How To Get Emergency Refills on Medication During a Hurricane
During natural disasters and emergencies, medication is the last thing you want to worry about. Just like with other items in your kit for a hurricane, there’s plenty of ways you can make sure you have everything for your medical needs. Here are some tips for hurricane medication prep.
During the process of your hurricane medication prep, remember that your prescription medicine should be enough to last for a few weeks during the aftermath of the emergency. During natural disasters, many states allow pharmacists to get you enough medication to last you even if your bottle isn’t ready for a refill yet.
For example, in North and South Carolina, you can get up to a month’s worth of prescription medication without a doctor’s note if there is a natural disaster coming. Because this law is for medications that are Schedule III and Schedule IV, you’ll have a harder time getting Schedule II drugs like fentanyl, morphine, and codeine because of their high potential for abuse.
However, don’t give up on getting what you need in a state of emergency. If you become trapped in your home due to heavy flooding or debris from the hurricane, it’s essential to get at least a two-week supply of your most necessary medications.
Your hurricane medication prep might look a little differently if you end up having to evacuate because of the storm. Because evacuation outside of your area means separating yourself from your local pharmacy, all you have to do is transfer your prescription to a different location. Most pharmacies will allow you to do this in person or over the phone, even online if you get your medication from larger drugstore chains.
You can even change your prescription to a different store in a different company if you need to. Make sure to keep a list of your medications (with full names, dosages, and the prescribing doctor) or your actual prescription bottles with you if you need to show them to a pharmacist in an evacuation. Hurricane medication prep is especially crucial if they have to evacuate to an entirely different state.
If you have to keep your medication refrigerated, talk to your physician, or pharmacist for advice on how to prepare. Insulin, for example, is stored in the refrigerator, but doctors advise that you can leave the medication at room temperature in the case of an emergency. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that insulin can stay at room temperature for up to 28 days and remain potent enough for medical use.
You’ll probably be tempted to store the insulin in a cooler with ice or in a freezer, but this is much more of a risk. Insulin is no longer OK to use in your body if it freezes, so leave it at room temperature. Not only should you throw away this medication if it freezes, but also you should throw away any medicines that have been exposed to flood water or tap water that you’re unsure of after the hurricane.
Don’t risk contamination by ingesting or applying medication if this is the case. To avoid this, store your medications in small resealable plastic bags. If you require dialysis treatments, make sure to contact the End-Stage Renal Disease Network (ESRD) for information. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, contact your provider to know how you can get medical supplies, as well as transportation to your dialysis treatments.
Rain or shine, we want to help you as much as we can here at Fox Medical Centers. It’s of the utmost importance to get everything you need for your hurricane medication prep, so give us a call if you have any questions!
