Tanna asked
I went to my doctor on 4/24/18 and I got prescriptions for Xanax 1mg, Wellbutrin 300mg and Remeron 15mg. My medications got stolen and I had to file a police report. Then I went back to my doctor and he wrote me new prescriptions. Now, the pharmacy said they can't fill them because I have been red flagged. Can I find another pharmacy to take it to?
Answer
Stolen Prescriptions: What To Do
In this case, when a prescription is stolen or lost, the first step is to obtain a police report as you have done. This is especially important for controlled medications that have special dispensing requirements and monitoring. In your situation, it is appropriate to obtain a new prescription from the doctor if there are no remaining refills on the previous prescription.
Once at the pharmacy, you will need to inform the pharmacist or pharmacy technician about the early refill because when they try to refill it, the system will flag the prescription as a refill too soon. Most pharmacists will need to document the police report of the lost or stolen prescription for refilling a controlled substance sooner than expected. For your situation, this would be necessary with the Xanax, a schedule IV controlled substance.
Stolen Prescriptions And Insurance
Then there is the obstacle of the insurance company. Often times with a lost or stolen medication, the insurance company will need to speak with the patient, not the pharmacy, to obtain the information regarding the situation.
Some insurance companies will not approve an early refill for lost or stolen medications and will require you to pay out of pocket for the bridge supply, the amount of medication you need until your next scheduled refill. If the insurance company has obtained all of the information and has agreed to refill the prescription,it is most often only for the bridge supply and will not refill a full 30 day prescription.
It is important to remember that every state has its own laws regarding prescription medications, then each pharmacy will have their own policies on dispensing the medication. Furthermore, each insurance company have their own policies on lost or stolen medication refills. For this reason it is very difficult to tell you definitively whether or not another pharmacy will refill your prescriptions.
My recommendation is to stay with the pharmacy that you normally go to and ask to speak with the pharmacist. This helps with maintaining your treatment with a healthcare professional that knows you and can see your entire medication history. Show your local pharmacist the police report and request a bridge supply. If it is your insurance company that is denying your early refill request, you may have to pay out of pocket for enough pills to make it through until your next scheduled refill.
