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Ricebug's avatar
Ricebug
Explorer
Jul 28, 2016

Refilling Meds On The Road

Here's the facts:

- I'm retired military.
- I'm in the VA Medical system in Boise, ID.
- I'm on a lifetime Rx of insulin, syringes, and Tramadol (AKA Ultram).

FYI, the Tramadol is an opioid that I take for gout and 3rd degree burns suffered on both feet and lower legs. Since the DEA has now classified it as a Schedule 4 controlled substance, I cannot get more than a 30-day supply. (I used to get a 90-day.)

I write all this to ask you Full Timers out there who may have a similar situation, this question: How will I refill medications on the road? Especially one that refills every month?

The VA hospitals are not connected. Big surprise. So I can't just walk into the nearest one and place an order. My VA pharmacist reps say it can be mailed, but the logistics seem bad. Wyoming one month, Texas, the next, etc. Even if I have an Escapist mail account, I don't know if it would work.

I'm a bit in the dark, since we are buying our RV in March 2017, and lack any Real World experience. I'm relying on you folks to fill in some blanks and offer suggestions.

Terry
RV Lifestyle
  • 2chiefsRus's avatar
    2chiefsRus
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2016
    We are both retired military and use Express Scripts Mail Order for our medications. I can't speak to your 30 days supply meds, but we use the Express Scripts website to input a temporary address when we need to refill meds. Then order the refills. Sometimes if we are comfortable with the campground where we are going, we will order in advance of arriving and call the campground to let them know to watch for our package. We have not had a problem now that we can input the temporary address and the effective dates ourselves on the website. We did have a couple hiccups before they updated the website when we had to give someone the temporary address over the phone.

    We have also been able to call and ask for an early refill once or twice when our travel plans were going to make being in one place a little difficult.

    Good luck.
  • darsben1's avatar
    darsben1
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2016
    ALL VA"s are connected. Your medical record is available at any VA.
    I am retired VA. I helped institute the electronic medical record at the VA. We started in 1996. We took care of people in just your position. Call the patient advocate at your Boise hospital and tell them to help you out. If you cannot get satisfaction you may have to visit the nearest VA with a pharmacy while on the road or get the MD who is your primary provider to write three, thirty day RX's. Then you should be able to walk into any drug store EXCEPT IN NEW YORK STATE and get the RX filled. Tramadol is not very expensive.
  • Ricebug's avatar
    Ricebug
    Explorer
    Jul 28, 2016
    darsben1 wrote:
    ALL VA"s are connected. Your medical record is available at any VA.
    I am retired VA. I helped institute the electronic medical record at the VA. We started in 1996. We took care of people in just your position. Call the patient advocate at your Boise hospital and tell them to help you out. If you cannot get satisfaction you may have to visit the nearest VA with a pharmacy while on the road or get the MD who is your primary provider to write three, thirty day RX's. Then you should be able to walk into any drug store EXCEPT IN NEW YORK STATE and get the RX filled. Tramadol is not very expensive.


    Sounds right, but the VA pharmacist told me the VAs are note connected. She's probably referring to the Rx end.
  • YC_1's avatar
    YC_1
    Nomad
    Jul 28, 2016
    Just a side note. I too take an opiod and it is a difficult problem. The new rules are really difficult to deal with. I guess it will take a congressman having to deal directly with the issue.

    My doctor has just given me two prescriptions to take on the road. They have notes to not fill before certain dates.
  • darsben1's avatar
    darsben1
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2016
    Ricebug wrote:
    darsben1 wrote:
    ALL VA"s are connected. Your medical record is available at any VA.
    I am retired VA. I helped institute the electronic medical record at the VA. We started in 1996. We took care of people in just your position. Call the patient advocate at your Boise hospital and tell them to help you out. If you cannot get satisfaction you may have to visit the nearest VA with a pharmacy while on the road or get the MD who is your primary provider to write three, thirty day RX's. Then you should be able to walk into any drug store EXCEPT IN NEW YORK STATE and get the RX filled. Tramadol is not very expensive.


    Sounds right, but the VA pharmacist told me the VAs are note connected. She's probably referring to the Rx end.

    Be that as it may; You should be able to go to a VA and see a care giver and get your Prescriptions. Have your primary care person put a note in your patient record that you will be traveling and will be filling your RX at various VA's. You are not the first traveler the VA has dealt with. Snowbirds do this all the time.
    Or have him write three thirty day prescriptions.
  • CWDoc115's avatar
    CWDoc115
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2016
    I use myrvmail.com as my address on record & the moment I get meds from the VA I reorder them using the automated system. The computer doesn't measure how early the refill request was made, so no harm, no foul. meds come to me on a timely manor & once, when my meds were running low ( my fault ) the local VA issued travel meds to me.
  • wgriswold's avatar
    wgriswold
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2016
    YC 1 wrote:
    Just a side note. I too take an opiod and it is a difficult problem. The new rules are really difficult to deal with. I guess it will take a congressman having to deal directly with the issue.

    My doctor has just given me two prescriptions to take on the road. They have notes to not fill before certain dates.


    We are in the same place you are. How can you be sure that the Rx in one state is good in another?

    This whole thing is a nightmare. I once figured out that there are seven bureaucracies with their own rules that have to be met to get the drugs we need.
  • darsben1's avatar
    darsben1
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2016
    wgriswold wrote:
    YC 1 wrote:
    Just a side note. I too take an opiod and it is a difficult problem. The new rules are really difficult to deal with. I guess it will take a congressman having to deal directly with the issue.

    My doctor has just given me two prescriptions to take on the road. They have notes to not fill before certain dates.


    We are in the same place you are. How can you be sure that the Rx in one state is good in another?

    This whole thing is a nightmare. I once figured out that there are seven bureaucracies with their own rules that have to be met to get the drugs we need.

    My written New York state MD'S Oxycontin RX is good everywhere except New York which now requires electronic refill. Go figure that out.
    We have had it filled in Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Maryland and Virginia.
    I try to use the same pharmacy each time be it Walmart, Walgreens ETC The pharmacists seem to be a little better when you have history with the store and they can see your last refill was 30 days ago.

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