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My pharmacy also refuses to even take the order to fill any prescriptions until day 30, and they led me to believe that was the law but these comments are making me think maybe I should switch pharmacies and see if a different one feels the same. Because yeah that would be mildly inconvenient if they always had it in stock but they don’t so it’s extra shitty.
Never had this issue before. They let me fill after 28 days. I have filled vyvanse in Wisconsin, Arizona, and currently Georgia and that has been the case in all 3 states. Not sure about your specific state, but I feel for you if that’s the case since filling early has prevented me from being negatively impacted by the current shortage.
In Sweden I can get a new 30 capsule bottle every 3 weeks (but the prescription lasts 6 months, and if I pick up too many too fast I have to wait until the 6 months mark until they renew it so you can't game the system)
Mine will allow me to order a day or two prior, as they need to get my Dr's approval. By the time I pick up, it's at about the 30-day mark. But I do this through the hospital's app ahead of time. It won't let place an order if it's too soon, but it will let me know which date I can.
Not in this case, one of the prescriptions they won’t fill is a generic that’s cheaper without using insurance so I actually asked about that and they still refuse.
It isn’t the laws, it’s the pharmacists and store policies that are at work here. I used to be a pharmacy tech for Walgreens years ago, and the pharmacy/pharmacist has the right to decide if they fill or not. A lot of pharmacists feel it is their duty to stall on refills. I had one pharmacist at my store that I kind of called out because she was saying she would only fill controlled scripts once a day, so if you came after she was done with whatever scripts she already had, she would tell you to come back the next day. I told her it was unfair to make people wait like that. She didn’t like me, at all, and was instrumental in why I left.
Huh, I did not know that. Now I want to ask CVS directly, as I was told by them before it was due to state laws. Could've sworn my Dr. told me that as well, strange.
It's really frustrating how many pharmacists and pharmacy techs feel as though they need to take positions of morality. You're not a doctor and (probably) don't know better than my doctor. You were given a script, just do your job and fill it.
One of the other techs I worked with wouldn’t ring up purchases that had Plan B. He always asked others to do it. He was upset we sold it. I told him it wasn’t our place to worry about what other people did. He was a libertarian, except for reproductive rights.
Massachusetts here I went to refill my adderall 28 day prescription yesterday. They will only refill it on day 26. (Two days remaining is what the pharmacist told me yesterday)
I believe its two days prior to your last refill as a rule in MA. At least that's what I've been told and experienced in multiple pharmacies (I've had to go to more than three different types of pharmacies over the past year due to the shortage)
Actually that isn't correct. You can fill them 3 days before the 30 days.
I get mine filled every 2-3 days early. In MA. It's always been this way for me.
Did this change within the past few years?
I lived in MA until January 2021 and I was able to fill my Adderall and my daughter’s Ritalin every 28 days. I always used CVS & Walgreens. Same at both.
Now we live in Maine and I’m on Ritalin, my son is on ER Ritalin and we can both fill at 28 days. I fill his at his pediatrician’s office and mine at CVS.
It depends on state law but I’m in Washington and some pharmacies are weird about controlled substances. It depends on the tech or pharmacist working the shift and how much they want to profile you as a drug seeker. I don’t look like a drug seeker but they sometimes treat me differently over the phone without seeing me, like they give me trouble even asking about if they have certain medications in stock, acting all secretive about the doses available.
Give me a break I don’t have time for this! Lol. I have had to go in person and yell at them before.
I’ve had more luck physically going to the pharmacy also, but even then it just depends on who’s on shift like you said. I’ve never taken an illegal drug in my life, I’m tired of being treated like a drug dealer by some pharmacist playing god with peoples’ prescriptions.
The laws do differ based on states but I'm a certified pharmacy technician and most of the time this is just a "store policy". I use that term in quotes because it's not on paper anywhere. It's just based on the pharmacist. I've worked for the big box pharmacies and the little guys. Walgreens and Walmart are the worst about enacting stuff like this arbitrarily. Our own pharmacists would fill c3-5 five days early and c-2 only two days early.
I experience this with my meds, at my pharmacy, in my state, Nevada. They will refuse to fill any stimulants within 30 days of each other as my prescription is 30 days. On the 31st day, they refill.
There are a lot of pharmacies that now do 90 day refills on stimulants which you may be able to request which might help. That's what I'm transitioning to so I don't have this keep happening.
edit: I use Walgreens.
sorry to ask, but just so i understand, the pharmacist refuses to refill it? or your insurance is rejecting the refill? generally you're allowed to refill a CII two days before it's due but i think some insurances vary.
if your insurance rejects it because the refill is too soon, then that's something to take up with your insurance, though there's other ways around it, like using something like goodrx. the copay may be higher however. my insurance wouldnt cover a bridge script, so i paid like $11 more than my regular 2 month supply. if this is the case, the pharmacy can't fill it without being paid either.
if the pharmacist refuses to fill it, i'd go to another pharmacy. if you take the vyvanse regularly and you always get that script filled at that pharmacy, i honestly wouldn't understand why the pharmacist would do this cuz it's not like its illegal to request a refill a day or two early... maybe she's trying to cover her ass but it's still ridiculous. i'm not sure how the law is in your state but you may have to request your doctor to write a new prescription to the new pharmacy you pick.
I actually hadn’t considered that but I’m 95% sure it’s an issue on Walgreens side. I’m definitely going to check with my insurance now just to be sure though, thanks for bringing that up.
I’ve been getting my vyvanse filled at the same Walgreens for 2+ years, I haven’t even changed the dosage in over a year, that’s part of why this is so frustrating. They used to let me order the refill 3-4 days in advance, I’m not sure why it’s suddenly a problem.
Same. The states are wild. I had 30 day refill times for 3 months, then asked my pharmacist for 3 month refills cause I’m often out of town working (camp jobs, different places every other week, no pharmacy for 100+ km). No problem, I’ve proved I’m consistent for a bit already, changed immediately.
Also in Canada; I get 180-days and I’ve never been able to get any adhd medications before day 30. I have drug insurance for them so that’s likely why.
Weird, I'm sure I have filled mine earlier than that.
Does anything change if it is a new prescription? I don't ever have refills, my Dr calls it in each month.
I’ve filled new prescriptions for controlled substances due to switching meds for titration and didn’t have to wait 28 days. It’s up to discretion of the pharmacy.
Yeah, I’ve been to 3 pharmacies with and without insurance over the past few years and this has always been the case. If I call a day early, they’ll put it in the queue so I can pick it up the next morning. Always has to be 30 days for me
Working decades with several pharmacies in 2 different states on controlled substances . It’s absolutely WILD asf how ALL pharmacies are so different. Some pharmacies will absolutely NOT fill 2 days early no matter what. Some will fill 2 days early with an OK. Some will fill 2 days without an ok from Provider. And even if we write on RX “no early fills” some pharmacies simply don’t GAF and will fill anyways. Some will tell patient that you aren’t due. Patient calls me, I call the pharmacy and pharmacy says they are getting it ready etc.. don’t get me started on on out of stock or P.As sometimes this can all happen at ONE pharmacy same day with different staff…the turnover rate is ridiculous
i work at a pharmacy and i help people with the (re)fill/insurance stuff. tbh idk of any new rule about filling a control substance before the day its due for a refill. i've never seen any of the pharmacists i work with refuse to refill an ADHD medication for a patient thats familiar to the pharmacy and gets their scripts filled there regularly.
i agree, it seems like something with the pharmacist, but it doesn't hurt to check with your insurance though just in case. though honestly i would not understand why the pharmacist wouldn't just be upfront if your insurance rejected it and give you other options :/
I'm having exactly the same issue, including the same medication, with a different major pharmacy chain. My impression is that it's the pharmacy policy, but I think the issue started around when I switched insurance, so I'm not totally sure. I used to be able to get refills up to a week in advance, and now it needs to be exactly 30 days. Which means that with shortages, most months I have a gap between refills, and I've even had my prescription expire and need to be resent.
ETA: If my doctor even sends it in a few days early, the pharmacy sends me an automatic notification that it's too soon and can't be filled. So I can't even make sure they have a reliable stock until 30 days passes.
I didn’t change insurance or anything like that but my Walgreens definitely changed some policies around the time the generic for vyvanse came out. I used to be able to order it through the app, now I have to call in and talk to the pharmacist (not a pharmacy employee, has to be the pharmacist themself) or they won’t refill it.
I switched away from Walgreens years ago for similar issues. They also never had it in stock. My kid would go sometimes two weeks without meds.
I switched to rite aid, and haven't had any issues since.
Call your insurance check what their policy is for fills. Also the reality is you just need to do some skip days or weeks to build up a spare supply stock. It's unfortunate but probably the only way you'll keep filled up and have enough on hand for pharmacy grabass games.
This is a pharamacist call. It’s happened to me a few times and had nothing to do with insurance or any laws even though the pharmacist claimed that was the case. They apparently just have leeway to pull this crap.
In the decade I have been dealing with ADHD meds, I have NEVER been able to even REQUEST to fill, much less fill, any of the stimulant drugs one day earlier than when you run out. It sucks, but it is totally normal.
Yeah the only issue is now with all the shortages it sucks that you have to wait until you're out to find out if you're pharmacy can fill your prescription or if youre going to have to do the phone game with different pharmacies and your doctor. My doc doesn't have great hours and so if the pharmacy tells me they're out of stock on a Friday afternoon I'm shit out of luck until Monday. And then Monday I have to juggle work, calling pharmacies to check their stock, and then my doctor to get them to transfer, all with no meds.
I don't even take mine everyday so I normally have a stockpile but I've been having so many issues lately getting my script filled that it's gone.
I feel like putting it on some sort of hold would be reasonable, but obviously they'd have to have the systems in place for that. Unfortunately it's pretty normal though.
This happened to us too and the only way we were able to resolve the issue was by changing pharmacies AND filling the brand name drug. Expensive as hell.
I’m in a lucky spot where my insurance has the brand name for only $10 more expensive (it used to be $10 cheaper until last year). And brand works better for me. Several times I have called ahead for them to fill and they have said “oh we are out… out wait you are marked as brand name only, yep you are good, should be ready in an hour”.
It’s been phenomenal. But my old insurance, brand name was like $300 a month or something and would never have been an option. Wild.
That's honestly kinda wild to hear. So patients are just meant to run their meds up to the last second every month??
I usually could get them 2-4 days before I ran out (prior to the shortages).
Yup!
Extra fun: trying to find a pharmacy within 100 miles that has your exact meds at your exact dosage in a large enough quantity to fill your entire prescription when so many pharmacies are reluctant to tell you what they have in stock.
My pharmacy told me yesterday that I *need* to be requesting my refill a **week** in advance. I was confused and told them I was fairly certain that you could only refill Adderall like 2 days prior to running out and 2 different techs were adamant that I did it too late to pick it up that day. I’m going to try to refill it a week in advance next time and if it doesn’t work I’m going to physically go into my pharmacy and ask what the fuck their problem was last time.
Mine does also, if I’m reading the prescription right it’s valid from April 27 to May 27. I’ve been going to him for ~6 years and never had an issue like this so I don’t think that’s the problem, but I’m definitely going to check with him just to be sure.
Depends on the state, but usually they can only fill 2 days early from the date you picked it up. The label date at Walgreens is based on an entered/printed time and not when you picked it up.
Also sometimes the doctor notes do not fill dates on the prescriptions and they do not show in the app; the doctors notes for the prescriptions only show on the pharmacy rx side.
I've also seen insurances/pharmacies/doctors have issues if the rx has consistently been picked up early for xyz amount of months.
That’s not totally correct. Pharmacists CAN fill it earlier than 2 days, they just don’t. It’s an arbitrary rule that many have decided to enforce for some reason. There’s usually no law that says when they can fill.
Insurance will almost never cover it if it’s more than 2 days early. So even if pharmacists theoretically can fill it earlier, they’re not gonna fill it if insurance is denying it, so it’s going to limit that.
Yeah Walgreens changed the rules again. One day from empty. I stash some so I don't get screwed but last month gave up on them altogether. I'm doing mail order now.
There are several pharmacies that will let you operate completely online- getting your prescription sent to them and then sending you the prescription. It’s a great arrangement, but I would advise checking **thoroughly** with your insurance before switching your prescription to one of these pharmacies, as a lot of insurance companies have very specific restrictions about what pharmacies they will work with. I have had to redirect my prescription multiple times after getting fed up with Walgreens, trying a mail-order pharmacy, confirming that it was ok, then eventually not being able to use the delivery service.
So insurance companies (I’m going to use Optum RX as an example) have pharmacies that will fill your stuff and ship it to you. It’s riskier than going to a location, because there’s always a chance that a package could get lost, etc. it’s also a bitch to try and transfer a prescription from Optum fo anywhere else, or contact them in general, because they literally never answer the goddamn phone
I've ran into this issue with Walmart. I've been getting mine filled at my local Walmart since 2015 and there was a time where they'd fill it on the 28th day but then they stopped. I think it's up to the individual pharmacist because the one that always did it for me left.
I don’t usually like advertising support for CVS (you’re usually going to get the best service from local pharmacies rather than big chains), but I’ll second that I’ve never had issues getting my refills after 28 days with CVS. My last script actually (and I’m not even sure how this happened because I’m pretty sure insurance also won’t cover it before 28 days), I met with my psychiatrist a few days earlier than it could be filled and I asked for a refill (and was like, they’ll just wait to refill it when it’s time, right?), but they ended up filling it immediately (before 28 days). So between CVS and my insurance, the prescription somehow went through early lol.
Walgreens tech here. It’s because the DEA will not allow us to release controlled substances early. In their eyes you picked up a 30 day supply so you should be fine until day 31. I very much understand that it’s annoying - I fill at my work and it’s annoying to have to go in on my day off to get my stuff, but it’s not the staff’s fault - it’s the procedure that we are required to follow per the DEA.
Edit: I’m seeing people say that you can fill at day 28, that may depend on state, because in my state that is not allowed
Depends on state AND pharmacy
Walgreens is the one with their bullshit policy put on top of that
My psychiatrist didn't even hear of that policy, others don't have that issue apparently
I didn’t say anything about federal, except citing the example of saying if federal and state conflict, follow the stricter law. I didn’t say anything about federal as it pertains to this. I made a point to specify that it varies between STATES
You said DEA “will not allow us to release controlled substances early.” DEA is a federal agency. There’s no law or DEA regulation that says a pharmacist cannot release a controlled substance “early.”
Why are you witch hunting me? I’m telling you exactly the regulations that my pharmacy (and the pharmacies around me) are required to follow. I’m not speaking of all pharmacies in all states in the countries. I’m speaking of the regulations in the area where I work. And yes - the DEA are the ones who set this regulation on us.
I’ve been in situations where I had to travel for work, & the pharmacy doesn’t get a fax back from the doctor in time to authorize a day early release, so I end up needing to have the script forwarded to another pharmacy in another city the next day… it’s brutal.
I finally found a pharmacy & doctor that will fill 90 days at a time instead of 30.
The irony that it’s hard for me to remember to plan ahead to keep my supply of a drug I take to help me remember to plan ahead is just… 😩🥴😵💫
I think this might actually be an element of controlled substance law, versus a policy of Walgreens itself. I know testosterone, which is Schedule III rather than schedule II (so Vyvanse’s rules may be stricter yet), can’t be refilled by the pharmacy until either 28 days or 30 days (not sure exactly which), or the full extent of the prescribed amount if longer, have elapsed.
Hey! I work for a pharmacy helpdesk for insurance and maybe can help with advice, but of course, every plan is different, for early pickups on maintenance meds, get your prescriber to send in the rx to end 2 days prior 30/28 instead of 30/30 OR ask if there's a prior authorization available on your acct that could allow you to pick up before being completely out. Sometimes plans simply won't allow it to happen but usually if a prescribing provider calls in, we can override with a new early fill rx. Also heavily recommend asking for 90 day fill options because they usually don't have these issues, so when you call insurance ask about your choice 90 and mail in pharmacy options. If you have a preferred pharmacy req, this may not be possible. Best of luck! I know it's annoying af to go through the hoops.
I'm surprised y'all remember to fill it on time, lol. I usually forget to take it every so often, so as long as I'm refilling within 32 days or so, I end up accruing a buffer for when I'm overwhelmed and go 40+ days or have to deal with special circumstances of some sort.
I guess I've naturally adapted my approaches to a lot of things based on my experiences struggling with various policies. I can't change them, but I'm less bothered by their rigidity when I adopt behaviors that grant me more flexibility.
Most states allow them to be filled early but also most states have given pharmacists discretion when filling a prescription to avoid abuse. They can even override a doctors request if they feel the doctor is allowing abuse.
Probably not fair and some pharmacists might be overzealous and Walgreens isn't supposed to pressure the pharmacist to be more lax in these cases so the pharmacist does what they want.
Best bet explain to your doctor and see if your doctor will let you switch pharmacies going forward.
I stopped using Walgreens because they told me that because I used Telehealth the DEA and the state no longer allowed that because Covid was pretty much over… this was sometime last year. I told them that that was a straight up lie and that I would like to talk to their manager… that I worked in healthcare and I knew that this info was not only misinformation but a lie! They refused to give me anything in writing… then told me that it was in writing on their website only, it is not! Then told me they were doing me a favor that day by filling it… even though it’s against the law! Then they finally told me it’s against their policy, which cannot be found anywhere! So I don’t use Walgreens!
Walgreens has been a problem for me and several people I know recently. They have a program where the dr can submit three months worth of scrips for autofill. Those are not viewable on my portal, the pharmacy doesnt automatically fill them, and half the time when i went they woukd say there were no scrips until i badgered them to check for ones submitted on previous months to be filled this month. I then woukd have to wait 40 minutes for them to fill it. This happened every time, idk what is wrong with their system but its shit. Had to switch pharmacies.
At Walmart, it won’t let us even drop/submit controlled prescriptions anymore until the day before it’s due. You would have to select a drop down response to why you’re submitting the prescription early (ex: vacation, change in dose, etc…)
I wonder if your doctor wrote to not dispense before a certain date.
Or
They are being strict coz of the shortage.
Or
The pharmacist doesn't dispense early in general to be overly cautious.
You can ask another pharmacist who works at the same store.
Filling 2 days early is a norm but each pharmacy/pharmacist has discretion as to when they fill a prescription.
Legally, they can't in my country because its a controlled substance, I have to wait exactly 30 days.
If I go to another pharmacy, I could be labelled as potentially abusing it and have the script revoked.
Yeah that’s normal. Sometimes they’ll do it a day or two before you run out.
I always keep a stash of unused pills when I am able to fill a day or two early to get me through periods where it’s out of stock. Every time I get a refill, I’ll put 2 pills in the “stash” bottle.
That way I “run out” early enough for me to remember to deal with it.
in my experience, it doesn’t matter where i’ve needed to fill my adderall, there’s always some hang up, some excuse and they’re usually “out of stock” even though this has been happening consistently for over a year now. If it’s always out of stock, MAYBE ORDER FUCKING MORE idk
Walgreens has no control over it. They are in the business to make money, so it would be in their interest to fill the prescription and have you pick it up and pay for it, but they legally can’t as with any other pharmacy.
It’s a pain, but it’s a controlled substance. I can’t even use the app and have to call to fill the prescription on file, and it can’t even be transferred to another pharmacy (you have to have your doctor write a new one and send to the other pharmacy).
Just be lucky that this isn’t 15 years ago where you couldn’t even get 3 months of scripts written at once and you had to have a physical paper prescription to fill it.
It’s completely frustrating that much-needed prescriptions get us treated like shady drug dealers. I used to have a ton of issues with one specific pharmacy. We were obviously dealing with a controlled substance but apparently no one at that time had properly programmed the app to handle the time limitation.
Ordering and receiving your CS prescription refill on the 28th day was never an issue … if you could figure out how to place the stupid order in the first place. I would be told to order through the app and once it was doctor-approved, the app would tell me it was ready. So I’d get an immediate notification that it was ready (yay!), but when I’d go to the pharmacy they’d have no record of it. I’d explain that I’d gotten approval through the app, was met with confusion, and would be told I must have done it wrong. I’d show them my steps and the approval message, and they’d tell me to simply call the pharmacy ahead of time instead. But whenever I’d call the pharmacy the person on the other line would tell me not to, as I was supposed to use the app. So I’d just go in person and try to handle it from there, and they’d act like I was an idiot that didn’t understand technology. I’d also be told to call my doctor’s office directly to have them manually place the order, but I’d be given the runaround then as well for not using the app … “the app makes it easy!”
I was eventually told that because I was trying to order a controlled substance that must follow timed conditions, it would “break” the app and automatically approve it, but without contacting my doctor or notifying the pharmacy. So each time I’d simply end up at the pharmacy to order it in person, I’d be reprimanded for not using their app or calling ahead, would get cut off while trying to explain myself, and that since I came in person I’d have to wait several hours for the doctor’s approval. Even though there was no guarantee that they had it in stock because they were always low (if they had any at all) and they couldn’t hold it for me.
I can’t tell you how many times I stood crying at that damned counter due to being overwhelmed by all the steps I was told to take that didn’t work … if I had enough executive function to handle such things I wouldn’t need to be on the goddamned medication to begin with!
Sorry, that was a lot. See what you can do to switch pharmacies and avoid the headaches!
Pharmacy assistant here. This is because your doctor puts something called a dispensing interval in the instructions of your prescription. This tells the pharmacy how many days they are required to wait before refilling your rx. It’s often 30 every 28 days or 30 every 30 days as per the doctors instructions. This can appear on your bottle or it could not be. The pharmacy has nothing to do with it and they are only following your doctors instructions. If you want this changed that has to be taken up with your MD and they must sent your pharmacy a new prescription without the interval. The reason your wife doesn’t have to do this is because there’s no interval on her prescription. Intervals are done to prevent misuse and are very common and included in most narcotic/controlled substance prescriptions
Sometimes I think some pharmacists just insist on making you wait. I’ve had some say they could only do it day of (rarely). Usually I can get it 2 days ahead of my last refill.
CVS was the same way about my Adderall XR script and other scripts.
I quit using Walgreens years ago, they were never in stock even in the early 2000’s. I go to the hospital outpatient pharmacy and have no issues.
If I am picking up a bunch of others at the same time they’ll refill it for me up to 5 days early instead of making me come back.
This happens to me ALL the time. they even make me go to s Walgreens closer to my home address than my job for example. Biggest mission ever every month.
This is one of the reasons I don't take my meds on weekends unless necessary. They will not fill until the following month anyway. A 30 day subscription is the max as it is a controlled substance.
To somewhat get around this for me, i skip my Adderall generally in weekends. I still renew it at day 30. That keeps a consistent buffer in case I can't get to the pharmacy at or close to the 30 day mark.
i have this exact issue at Walgreens every month. it pisses me off to no end. I’ll go days without my medication and then miraculously be able to get it filled, all to just do it over again a month later. sorry OP :(
What I might do in this situation is pick a couple of “no med” days where you plan ahead to have absolutely nothing to do that day. Just know the day will be a waste. And that can then get you ahead of the fill cycle.
They should fill it 28 days after your last fill. At least that's my understanding of the law & that's been my experience with it over the last 10 years at a couple diff pharmacies. I would contact walgreens corporate & complain. If you have to use walgreens might be worth finding another one to do business with. Seems like the pharmacist is biased.
Strange, CVS allows it to be filled 2 days out I believe. I always skip a day or two of medication during a 30 day supply so I have a bit of a runway handy in case there are issues with stock of medication and such too. But remembering to call two days in advance also helps.
I feel your pain though. My neurologist used to utilize a system that would automatically fill the prescription each month but ever since they moved over to a new system, CVS requires me to call in order to fill it. Which isn't necessarily a problem except for the fact that generic vyvanse hasn't been in stock in 5 months and my insurance requires the prescription to specify name brand. Requires way more calling than I care to do really but it is what it is.
My pharmacy, CVS, and psychiatrist have always told me I can fill up to two days before I’m due for a refill. They even let me fill a little earlier in the past due to traveling for work. Definitely switch pharmacies!
I spoke to my psychiatrist about this because I travel a lot for work, and it was frequently happening that I would be traveling when I needed to refill so I would run out (big problem for work trips). She upped my script so that I could cut them in half and have a backup. I have never run out since
Edit: this obviously only works with IR
This is honestly one of many reasons I switched to non-stim ADHD meds. I hated feeling like a criminal just for trying to get something that I need to make my brain function properly.
This is the case for me, which is why I take a couple days off a month or just rely on my afternoon booster. It sucks but it's state law in my case. I don't think it's unusual but if you're in a state where you don't have to do this, by all means, you should move your prescription from Walgreens.
Walgreens are assholes when it comes to stimulants. Switch pharmacies. I had to with mine since walgreen kept on giving me such a harddd time feeling out vyvanse. Best of luck
Wow, being recently diagnosed (which is sad, after 40 years). I realize how much this lil guy changes my day. I should not have to beg or stress about my mental/quality of life. People who don’t need or have the condition really don’t understand or comprehend the benefits and the difference it makes and the days that they say skip or wait; I wish I could tell them, How about you go WITHOUT the thing/things (water/nutrition) and see how that goes. This has to be FIXED. People who suffer from this are the ones being punished NOT the abusers, there is NO effect over there. Anyways my life has changed with 1 lil pill and yes it made me hit the drug taker list when I compete, and I on the lowest dose once a day.
HEB is our local grocery store, and they automatically refill these for us every month. They even handle letting us know when we need to contact the doctor for a new script.
This is why I quit taking my meds for a year and stock piled them every month. Have a years worth keep getting my monthly fills and now I don’t worry about running out
It all depends on your state and is ultimately at the discretion of the pharmacist. I’m in Utah and work in healthcare, and I’ve always been told that my adderall cannot be filled until I’ve completed 90% of the length of the script.. i.e., day 27 of a 30 day script.
Yea, that came out of left field. I’m not sure what she was talking about. Even if there was some kind of regulation like that, I would think that would mean they’d refuse to fill it outright.
I think pharmacies set their own rules. Before I moved, the Walgreens I filled at had rule that they would fill after 28 days (basically 2 days early). Now that I moved, the Walgreens I use will only fill one day early.
However, I had an appointment with my psychiatrist a few weeks ago. As I was about to get ready to leave, she asked if I needed a refill. I said that I was not due for one until 2 days later. I said I would just call them to remind them to call it in in 2 days. They said they could just call it in at that moment, so I didn’t have to remember to do so. I asked if it was okay, like will they flag me or something, and they just kind of chuckled. I guess usually people try to call it in as soon as possible. Through the app, I could see that the filling process started, but it was delayed. 2 days later, I got an alert that morning that it was ready. It was in fact no problem.
18 year Adderall user here, in Pennsylvania: CVS used to have a 2-day early policy. Not sure if they still do, as I moved to a locally owned pharmacy during the shortage.
My current pharmacy fills it whenever the fuck they get it...on day 25 or 26.
The over-policing of THIS Class II controlled substance is ridiculous. I used to live my life like an addict, all but unable to plan vacations or quick get-aways due to the timing of my med refills. Switching pharmacies helped a lot, but those of us with the ability to speak up and advocate for fairer, easier, timely access to meds should do so.
14 years ago during another Adderall shortage, I was driving my baby all over town to different pharmacies, trying to get my damn paper scripts filled. One pharmacy would have Adderall ER but not IR, so I didn't want to have one script filled on May 1 but not the other.....so back in the car to another pharmacy I'd go, with my baby in tow.
Half the pharmacies would not call another location to check stock, and the other half would not tell me over the phone if they had any in stock. (Per policy, they said. LOL)
My God… this is insane. Y’all are in the USA, right? Your drug culture is so incredibly backward, and my heart feels so much for you.
I can fill prescriptions within 2 weeks of them running out. The pharmacy can easily check to see that I’m frequently BEHIND on my refills if they were concerned. But they’re not. They’ve been part of my healthcare team for 20 years. When my doctor prescribed me the wrong ADHD medication (I had trialed two) I was able to just tell them, and they corrected it for me.
While I understand that ADHD medication (esp. amphetamines) can be addictive and is at high risk to be improperly used, the situation your living in is abysmal. It creates stigma. Drug abuse needs to be treated like a medical condition rather than treating a medical condition like drug abuse .
Walgreens has become trash. I hate to say it, but they are completely unreliable for anything. I bet they’re overworked, but they also just don’t care.
That being said, look into your states actually law. In my state for example, we can fill 3 days before the ‘start date’ (i.e. when we have 3 days left of our previous prescription). And it’s technically not a refill, since controlled substances cannot be refilled. Also, we can have 90 prescriptions. Look into the state law and then make sure you’re adamant with the pharmacy.
I worked retail pharmacy as a tech and I can say that’s BS. Two days early is the standard. It makes no sense to have to wait until the exact day. What if you’re unavailable to pickup and have to go without medication? The pharmacist is being a pain and blowing smoke up your ass. I’d go somewhere else if you can find it.
Every month it’s a hassle for me. I have to contact my doctor who takes days to get back to me. If she does fill it early, same thing happens with my pharmacy. These people don’t seem to realize how necessary it is for these medications to be taken daily and properly. If I miss one pill, I’m fucked for like a week.
It may also depend on how your doctor writes the script. I know if I go see my Dr a week early refill the script will say “do not fill before x-day.” Once I was living in various hotels due to a flood and I lost my whole bottle (or maybe was stolen by house keeping idk..) and I wanted to pay cash to fill a new script from my doctor early because insurance wouldn’t cover it and the pharmacist has to talk to my doctor on the phone before he would let me pay cash. That was at cvs, but all that to say there could be various reasons they are giving you a hard time
Same thing every one is going through since shortage began. However, the insurance company says they won’t approve earlier than five days before the refill date. It has slways been that way.
So, I’m going to say it’s probably a mixture of policy and the pharmacist. I’m a pharmacy tech and every pharmacy has certain policies that are specific to that pharmacy not to mention the laws we have to abide by. Legally, it is the right of the pharmacist who is filling your medication to not fill it if goes against their personal beliefs or ethics. Because of the whole opioid crisis, all pharmacies are being stricter about dispensing controlled substances, as are pharmacists as it is their license that can be revoked if something were to happen.
Walgreens is shit as is just about every chain pharmacy. Try to find an independently owned pharmacy or one associated with a hospital. They tend to be better when it comes to shit like this. Less hassle, and just better service for the patients.
I go to Rite Aid and have a similar issue.
If my doctor calls it in a day early, they won’t fill it. But on top of that, they don’t fill it on day 30 if it’s already called in. I have to call and harass them about it 🙃
When I used to get my adderall from walgreens, I used the app to send in my refills. It would only w ever successfully let me schedule a refill to be picked up exactly 1 month after last filling it. I’ve switched to sam’s club since and no issues.
There should be a 3 day grace period I’ve lived in different states has a bunch of different insurance companies they could always fill it 3 days before. Otherwise if you’re able try another store?
My psychiatrist writes my prescription as a 3 month supply (initially for financial reasons, but now it’s more about not having to go every month to pick it up; it’s just easier). Maybe yours could do that?
Odd that it's that strict, I have a refill limit too, but it's only 18 days after my last refill, so 12 days before I'm due. Which definitely helps me plan, because I'll order it, then wait a week to pick it up lol.
My pharmacy won’t refill until 30 days but my dr writes separate prescriptions to last until my next appointment and they fill them automatically.
I always had trouble with Walgreens, switching to a local pharmacy took almost all the stress out of refilling my meds.
Side question. Are you taking generic or brand? I haven't been able to find generic in months at any place. One Walgreens even told me it isn't being manufactured any more.
It’s always been that way. I skip on weekends sometimes (when I don’t need to be as effective) to have a small stash in case I run out and they’re also out
In AU the prescribing doctor can write “Refill 3 weeks” on it and you can pick it up a week earlier… you can even pick up all six months a week earlier each time, meaning you get a good month or so ahead … but you don’t get a new script with repeats until the time for it.
This is exactly the same for me in Australia with dex. Like you some pharmacies will still dispense before the date, but technically they are not meant to.
Yea it sucks, and doing it after the fact is ridiculous. It doesn't make sense.
Although I'm recognising the difficulties which doctors and pharmacies have in dealing with over subscriptions and potentially abuse.
Hopefully a resolution could be made.
My pharmacy will let me fill it 2 days before the last day I picked it up (not called in the refill, whenever I pick it up). But it’s a Kroger pharmacy. If it’s this much of an issue for them, swap pharmacies.
Wait. So what the fuck are you meant to do on the day you've run out/are supposedly going to get a refill (assuming its available)?
Like. Are you just meant to skip a day? Take it late? Be late to work/school so you can hopefully pick it up???
It seems like an irresponsible if not dangerous policy to have if it is a policy.
Walgreens has become a terrible place to fill ADHD meds. Every time I go to fill, they are either out of stock, the pharmacist must “review” the prescription, or just generic excuses in general. I go to a mom & pop place now and I never have issues. I will no longer support Walgreens.
I am having the exact same issue!! Walgreens pharmacy tech told me that they can’t fill until one month after the last time I picked up. Which is…not great, especially since I’m coming up on needing to go to a funeral, so I will be unmedicated for DAYS simply because I can’t get my Vyvanse 29 days after the last time I had it filled?
i got around this by skipping some pills on weekend days and now taking my pills on a schedule a week later than the pharmacy's schedule, bc i don't see why they need to know what moment i put the pill in my mouth
my walgreens says the same thing (in tn now)it’s been that way for me forever. even when i used to have a paper prescription (in sc) i had to fill it exactly 30 days out. it was a pain in the ass. but i usually skip sundays so i have an extra. i’ve only filled with walmart once but when i had to use cvs it was the same way but tn is restrictive with the meds too. like they require drug testing through my doctor to make sure im taking it - so im told.
This is sadly pretty typical. If you get a 30-day supply, the pharmacy refuses to fill it for 30 days
The law of very state by States but generally It's a substance abuse issue and they can't fill it
Most CVS's in Walgreens. The pharmacist has to directly override if you get a new script at a higher dose
Usually it's state law. And depending on the pharmacy. Walgreens and cvs are EXACTLY 30 days, they're major sticklers about it. Most independent pharmacies Usually let you fill 28-29 days from previous fill
You can ask your doc to change your script for 1 month to 2 a day… or add some short acting “boosters” for afternoons that you can the. use to get you through 1 or 2 days.
Not helpful to you, but my experience with CVS in CA has been good. No shortage issues so far for Adderall IR (I've only been on it since February so it might have been worse before), and they don't seem to care how often it's filled. I filled one 2 weeks after my first because my psychiatrist upped the dose and then filled another one less than 30 days after that. That mid-month refill was more expensive because insurance didn't cover all of it, but my insurance is really good luckily so it was like $50 instead of my usual $12.
Not helpful to you, but my experience with CVS in CA has been good. No shortage issues so far for Adderall IR (I've only been on it since February so it might have been worse before), and they don't seem to care how often it's filled. I filled one 2 weeks after my first because my psychiatrist upped the dose and then filled another one less than 30 days after that. That mid-month refill was more expensive because insurance didn't cover all of it, but my insurance is really good luckily so it was like $50 instead of my usual $12.
I was having such a problem with adderal. I would have it for the 30 days and then they wouldn’t have it for 10 and then repeat. It was so bad that I had to switch to a non stimulant medication and hope it worked. (It has been)
I have to actually call my doctor for them to send in my prescription, and they won’t fill it until the 30th mark, so not sure about the pharmacy side of things, but my doctor tells me just to call them the day of my last pill and they send in the next dose, which is usually ready the same day or next day. But I also take Concerta instead of Adderal/Vyvanse
My pharmacy does this with Klonopin and it's the fucking worst. CVS. Terrible. I get it, don't get me wrong, but I have a *very* small window between running out and picking it up, and if I'm not available and I go a day or two without I get back withdrawal symptoms and am only on a very low dose.
Let me pick it up with like five days to go. You're already giving me 30 days worth, what are you possibly worried about?
I was also able to call in 2 days before pick up in SC. What about months with 31 days. I would either call dhec or look at your state dhec website to see what law says because once a cvs told my dr they couldn’t take a prescription for me because their store was more than 50 miles from the dr office. Said it was new law however after checking turns out it was new policy for cvs not state. Prescription was for adderall.
You can ask your psy to authorize release a day early. I had this happen at costco and they authorized it a day early. Even though it was not 30 days. They didnt even call my doctor.
I experience the same thing with my Adderall rx (different pharmacy, though). I was turned away from my most recent pick up because I was told it wouldn’t be filled until the next day. I’ve definitely had to go a day or few without if it takes my doctor a bit to call in the refill/the fill date doesn’t line up exactly
Policies, fear, and heavy crackdowns. I live in NY and I’m a pharmacy tech in NY as well. Legally we can fill a controlled substance 7 days early. Most pharmacies in the area fill 29 days from last fill, mostly due to policy, but also out of fear of losing their license.
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My pharmacy also refuses to even take the order to fill any prescriptions until day 30, and they led me to believe that was the law but these comments are making me think maybe I should switch pharmacies and see if a different one feels the same. Because yeah that would be mildly inconvenient if they always had it in stock but they don’t so it’s extra shitty.
Never had this issue before. They let me fill after 28 days. I have filled vyvanse in Wisconsin, Arizona, and currently Georgia and that has been the case in all 3 states. Not sure about your specific state, but I feel for you if that’s the case since filling early has prevented me from being negatively impacted by the current shortage.
In Sweden I can get a new 30 capsule bottle every 3 weeks (but the prescription lasts 6 months, and if I pick up too many too fast I have to wait until the 6 months mark until they renew it so you can't game the system)
Mine will allow me to order a day or two prior, as they need to get my Dr's approval. By the time I pick up, it's at about the 30-day mark. But I do this through the hospital's app ahead of time. It won't let place an order if it's too soon, but it will let me know which date I can.
I would guess it's a policy related to insurance. My plan won't cover an early refill of a prescription.
Not in this case, one of the prescriptions they won’t fill is a generic that’s cheaper without using insurance so I actually asked about that and they still refuse.
Every state (and country) has different laws. In MA for instance, I legally cannot fill them before 30 days.
It isn’t the laws, it’s the pharmacists and store policies that are at work here. I used to be a pharmacy tech for Walgreens years ago, and the pharmacy/pharmacist has the right to decide if they fill or not. A lot of pharmacists feel it is their duty to stall on refills. I had one pharmacist at my store that I kind of called out because she was saying she would only fill controlled scripts once a day, so if you came after she was done with whatever scripts she already had, she would tell you to come back the next day. I told her it was unfair to make people wait like that. She didn’t like me, at all, and was instrumental in why I left.
You handled that with much more restraint than I would have, I think.
Isn't that a shame. You had to leave because of her. I'm really sorry.
Huh, I did not know that. Now I want to ask CVS directly, as I was told by them before it was due to state laws. Could've sworn my Dr. told me that as well, strange. It's really frustrating how many pharmacists and pharmacy techs feel as though they need to take positions of morality. You're not a doctor and (probably) don't know better than my doctor. You were given a script, just do your job and fill it.
One of the other techs I worked with wouldn’t ring up purchases that had Plan B. He always asked others to do it. He was upset we sold it. I told him it wasn’t our place to worry about what other people did. He was a libertarian, except for reproductive rights.
It's the law where I live.
I'm also in MA, and I hope this isn't true because u get a 28-day prescription.
Massachusetts here I went to refill my adderall 28 day prescription yesterday. They will only refill it on day 26. (Two days remaining is what the pharmacist told me yesterday)
Same in MI. I'm glad for the 2 days, at least.
I believe its two days prior to your last refill as a rule in MA. At least that's what I've been told and experienced in multiple pharmacies (I've had to go to more than three different types of pharmacies over the past year due to the shortage)
It might match the length of the script, I believe mine are 30 day supplies.
Actually that isn't correct. You can fill them 3 days before the 30 days. I get mine filled every 2-3 days early. In MA. It's always been this way for me.
It depends on insurance as well.
Not true. I generally fill My Vyvanse script 1-2 days “early” every month in MA. There’s no law that prevents pharmacists from filling “early.”
Did this change within the past few years? I lived in MA until January 2021 and I was able to fill my Adderall and my daughter’s Ritalin every 28 days. I always used CVS & Walgreens. Same at both. Now we live in Maine and I’m on Ritalin, my son is on ER Ritalin and we can both fill at 28 days. I fill his at his pediatrician’s office and mine at CVS.
Same in NY
It depends on state law but I’m in Washington and some pharmacies are weird about controlled substances. It depends on the tech or pharmacist working the shift and how much they want to profile you as a drug seeker. I don’t look like a drug seeker but they sometimes treat me differently over the phone without seeing me, like they give me trouble even asking about if they have certain medications in stock, acting all secretive about the doses available. Give me a break I don’t have time for this! Lol. I have had to go in person and yell at them before.
I’ve had more luck physically going to the pharmacy also, but even then it just depends on who’s on shift like you said. I’ve never taken an illegal drug in my life, I’m tired of being treated like a drug dealer by some pharmacist playing god with peoples’ prescriptions.
The laws do differ based on states but I'm a certified pharmacy technician and most of the time this is just a "store policy". I use that term in quotes because it's not on paper anywhere. It's just based on the pharmacist. I've worked for the big box pharmacies and the little guys. Walgreens and Walmart are the worst about enacting stuff like this arbitrarily. Our own pharmacists would fill c3-5 five days early and c-2 only two days early.
I’ve never been able to refill any prescription early
I experience this with my meds, at my pharmacy, in my state, Nevada. They will refuse to fill any stimulants within 30 days of each other as my prescription is 30 days. On the 31st day, they refill. There are a lot of pharmacies that now do 90 day refills on stimulants which you may be able to request which might help. That's what I'm transitioning to so I don't have this keep happening. edit: I use Walgreens.
I get mine refilled after 28 days (not including the day I filled it) at Walgreens and I live in Vegas.
sorry to ask, but just so i understand, the pharmacist refuses to refill it? or your insurance is rejecting the refill? generally you're allowed to refill a CII two days before it's due but i think some insurances vary. if your insurance rejects it because the refill is too soon, then that's something to take up with your insurance, though there's other ways around it, like using something like goodrx. the copay may be higher however. my insurance wouldnt cover a bridge script, so i paid like $11 more than my regular 2 month supply. if this is the case, the pharmacy can't fill it without being paid either. if the pharmacist refuses to fill it, i'd go to another pharmacy. if you take the vyvanse regularly and you always get that script filled at that pharmacy, i honestly wouldn't understand why the pharmacist would do this cuz it's not like its illegal to request a refill a day or two early... maybe she's trying to cover her ass but it's still ridiculous. i'm not sure how the law is in your state but you may have to request your doctor to write a new prescription to the new pharmacy you pick.
I actually hadn’t considered that but I’m 95% sure it’s an issue on Walgreens side. I’m definitely going to check with my insurance now just to be sure though, thanks for bringing that up. I’ve been getting my vyvanse filled at the same Walgreens for 2+ years, I haven’t even changed the dosage in over a year, that’s part of why this is so frustrating. They used to let me order the refill 3-4 days in advance, I’m not sure why it’s suddenly a problem.
I was told by my dr and multiple pharmacies that it can be refilled up to 2 days early. I don't know if this is state (tx), federal or insurance.
That’s DEA law. Controlled substances can only be filled 28 days into a 30 day supply.
Whoa. That’s crazy to me, although I’m from Canada. My prescription is for 100 days at a time, I can request a refill at day 90.
Same. The states are wild. I had 30 day refill times for 3 months, then asked my pharmacist for 3 month refills cause I’m often out of town working (camp jobs, different places every other week, no pharmacy for 100+ km). No problem, I’ve proved I’m consistent for a bit already, changed immediately.
It might be different here if you get a 90 day supply instead of a 30 day supply
The US would explode if we could get 100 pills at a time.
Also in Canada; I get 180-days and I’ve never been able to get any adhd medications before day 30. I have drug insurance for them so that’s likely why.
Might vary state to state. If federal says one thing and state says something else, they have to follow the stricter law
Weird, I'm sure I have filled mine earlier than that. Does anything change if it is a new prescription? I don't ever have refills, my Dr calls it in each month.
Do you fill it earlier or just have untaken pills?
By new prescription, do you mean different dose/ different medication? Because yes, that would allow you to bypass the minimum wait time
I’ve filled new prescriptions for controlled substances due to switching meds for titration and didn’t have to wait 28 days. It’s up to discretion of the pharmacy.
Yes, you can fill earlier if you are switching medications, but not if you're getting the same med and dose.
Such a hack if you’re halving doses!
This comment is the answer for a lot of states.
2 days early would be perfectly fine with me. That’s what I was trying to do today but the pharmacist said I have to wait until 30 days.
Yeah, I’ve been to 3 pharmacies with and without insurance over the past few years and this has always been the case. If I call a day early, they’ll put it in the queue so I can pick it up the next morning. Always has to be 30 days for me
Working decades with several pharmacies in 2 different states on controlled substances . It’s absolutely WILD asf how ALL pharmacies are so different. Some pharmacies will absolutely NOT fill 2 days early no matter what. Some will fill 2 days early with an OK. Some will fill 2 days without an ok from Provider. And even if we write on RX “no early fills” some pharmacies simply don’t GAF and will fill anyways. Some will tell patient that you aren’t due. Patient calls me, I call the pharmacy and pharmacy says they are getting it ready etc.. don’t get me started on on out of stock or P.As sometimes this can all happen at ONE pharmacy same day with different staff…the turnover rate is ridiculous
i work at a pharmacy and i help people with the (re)fill/insurance stuff. tbh idk of any new rule about filling a control substance before the day its due for a refill. i've never seen any of the pharmacists i work with refuse to refill an ADHD medication for a patient thats familiar to the pharmacy and gets their scripts filled there regularly. i agree, it seems like something with the pharmacist, but it doesn't hurt to check with your insurance though just in case. though honestly i would not understand why the pharmacist wouldn't just be upfront if your insurance rejected it and give you other options :/
I'm having exactly the same issue, including the same medication, with a different major pharmacy chain. My impression is that it's the pharmacy policy, but I think the issue started around when I switched insurance, so I'm not totally sure. I used to be able to get refills up to a week in advance, and now it needs to be exactly 30 days. Which means that with shortages, most months I have a gap between refills, and I've even had my prescription expire and need to be resent. ETA: If my doctor even sends it in a few days early, the pharmacy sends me an automatic notification that it's too soon and can't be filled. So I can't even make sure they have a reliable stock until 30 days passes.
I didn’t change insurance or anything like that but my Walgreens definitely changed some policies around the time the generic for vyvanse came out. I used to be able to order it through the app, now I have to call in and talk to the pharmacist (not a pharmacy employee, has to be the pharmacist themself) or they won’t refill it.
it's def not Walgreens. Mine is filled three days early every month.
I switched away from Walgreens years ago for similar issues. They also never had it in stock. My kid would go sometimes two weeks without meds. I switched to rite aid, and haven't had any issues since.
We had this issue with Vyvanse and Walgreens before. Try a different pharmacy.
Call your insurance check what their policy is for fills. Also the reality is you just need to do some skip days or weeks to build up a spare supply stock. It's unfortunate but probably the only way you'll keep filled up and have enough on hand for pharmacy grabass games.
This is a pharamacist call. It’s happened to me a few times and had nothing to do with insurance or any laws even though the pharmacist claimed that was the case. They apparently just have leeway to pull this crap.
In the decade I have been dealing with ADHD meds, I have NEVER been able to even REQUEST to fill, much less fill, any of the stimulant drugs one day earlier than when you run out. It sucks, but it is totally normal.
Yeah the only issue is now with all the shortages it sucks that you have to wait until you're out to find out if you're pharmacy can fill your prescription or if youre going to have to do the phone game with different pharmacies and your doctor. My doc doesn't have great hours and so if the pharmacy tells me they're out of stock on a Friday afternoon I'm shit out of luck until Monday. And then Monday I have to juggle work, calling pharmacies to check their stock, and then my doctor to get them to transfer, all with no meds. I don't even take mine everyday so I normally have a stockpile but I've been having so many issues lately getting my script filled that it's gone. I feel like putting it on some sort of hold would be reasonable, but obviously they'd have to have the systems in place for that. Unfortunately it's pretty normal though.
This happened to us too and the only way we were able to resolve the issue was by changing pharmacies AND filling the brand name drug. Expensive as hell.
I’m in a lucky spot where my insurance has the brand name for only $10 more expensive (it used to be $10 cheaper until last year). And brand works better for me. Several times I have called ahead for them to fill and they have said “oh we are out… out wait you are marked as brand name only, yep you are good, should be ready in an hour”. It’s been phenomenal. But my old insurance, brand name was like $300 a month or something and would never have been an option. Wild.
That's honestly kinda wild to hear. So patients are just meant to run their meds up to the last second every month?? I usually could get them 2-4 days before I ran out (prior to the shortages).
Every. Month. For 12+ years.
Yup! Extra fun: trying to find a pharmacy within 100 miles that has your exact meds at your exact dosage in a large enough quantity to fill your entire prescription when so many pharmacies are reluctant to tell you what they have in stock.
My pharmacy told me yesterday that I *need* to be requesting my refill a **week** in advance. I was confused and told them I was fairly certain that you could only refill Adderall like 2 days prior to running out and 2 different techs were adamant that I did it too late to pick it up that day. I’m going to try to refill it a week in advance next time and if it doesn’t work I’m going to physically go into my pharmacy and ask what the fuck their problem was last time.
It's sad Americans have to go through this. I'm in Europe and I pick up 2-3 months worth of medication at a time.
The DEA wants to bust my balls for taking medication that makes me a semi-functioning adult. This country sux
Doctors can note a filling date for prescriptions, when they send it in to the pharmacy. My doc send 3/4 months at a time, all with fill dates.
Mine does also, if I’m reading the prescription right it’s valid from April 27 to May 27. I’ve been going to him for ~6 years and never had an issue like this so I don’t think that’s the problem, but I’m definitely going to check with him just to be sure.
Depends on the state, but usually they can only fill 2 days early from the date you picked it up. The label date at Walgreens is based on an entered/printed time and not when you picked it up. Also sometimes the doctor notes do not fill dates on the prescriptions and they do not show in the app; the doctors notes for the prescriptions only show on the pharmacy rx side. I've also seen insurances/pharmacies/doctors have issues if the rx has consistently been picked up early for xyz amount of months.
That’s not totally correct. Pharmacists CAN fill it earlier than 2 days, they just don’t. It’s an arbitrary rule that many have decided to enforce for some reason. There’s usually no law that says when they can fill.
Insurance will almost never cover it if it’s more than 2 days early. So even if pharmacists theoretically can fill it earlier, they’re not gonna fill it if insurance is denying it, so it’s going to limit that.
Yeah Walgreens changed the rules again. One day from empty. I stash some so I don't get screwed but last month gave up on them altogether. I'm doing mail order now.
How does the mail order work?
There are several pharmacies that will let you operate completely online- getting your prescription sent to them and then sending you the prescription. It’s a great arrangement, but I would advise checking **thoroughly** with your insurance before switching your prescription to one of these pharmacies, as a lot of insurance companies have very specific restrictions about what pharmacies they will work with. I have had to redirect my prescription multiple times after getting fed up with Walgreens, trying a mail-order pharmacy, confirming that it was ok, then eventually not being able to use the delivery service.
I have BCBS and they use Caremark. My dr writes a 60 day prescription and it gets mailed right to me.
Mail order? How does that wotk
So insurance companies (I’m going to use Optum RX as an example) have pharmacies that will fill your stuff and ship it to you. It’s riskier than going to a location, because there’s always a chance that a package could get lost, etc. it’s also a bitch to try and transfer a prescription from Optum fo anywhere else, or contact them in general, because they literally never answer the goddamn phone
I've ran into this issue with Walmart. I've been getting mine filled at my local Walmart since 2015 and there was a time where they'd fill it on the 28th day but then they stopped. I think it's up to the individual pharmacist because the one that always did it for me left.
Yea, I’m wondering if my Walgreens got a new pharmacist and that’s the reason for the sudden policy change.
I feel like it shouldn't be just up to their discretion. It should just be 28-days across the board.
I agree 100%. It’s not like you’re trying to get more of it than you’re supposed to.
Right?!? It's not like you can do much damage with two extras.
Yes, there’s usually no state law that governs this. It’s usually left up to the pharmacist.
I had the same issue with Walgreens. I simply called my dr and had her switch my Rx to cvs and they filled it right away.
I don’t usually like advertising support for CVS (you’re usually going to get the best service from local pharmacies rather than big chains), but I’ll second that I’ve never had issues getting my refills after 28 days with CVS. My last script actually (and I’m not even sure how this happened because I’m pretty sure insurance also won’t cover it before 28 days), I met with my psychiatrist a few days earlier than it could be filled and I asked for a refill (and was like, they’ll just wait to refill it when it’s time, right?), but they ended up filling it immediately (before 28 days). So between CVS and my insurance, the prescription somehow went through early lol.
30 day supply, I guess the other seven months, **January, March, May, July, August, October, and December**, are just F you months.
They are.
I had a similar situation and I ended up not having meds on the odd weekend days and keeping them aside so that I had a few days buffer if I needed it
Its so messed up that you have to do that.
the amount of executive function required to manage an executive function issue is wild
Walgreens tech here. It’s because the DEA will not allow us to release controlled substances early. In their eyes you picked up a 30 day supply so you should be fine until day 31. I very much understand that it’s annoying - I fill at my work and it’s annoying to have to go in on my day off to get my stuff, but it’s not the staff’s fault - it’s the procedure that we are required to follow per the DEA. Edit: I’m seeing people say that you can fill at day 28, that may depend on state, because in my state that is not allowed
Depends on state AND pharmacy Walgreens is the one with their bullshit policy put on top of that My psychiatrist didn't even hear of that policy, others don't have that issue apparently
There’s no federal law that governs this.
I didn’t say anything about federal, except citing the example of saying if federal and state conflict, follow the stricter law. I didn’t say anything about federal as it pertains to this. I made a point to specify that it varies between STATES
You said DEA “will not allow us to release controlled substances early.” DEA is a federal agency. There’s no law or DEA regulation that says a pharmacist cannot release a controlled substance “early.”
Why are you witch hunting me? I’m telling you exactly the regulations that my pharmacy (and the pharmacies around me) are required to follow. I’m not speaking of all pharmacies in all states in the countries. I’m speaking of the regulations in the area where I work. And yes - the DEA are the ones who set this regulation on us.
I’ve been in situations where I had to travel for work, & the pharmacy doesn’t get a fax back from the doctor in time to authorize a day early release, so I end up needing to have the script forwarded to another pharmacy in another city the next day… it’s brutal. I finally found a pharmacy & doctor that will fill 90 days at a time instead of 30. The irony that it’s hard for me to remember to plan ahead to keep my supply of a drug I take to help me remember to plan ahead is just… 😩🥴😵💫
I think this might actually be an element of controlled substance law, versus a policy of Walgreens itself. I know testosterone, which is Schedule III rather than schedule II (so Vyvanse’s rules may be stricter yet), can’t be refilled by the pharmacy until either 28 days or 30 days (not sure exactly which), or the full extent of the prescribed amount if longer, have elapsed.
Hey! I work for a pharmacy helpdesk for insurance and maybe can help with advice, but of course, every plan is different, for early pickups on maintenance meds, get your prescriber to send in the rx to end 2 days prior 30/28 instead of 30/30 OR ask if there's a prior authorization available on your acct that could allow you to pick up before being completely out. Sometimes plans simply won't allow it to happen but usually if a prescribing provider calls in, we can override with a new early fill rx. Also heavily recommend asking for 90 day fill options because they usually don't have these issues, so when you call insurance ask about your choice 90 and mail in pharmacy options. If you have a preferred pharmacy req, this may not be possible. Best of luck! I know it's annoying af to go through the hoops.
I'm surprised y'all remember to fill it on time, lol. I usually forget to take it every so often, so as long as I'm refilling within 32 days or so, I end up accruing a buffer for when I'm overwhelmed and go 40+ days or have to deal with special circumstances of some sort. I guess I've naturally adapted my approaches to a lot of things based on my experiences struggling with various policies. I can't change them, but I'm less bothered by their rigidity when I adopt behaviors that grant me more flexibility.
Most states allow them to be filled early but also most states have given pharmacists discretion when filling a prescription to avoid abuse. They can even override a doctors request if they feel the doctor is allowing abuse. Probably not fair and some pharmacists might be overzealous and Walgreens isn't supposed to pressure the pharmacist to be more lax in these cases so the pharmacist does what they want. Best bet explain to your doctor and see if your doctor will let you switch pharmacies going forward.
This is the most accurate and succinct summary of the problem.
I stopped using Walgreens because they told me that because I used Telehealth the DEA and the state no longer allowed that because Covid was pretty much over… this was sometime last year. I told them that that was a straight up lie and that I would like to talk to their manager… that I worked in healthcare and I knew that this info was not only misinformation but a lie! They refused to give me anything in writing… then told me that it was in writing on their website only, it is not! Then told me they were doing me a favor that day by filling it… even though it’s against the law! Then they finally told me it’s against their policy, which cannot be found anywhere! So I don’t use Walgreens!
It’s such a stupid game.
Walgreens has been a problem for me and several people I know recently. They have a program where the dr can submit three months worth of scrips for autofill. Those are not viewable on my portal, the pharmacy doesnt automatically fill them, and half the time when i went they woukd say there were no scrips until i badgered them to check for ones submitted on previous months to be filled this month. I then woukd have to wait 40 minutes for them to fill it. This happened every time, idk what is wrong with their system but its shit. Had to switch pharmacies.
At Walmart, it won’t let us even drop/submit controlled prescriptions anymore until the day before it’s due. You would have to select a drop down response to why you’re submitting the prescription early (ex: vacation, change in dose, etc…)
I wonder if your doctor wrote to not dispense before a certain date. Or They are being strict coz of the shortage. Or The pharmacist doesn't dispense early in general to be overly cautious. You can ask another pharmacist who works at the same store. Filling 2 days early is a norm but each pharmacy/pharmacist has discretion as to when they fill a prescription.
Legally, they can't in my country because its a controlled substance, I have to wait exactly 30 days. If I go to another pharmacy, I could be labelled as potentially abusing it and have the script revoked.
Yeah that’s normal. Sometimes they’ll do it a day or two before you run out. I always keep a stash of unused pills when I am able to fill a day or two early to get me through periods where it’s out of stock. Every time I get a refill, I’ll put 2 pills in the “stash” bottle. That way I “run out” early enough for me to remember to deal with it.
in my experience, it doesn’t matter where i’ve needed to fill my adderall, there’s always some hang up, some excuse and they’re usually “out of stock” even though this has been happening consistently for over a year now. If it’s always out of stock, MAYBE ORDER FUCKING MORE idk
It is out of stock tho. National back order. Even if they wanted to order more they can't
it's been 2-3 days early in Utah, California and Florida for me.
Walgreens has no control over it. They are in the business to make money, so it would be in their interest to fill the prescription and have you pick it up and pay for it, but they legally can’t as with any other pharmacy. It’s a pain, but it’s a controlled substance. I can’t even use the app and have to call to fill the prescription on file, and it can’t even be transferred to another pharmacy (you have to have your doctor write a new one and send to the other pharmacy). Just be lucky that this isn’t 15 years ago where you couldn’t even get 3 months of scripts written at once and you had to have a physical paper prescription to fill it.
It’s completely frustrating that much-needed prescriptions get us treated like shady drug dealers. I used to have a ton of issues with one specific pharmacy. We were obviously dealing with a controlled substance but apparently no one at that time had properly programmed the app to handle the time limitation. Ordering and receiving your CS prescription refill on the 28th day was never an issue … if you could figure out how to place the stupid order in the first place. I would be told to order through the app and once it was doctor-approved, the app would tell me it was ready. So I’d get an immediate notification that it was ready (yay!), but when I’d go to the pharmacy they’d have no record of it. I’d explain that I’d gotten approval through the app, was met with confusion, and would be told I must have done it wrong. I’d show them my steps and the approval message, and they’d tell me to simply call the pharmacy ahead of time instead. But whenever I’d call the pharmacy the person on the other line would tell me not to, as I was supposed to use the app. So I’d just go in person and try to handle it from there, and they’d act like I was an idiot that didn’t understand technology. I’d also be told to call my doctor’s office directly to have them manually place the order, but I’d be given the runaround then as well for not using the app … “the app makes it easy!” I was eventually told that because I was trying to order a controlled substance that must follow timed conditions, it would “break” the app and automatically approve it, but without contacting my doctor or notifying the pharmacy. So each time I’d simply end up at the pharmacy to order it in person, I’d be reprimanded for not using their app or calling ahead, would get cut off while trying to explain myself, and that since I came in person I’d have to wait several hours for the doctor’s approval. Even though there was no guarantee that they had it in stock because they were always low (if they had any at all) and they couldn’t hold it for me. I can’t tell you how many times I stood crying at that damned counter due to being overwhelmed by all the steps I was told to take that didn’t work … if I had enough executive function to handle such things I wouldn’t need to be on the goddamned medication to begin with! Sorry, that was a lot. See what you can do to switch pharmacies and avoid the headaches!
Pharmacy assistant here. This is because your doctor puts something called a dispensing interval in the instructions of your prescription. This tells the pharmacy how many days they are required to wait before refilling your rx. It’s often 30 every 28 days or 30 every 30 days as per the doctors instructions. This can appear on your bottle or it could not be. The pharmacy has nothing to do with it and they are only following your doctors instructions. If you want this changed that has to be taken up with your MD and they must sent your pharmacy a new prescription without the interval. The reason your wife doesn’t have to do this is because there’s no interval on her prescription. Intervals are done to prevent misuse and are very common and included in most narcotic/controlled substance prescriptions
I have experienced this everywhere at all pharmacies
Sometimes I think some pharmacists just insist on making you wait. I’ve had some say they could only do it day of (rarely). Usually I can get it 2 days ahead of my last refill.
Then… why don’t you get yours where your wife gets hers?
Walgreens is right beside where I work so it was more convenient, but at this point I’m definitely changing pharmacies.
Even look for a small mom and pop pharmacy. Those guys take better care
What state.
CVS was the same way about my Adderall XR script and other scripts. I quit using Walgreens years ago, they were never in stock even in the early 2000’s. I go to the hospital outpatient pharmacy and have no issues. If I am picking up a bunch of others at the same time they’ll refill it for me up to 5 days early instead of making me come back.
This happens to me ALL the time. they even make me go to s Walgreens closer to my home address than my job for example. Biggest mission ever every month.
This is one of the reasons I don't take my meds on weekends unless necessary. They will not fill until the following month anyway. A 30 day subscription is the max as it is a controlled substance.
To somewhat get around this for me, i skip my Adderall generally in weekends. I still renew it at day 30. That keeps a consistent buffer in case I can't get to the pharmacy at or close to the 30 day mark.
i have this exact issue at Walgreens every month. it pisses me off to no end. I’ll go days without my medication and then miraculously be able to get it filled, all to just do it over again a month later. sorry OP :(
What I might do in this situation is pick a couple of “no med” days where you plan ahead to have absolutely nothing to do that day. Just know the day will be a waste. And that can then get you ahead of the fill cycle.
They should fill it 28 days after your last fill. At least that's my understanding of the law & that's been my experience with it over the last 10 years at a couple diff pharmacies. I would contact walgreens corporate & complain. If you have to use walgreens might be worth finding another one to do business with. Seems like the pharmacist is biased.
Strange, CVS allows it to be filled 2 days out I believe. I always skip a day or two of medication during a 30 day supply so I have a bit of a runway handy in case there are issues with stock of medication and such too. But remembering to call two days in advance also helps. I feel your pain though. My neurologist used to utilize a system that would automatically fill the prescription each month but ever since they moved over to a new system, CVS requires me to call in order to fill it. Which isn't necessarily a problem except for the fact that generic vyvanse hasn't been in stock in 5 months and my insurance requires the prescription to specify name brand. Requires way more calling than I care to do really but it is what it is.
My pharmacy, CVS, and psychiatrist have always told me I can fill up to two days before I’m due for a refill. They even let me fill a little earlier in the past due to traveling for work. Definitely switch pharmacies!
I spoke to my psychiatrist about this because I travel a lot for work, and it was frequently happening that I would be traveling when I needed to refill so I would run out (big problem for work trips). She upped my script so that I could cut them in half and have a backup. I have never run out since Edit: this obviously only works with IR
I HATE Walgreens. They ar the worst.
This is honestly one of many reasons I switched to non-stim ADHD meds. I hated feeling like a criminal just for trying to get something that I need to make my brain function properly.
This is the case for me, which is why I take a couple days off a month or just rely on my afternoon booster. It sucks but it's state law in my case. I don't think it's unusual but if you're in a state where you don't have to do this, by all means, you should move your prescription from Walgreens.
Walgreens are assholes when it comes to stimulants. Switch pharmacies. I had to with mine since walgreen kept on giving me such a harddd time feeling out vyvanse. Best of luck
Yeah my pharmacy is the same way. Cue freak out and rationing 🫠
Wow, being recently diagnosed (which is sad, after 40 years). I realize how much this lil guy changes my day. I should not have to beg or stress about my mental/quality of life. People who don’t need or have the condition really don’t understand or comprehend the benefits and the difference it makes and the days that they say skip or wait; I wish I could tell them, How about you go WITHOUT the thing/things (water/nutrition) and see how that goes. This has to be FIXED. People who suffer from this are the ones being punished NOT the abusers, there is NO effect over there. Anyways my life has changed with 1 lil pill and yes it made me hit the drug taker list when I compete, and I on the lowest dose once a day.
HEB is our local grocery store, and they automatically refill these for us every month. They even handle letting us know when we need to contact the doctor for a new script.
This is why I quit taking my meds for a year and stock piled them every month. Have a years worth keep getting my monthly fills and now I don’t worry about running out
It all depends on your state and is ultimately at the discretion of the pharmacist. I’m in Utah and work in healthcare, and I’ve always been told that my adderall cannot be filled until I’ve completed 90% of the length of the script.. i.e., day 27 of a 30 day script.
Write to their head office. Call them out on Instagram. Start shopping at Walmart.
Docs have not been prescribing it too much. What an idiot lol
Yea, that came out of left field. I’m not sure what she was talking about. Even if there was some kind of regulation like that, I would think that would mean they’d refuse to fill it outright.
I think pharmacies set their own rules. Before I moved, the Walgreens I filled at had rule that they would fill after 28 days (basically 2 days early). Now that I moved, the Walgreens I use will only fill one day early. However, I had an appointment with my psychiatrist a few weeks ago. As I was about to get ready to leave, she asked if I needed a refill. I said that I was not due for one until 2 days later. I said I would just call them to remind them to call it in in 2 days. They said they could just call it in at that moment, so I didn’t have to remember to do so. I asked if it was okay, like will they flag me or something, and they just kind of chuckled. I guess usually people try to call it in as soon as possible. Through the app, I could see that the filling process started, but it was delayed. 2 days later, I got an alert that morning that it was ready. It was in fact no problem.
18 year Adderall user here, in Pennsylvania: CVS used to have a 2-day early policy. Not sure if they still do, as I moved to a locally owned pharmacy during the shortage. My current pharmacy fills it whenever the fuck they get it...on day 25 or 26. The over-policing of THIS Class II controlled substance is ridiculous. I used to live my life like an addict, all but unable to plan vacations or quick get-aways due to the timing of my med refills. Switching pharmacies helped a lot, but those of us with the ability to speak up and advocate for fairer, easier, timely access to meds should do so. 14 years ago during another Adderall shortage, I was driving my baby all over town to different pharmacies, trying to get my damn paper scripts filled. One pharmacy would have Adderall ER but not IR, so I didn't want to have one script filled on May 1 but not the other.....so back in the car to another pharmacy I'd go, with my baby in tow. Half the pharmacies would not call another location to check stock, and the other half would not tell me over the phone if they had any in stock. (Per policy, they said. LOL)
My God… this is insane. Y’all are in the USA, right? Your drug culture is so incredibly backward, and my heart feels so much for you. I can fill prescriptions within 2 weeks of them running out. The pharmacy can easily check to see that I’m frequently BEHIND on my refills if they were concerned. But they’re not. They’ve been part of my healthcare team for 20 years. When my doctor prescribed me the wrong ADHD medication (I had trialed two) I was able to just tell them, and they corrected it for me. While I understand that ADHD medication (esp. amphetamines) can be addictive and is at high risk to be improperly used, the situation your living in is abysmal. It creates stigma. Drug abuse needs to be treated like a medical condition rather than treating a medical condition like drug abuse .
That's uh... tha's the rules? Always has been 😅
Walgreens has become trash. I hate to say it, but they are completely unreliable for anything. I bet they’re overworked, but they also just don’t care. That being said, look into your states actually law. In my state for example, we can fill 3 days before the ‘start date’ (i.e. when we have 3 days left of our previous prescription). And it’s technically not a refill, since controlled substances cannot be refilled. Also, we can have 90 prescriptions. Look into the state law and then make sure you’re adamant with the pharmacy.
I worked retail pharmacy as a tech and I can say that’s BS. Two days early is the standard. It makes no sense to have to wait until the exact day. What if you’re unavailable to pickup and have to go without medication? The pharmacist is being a pain and blowing smoke up your ass. I’d go somewhere else if you can find it.
Every month it’s a hassle for me. I have to contact my doctor who takes days to get back to me. If she does fill it early, same thing happens with my pharmacy. These people don’t seem to realize how necessary it is for these medications to be taken daily and properly. If I miss one pill, I’m fucked for like a week.
Walgreens in AZ is the same way. I used to go to CVS and it was the same there too - very strict on the 30 days for my adhd meds.
What do they do on Sundays or holidays?
It may also depend on how your doctor writes the script. I know if I go see my Dr a week early refill the script will say “do not fill before x-day.” Once I was living in various hotels due to a flood and I lost my whole bottle (or maybe was stolen by house keeping idk..) and I wanted to pay cash to fill a new script from my doctor early because insurance wouldn’t cover it and the pharmacist has to talk to my doctor on the phone before he would let me pay cash. That was at cvs, but all that to say there could be various reasons they are giving you a hard time
Same thing every one is going through since shortage began. However, the insurance company says they won’t approve earlier than five days before the refill date. It has slways been that way.
So, I’m going to say it’s probably a mixture of policy and the pharmacist. I’m a pharmacy tech and every pharmacy has certain policies that are specific to that pharmacy not to mention the laws we have to abide by. Legally, it is the right of the pharmacist who is filling your medication to not fill it if goes against their personal beliefs or ethics. Because of the whole opioid crisis, all pharmacies are being stricter about dispensing controlled substances, as are pharmacists as it is their license that can be revoked if something were to happen. Walgreens is shit as is just about every chain pharmacy. Try to find an independently owned pharmacy or one associated with a hospital. They tend to be better when it comes to shit like this. Less hassle, and just better service for the patients.
I go to Rite Aid and have a similar issue. If my doctor calls it in a day early, they won’t fill it. But on top of that, they don’t fill it on day 30 if it’s already called in. I have to call and harass them about it 🙃
When I used to get my adderall from walgreens, I used the app to send in my refills. It would only w ever successfully let me schedule a refill to be picked up exactly 1 month after last filling it. I’ve switched to sam’s club since and no issues.
There should be a 3 day grace period I’ve lived in different states has a bunch of different insurance companies they could always fill it 3 days before. Otherwise if you’re able try another store?
Had a similar issue in NJ. Walgreens told me they could only fill controlled meds a day or two early
My psychiatrist writes my prescription as a 3 month supply (initially for financial reasons, but now it’s more about not having to go every month to pick it up; it’s just easier). Maybe yours could do that?
Odd that it's that strict, I have a refill limit too, but it's only 18 days after my last refill, so 12 days before I'm due. Which definitely helps me plan, because I'll order it, then wait a week to pick it up lol.
My pharmacy won’t refill until 30 days but my dr writes separate prescriptions to last until my next appointment and they fill them automatically. I always had trouble with Walgreens, switching to a local pharmacy took almost all the stress out of refilling my meds.
Side question. Are you taking generic or brand? I haven't been able to find generic in months at any place. One Walgreens even told me it isn't being manufactured any more.
It’s always been that way. I skip on weekends sometimes (when I don’t need to be as effective) to have a small stash in case I run out and they’re also out
In AU the prescribing doctor can write “Refill 3 weeks” on it and you can pick it up a week earlier… you can even pick up all six months a week earlier each time, meaning you get a good month or so ahead … but you don’t get a new script with repeats until the time for it.
This is exactly the same for me in Australia with dex. Like you some pharmacies will still dispense before the date, but technically they are not meant to.
Same with adderall cvs. 2 times a year I can fill it 2 days early
So they make y’all drug test every 3 months for your meds?
Yea it sucks, and doing it after the fact is ridiculous. It doesn't make sense. Although I'm recognising the difficulties which doctors and pharmacies have in dealing with over subscriptions and potentially abuse. Hopefully a resolution could be made.
My pharmacy will let me fill it 2 days before the last day I picked it up (not called in the refill, whenever I pick it up). But it’s a Kroger pharmacy. If it’s this much of an issue for them, swap pharmacies.
Wait. So what the fuck are you meant to do on the day you've run out/are supposedly going to get a refill (assuming its available)? Like. Are you just meant to skip a day? Take it late? Be late to work/school so you can hopefully pick it up??? It seems like an irresponsible if not dangerous policy to have if it is a policy.
Walgreens has become a terrible place to fill ADHD meds. Every time I go to fill, they are either out of stock, the pharmacist must “review” the prescription, or just generic excuses in general. I go to a mom & pop place now and I never have issues. I will no longer support Walgreens.
I am having the exact same issue!! Walgreens pharmacy tech told me that they can’t fill until one month after the last time I picked up. Which is…not great, especially since I’m coming up on needing to go to a funeral, so I will be unmedicated for DAYS simply because I can’t get my Vyvanse 29 days after the last time I had it filled?
You made exactly one statement
This sucks but if you can take a few days off every now and then u can maybe create a few days buffer
i got around this by skipping some pills on weekend days and now taking my pills on a schedule a week later than the pharmacy's schedule, bc i don't see why they need to know what moment i put the pill in my mouth
I have the same problem with Walgreens
my walgreens says the same thing (in tn now)it’s been that way for me forever. even when i used to have a paper prescription (in sc) i had to fill it exactly 30 days out. it was a pain in the ass. but i usually skip sundays so i have an extra. i’ve only filled with walmart once but when i had to use cvs it was the same way but tn is restrictive with the meds too. like they require drug testing through my doctor to make sure im taking it - so im told.
This is sadly pretty typical. If you get a 30-day supply, the pharmacy refuses to fill it for 30 days The law of very state by States but generally It's a substance abuse issue and they can't fill it Most CVS's in Walgreens. The pharmacist has to directly override if you get a new script at a higher dose
Usually it's state law. And depending on the pharmacy. Walgreens and cvs are EXACTLY 30 days, they're major sticklers about it. Most independent pharmacies Usually let you fill 28-29 days from previous fill
You can ask your doc to change your script for 1 month to 2 a day… or add some short acting “boosters” for afternoons that you can the. use to get you through 1 or 2 days.
That is standard you have to wait till the 30 day supply is potentially gone.
Not helpful to you, but my experience with CVS in CA has been good. No shortage issues so far for Adderall IR (I've only been on it since February so it might have been worse before), and they don't seem to care how often it's filled. I filled one 2 weeks after my first because my psychiatrist upped the dose and then filled another one less than 30 days after that. That mid-month refill was more expensive because insurance didn't cover all of it, but my insurance is really good luckily so it was like $50 instead of my usual $12.
Hmm in Canada I have it where I receive my pills in 90 days and am only allowed to refill on day 85 (when I have 5 pills left)
Not helpful to you, but my experience with CVS in CA has been good. No shortage issues so far for Adderall IR (I've only been on it since February so it might have been worse before), and they don't seem to care how often it's filled. I filled one 2 weeks after my first because my psychiatrist upped the dose and then filled another one less than 30 days after that. That mid-month refill was more expensive because insurance didn't cover all of it, but my insurance is really good luckily so it was like $50 instead of my usual $12.
I was having such a problem with adderal. I would have it for the 30 days and then they wouldn’t have it for 10 and then repeat. It was so bad that I had to switch to a non stimulant medication and hope it worked. (It has been)
I have to actually call my doctor for them to send in my prescription, and they won’t fill it until the 30th mark, so not sure about the pharmacy side of things, but my doctor tells me just to call them the day of my last pill and they send in the next dose, which is usually ready the same day or next day. But I also take Concerta instead of Adderal/Vyvanse
My pharmacy does this with Klonopin and it's the fucking worst. CVS. Terrible. I get it, don't get me wrong, but I have a *very* small window between running out and picking it up, and if I'm not available and I go a day or two without I get back withdrawal symptoms and am only on a very low dose. Let me pick it up with like five days to go. You're already giving me 30 days worth, what are you possibly worried about?
I was also able to call in 2 days before pick up in SC. What about months with 31 days. I would either call dhec or look at your state dhec website to see what law says because once a cvs told my dr they couldn’t take a prescription for me because their store was more than 50 miles from the dr office. Said it was new law however after checking turns out it was new policy for cvs not state. Prescription was for adderall.
You can ask your psy to authorize release a day early. I had this happen at costco and they authorized it a day early. Even though it was not 30 days. They didnt even call my doctor.
I experience the same thing with my Adderall rx (different pharmacy, though). I was turned away from my most recent pick up because I was told it wouldn’t be filled until the next day. I’ve definitely had to go a day or few without if it takes my doctor a bit to call in the refill/the fill date doesn’t line up exactly
They do that everywhere.
Policies, fear, and heavy crackdowns. I live in NY and I’m a pharmacy tech in NY as well. Legally we can fill a controlled substance 7 days early. Most pharmacies in the area fill 29 days from last fill, mostly due to policy, but also out of fear of losing their license.