Online Prescription Refills

Refilling a Medical Prescription

When a patient is supposed to be taking their medication continually for a long time, usually longer than 30 days, their doctors commonly give a prescription only for the first month. They are expected to get a refill when the medication runs out. Refilling prescriptions has become considerably simpler in recent years; nevertheless, studies show that as many as 30% of medication prescriptions are never filled. This is because many people simply do not know how to do it.

How to get a refill?

Patients do not need to contact their clinics for a refill; refills are done by the pharmacy. The prescription label contains information regarding how many times the prescription can be refilled without visiting the doctor. It typically takes two to three business days to receive a prescription refill. Paper prescriptions should be taken to the pharmacy at the time of prescription pickup.

There are three main ways to refill a medical prescription:

1. Visiting the pharmacy in person

   When visiting the pharmacy for a refill for the first time, it is important to have the insurance card at hand. Some medications are covered by insurance companies while others are not. Most insurance plans provide a co-pay option in which the company covers a fraction of the price. It may take 15 minutes or longer to obtain the medication.

2. Phone call

   Most pharmacies have an automated system in which patients enter their prescription number and the preferred time of pickup. The automated system sends a text message or email when the prescription is ready.

3. Online

   Many websites and apps are available for a prescription refill. Patients should carefully enter their prescription number and pharmacy address to ensure that the prescription arrives at the correct location.

The following information is usually required to request refills:

• patient’s full name
• date of birth
• phone number
• name of the medicine
• whether the prescription will be mailed to the pharmacy or brought at the time of refill pickup

New Patients: Transfer your prescriptions from another pharmacy.