your insurance company why you need your medicine at an unusual time and use of these words will greatly expedite your request. You will need to supply the date you are leaving and the date you expect to get back. If you are going overseas or somewhere difficult to travel to/from, it is advisable to tack on an additional week to the dates you tell your insurance company for the purporse of getting your prescription so that you can take extra medicine with you in case something totally unexpected happens and you can't get back on the expected date. The pharmacy will contact the insurance company to get the issue resolved (AND call your doctor should you need a new prescription.) Always do this process at least 1 to 2 weeks prior to your cruise so that there is plenty of time for the pharmacy to wrangle with the insurance company. If the insurance company is being difficult, you may need to call them directly in conjuction with your pharmacist which is why it is always beneficial to start this process a week or two prior to travel.

[sail7seas]

Once again an inactive thread is reopened, and people start posting without reading dates or prior posts.

 

THE OP POSTED TWO MONTHS AGO THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

:confused: What is the problem this is an old thread resurrected?

 

It is still a pertinent subject and new to some readers. It's new to me and I've been on CC for years. I never saw this thread before but found it worth my time and effort to read it.

 

As long as it isn't 'dated' out of any practicality, it has value IMO

[njhorseman]

:confused: What is the problem this is an old thread resurrected?

 

It is still a pertinent subject and new to some readers. It's new to me and I've been on CC for years. I never saw this thread before but found it worth my time and effort to read it.

 

As long as it isn't 'dated' out of any practicality, it has value IMO

 

I find it very annoying to open something up and find posters are trying to answer a question that was answered months or sometimes years ago. The best thing is when they answer it incorrectly months or years later. It would be nice if people actually read the thread before posting...even on a current thread. That way they wouldn't ask if the problem was resolved, when the OP already posted the resolution...months or years ago.

 

I don't like wasting my time reading something only to find it's a dead issue.

Edited August 25, 2011 by njhorseman

[Dayenu]

I'm suffering from migraines too, and I would not trust a ship (or a pharmacy in port) to refill my prescription: they may not have it, or they might have it from a different manufacturer, and who knows what the reaction will be.

 

You should be able to work it out with your doctor and insurance company or pharmacist.

[Hlitner]

Ok, I have to smile about the complaints regarding an old thread. Why are these folks even bothering to comment (just ignore the old thread and move on). That being said, most of my posts (over many years) are on the European Port boards where I help folks who want to do Europe on their own (no tours). On those boards it is common to post an answer to a question (i.e. how do you use the train to get from Civitavecchia to Rome) today and have that same question asked next week (in a new thread) and probably 50 more times (all in new threads) in the next year. Every time it is asked, a few of the regular contributers will always patiently answer again. Now we sometimes question why these folks don't simply use the "search" option, but its just the way it is. I have a thread that I started on Feb, 26, 2006 (now on the Other Med board) that currently has 497 posts and has been viewed 52,508 times. Sometimes it goes dormant for a few months, but it keeps getting resurrected because somebody finds the topic ("Don't be afraid to try things on your own") relevent and posts to the old topic rather then opening a whole new thread. Personally, I have more respect for those that take the time to use the search function and then bring back the old threads...vs the person that just keeps starting the same topic over and over and over again.

 

Hank

[lawblond7]

You insurance company an give you a vacation override - often it also requires the doctor's consent. We just got back from 11 days in Europe with 3 chronically ill boys - my sons all have a genetic metabolic disorder and I had an entire cary on suitcase full of medications, including 4 controlled substances and 3 different seizure medications. They were all supposed to be filled after we left the country. We use CVS for all our prescriptions and they simply called the insurance company and explained we were going on vacation and with doctor's consent for the controlled substances all 20+ prescriptions were filled early

 

Good luck

 

Sharon

[cruiseco]

Ok, I have to smile about the complaints regarding an old thread. Why are these folks even bothering to comment (just ignore the old thread and move on). That being said, most of my posts (over many years) are on the European Port boards where I help folks who want to do Europe on their own (no tours). On those boards it is common to post an answer to a question (i.e. how do you use the train to get from Civitavecchia to Rome) today and have that same question asked next week (in a new thread) and probably 50 more times (all in new threads) in the next year. Every time it is asked, a few of the regular contributers will always patiently answer again. Now we sometimes question why these folks don't simply use the "search" option, but its just the way it is. I have a thread that I started on Feb, 26, 2006 (now on the Other Med board) that currently has 497 posts and has been viewed 52,508 times. Sometimes it goes dormant for a few months, but it keeps getting resurrected because somebody finds the topic ("Don't be afraid to try things on your own") relevent and posts to the old topic rather then opening a whole new thread. Personally, I have more respect for those that take the time to use the search function and then bring back the old threads...vs the person that just keeps starting the same topic over and over and over again.

 

Hank

 

 

Plus, things change. Often without most people being aware of the changes. So it's not a bad idea to revive an old thread and add something like "by the way, as of today the new situation appears to be such-and-such." This way when someone does do a search for a certain topic they're not pulling up old, inaccurate information.

Edited August 26, 2011 by cruiseco

[N410MP]

OK, I'm going to activate an old thread, again, but with a new twist. We're sailing with HAL on their 4 month world cruise shortly. That means we need 4 months of drugs. Our Doctor, Pharmacist and insurance company all have no problem with this. However, the Great State of Tennessee, where we live, does. They passed a law last October limiting the size of any Schedule II drug prescription to 30 days. Period. No exceptions. Our Pharmacist called the State, and was told it was a hastily constructed law, they were working on getting it amended to allow for special circumstances, but as of today there is no legal way around it.

 

I called HAL, and they were totally useless. They said they had never heard of that, and had no suggestions for dealing with it. Thanks for calling and have a nice day.

 

Our Pharmacist is willing to send a 30 day supply to the appropriate ports on our itinerary, but I have no confidence that schedule II drugs, with a fairly high street value, will make it past customs in a third world country. Plus I don't want to look like I'm an international drug dealer. Even with proof, the attention and interrogation might not be a lot of fun. So I don't see that as a viable option.

 

So were looking for suggestions. Any ideas?

[Hlitner]

WOW. What a dilemma and not sure there is a good solution. But from my 30+ years working in health insurance we have some ideas. You are not only up against your state law, but also must deal with a pretty tough federal law that makes it nearly impossible for a doctor to write a Sched 2 script for more then 90 days. But we will assume that your cruise begins in Florida. Have you explored the possibility of getting a 90 day script filled in Florida? I am not sure if FL pharmacies are permitted to accept a Sched 2 script from out of state, but its worth checking. If you are working with a major chain pharmacy in your own state (such as CVS) they might also be able to help you get this info. Otherwise, you are probably going to be at the mercy of the ship's physician and HAL? HALs medical department could be nice and make sure there is an adequate supply, stored aboard, of your sched 2 drug. And then the ship's physician could issue and fill your script. We are really surprised that HAL is not being more helpful. The World Cruise attracts an older group of cruisers, many of whom, must also have health and drug issues. Another possibility might lie in some of your ports such as Sydney. The cruise ship physician should be able to make a referral to an Australian physician who might be willing to write you the necessary script. This could certainly be helped if you carry a written script from your home physician and also have your doctor write a letter detailing your history and why you need the drug.

 

If I were in your situation I would certainly start with another call to HAL. The folks that work their World/Grand Cruise desk are usually much more helpful...and you can also ask to have your situation elevated to a higher level within the home office.

 

Hank

Edited December 24, 2013 by Hlitner

[Monalis]

Another idea that might work, is if you go with a national company (pharmacy) such as walgreens, cvs, target, walmart, ect... just go across the state line and have them fill it there. I have had to have that done with my emergency migraine meds (Maxalt), when we were out of state and I had run out. Don't know if they would do a 90-120 day supply, but it might be an option.

[donaldsc]

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.

 

I had no problem getting a prescription filled in AK. Does your local pharmacy have a branch in any of your ports?

 

DON

[cb at sea]

All insurance plans have "vacation waivers"...just have the pharmacist tell them you'll be out of town. It's NOT a problem!

[BlueRiband]

All insurance plans have "vacation waivers"...just have the pharmacist tell them you'll be out of town. It's NOT a problem!

 

CB, the poster in reply #42 doesn't have an insurance problem. It's a state law limiting the dispensation of Schedule II drugs to 30 days supply. No exceptions.

[BlueRiband]

OK, I'm going to activate an old thread, again, but with a new twist. We're sailing with HAL on their 4 month world cruise shortly. That means we need 4 months of drugs. Our Doctor, Pharmacist and insurance company all have no problem with this. However, the Great State of Tennessee, where we live, does. They passed a law last October limiting the size of any Schedule II drug prescription to 30 days. Period. No exceptions. Our Pharmacist called the State, and was told it was a hastily constructed law, they were working on getting it amended to allow for special circumstances, but as of today there is no legal way around it.

 

I called HAL, and they were totally useless. They said they had never heard of that, and had no suggestions for dealing with it. Thanks for calling and have a nice day.

 

Our Pharmacist is willing to send a 30 day supply to the appropriate ports on our itinerary, but I have no confidence that schedule II drugs, with a fairly high street value, will make it past customs in a third world country. Plus I don't want to look like I'm an international drug dealer. Even with proof, the attention and interrogation might not be a lot of fun. So I don't see that as a viable option.

 

So were looking for suggestions. Any ideas?

 

Since the law is unique to Tennessee (so far) it's not surprising that HAL would have no information on this. The work-around suggested by your pharmacist seems to be the only option you have other than cancelling your voyage. There should be no legal problem if the vial label has your name, that of the prescribing doctor and dispensing pharmacy. It's not like your getting pills in an unmarked ziplock bag. You might check the customs laws of the specific countries where you expect to receive a refill.

 

Do you have "cancel for any reason" insurance? Since you have serious doubts that you can get the needed medications without legal hassle, or even get them at all, there does not seem to be any other way around this.

[Hlitner]

Just have to jump back in a clarify something for anyone trying to help the poster. A major complication is that the drug is what is called (in the USA) a "Schedule 2" narcotic. The rules on this class of drugs (this includes popular items like Vicodin, Percocet, Tylenol with Codene, etc) have been going through a real tightening by the FDA and many states. The problem is that these drugs are oft abused and also have a nice street value.

 

So the OP not only has to deal with one of the toughest Sched 2 state laws in the USA, but also has to deal with FDA rules (that apply to all states). Once they leave the USA they then have to deal with rules (sometimes more stringent then in the USA) in various countries. It is very rare for a script written by a USA physician to be accepted in any other country when it comes to this class of drugs. Even a country like Mexico, which has pretty liberal drug rules, requires that a script for this type of drug be written by a licensed Mexican physician. So getting a refill in any foreign country will normally involve having to see a licensed physician of that country. Hence, the best solution is to get enough of the pills before leaving the USA (this is what the poster is trying to accomplish) or getting HAL to stock the drug onboard the ship for dispensing by the ship's physician. I should add that US prescription insurance plans will not normally do a "vacation" fill for a Schedule 2 drug.

 

We hope that the poster is able to work out the issue and then posts the solution. I am still shocked that HAL was not more cooperative and could not simply arrange for the onboard physician to have a stock of the drug (this seems like the simple solution).

 

Hank

[Algebralovr]

N410NP, if your insurance company is OK with the longer fill, are you able to fill your RX at another pharmacy, outside of the state borders? Perhaps your Dr can send the Rx to the port you leave from and you can pick it up before you go, or if you use a mail order pharmacy, you can have it sent to your pre-cruise hotel?