I take synthroid daily and I was just wondering how hard it will be to get my prescriptions filled in trail towns. Are most pharmacy’s willing to cooperate with out-of-town hikers? I guess I will have my Dr. go ahead and write me enough prescriptions for 6 months or so. Has anyone else had to deal with getting their pills refilled??? If so, let me hear about it…Thanks, Hootie
Hootie
I’ve not had to deal with that yet, but here is something to ask. My doctor knows I can’t always afford the meds all the time so for me (i take levoxyl which is like synthroid) I am on 100 mcg so he writes the prescription for 200 mcg, then I can send in for a 3 month prescription by mail, but I am actually getting a 6month prescription, I just cut them in half, and badabing I have 6 months worth easy enough. Ask about it.
Lizz
You might want to contact The Northerner (journal on TJ) who hiked the PCT this year, he had to have seizure meds sent to him and I don’t know the process he went through. I personally can’t see out of town pharmacists accepting your scripts, unless it’s a major chain (Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid). Definitely work this out ahead of time, with my health plan it would be problematic cause they only let my husband fill his meds once/30 days or 90 days. I don’t know how we’d get around that bureaucracy if he was the one hiking.
Bluebearee
My son took asthma meds. Have someone at home fill them a week before you need the refill, then mail it to your next maildrop. Also, I work at a doctors office-tell your physician in advance that you’re traveling for 6 months, he may write a you post-dated Rx
Alison
I just went to the Dr. yesterday re that exact thing for my thru in March. He said he can write 6 scripts (can lose license if post date, he said!) that I can either take with or have someone at home fill and send to me. Of course, with HMO it won’t be covered out of town, plus one of the four meds I take is hard to find, so I’m going to have to have them mailed ahead, as Alison said. Also, both pharmacies I use will fill as much as 5 days ahead of the usual 30, so you might be able to build up a small “stash” in case of mail being late, etc. Let me know if you find anything easier!
Ripley
Big boy is heavily medicated (probably for the good of society) First; I get my meds filled at a walgreens. They have stores down south and if its an emergency; you can try to get a hitch to them. I know there is one close to damascus; I think Erwin; I think Hot springs, the shenendoahs.
My mom picks mine up and mails them to me. On the ones the docs can give me samples of; they give me about 2 weeks of samples so I have a “buffer” in case I go a day over waiting to get a mail drop. Now you have to be careful because if u take something that is a controlled substance; technically mailing them is like smuggling drugs; so make sure u have ID and probably a letter from your doctor saying u need these meds. just in case; never know when a haywire drug sniffing mail dog needs to meet his quota.
I did not carry any written prescriptions. If i got to a town; was away from a mail drop; lets say lost a pill bottle; I’d call my doc from a pharmacy; have them fax a prescription to the pharmacy for exactly what i needed to get by; then pay for it there. In extreme emergencies; remember; u can go to an ER or an doctors clinic; and get a local doctor to write u a script. Warning about this. I’ve heard stories of some clinics near the trail being un-insurance-friendly. They make u pay for the whole visit; then u submit the claim for payment. (happened to me in hotsprings; I was most unhappy. Had a bad ankle sprain. thank god for visa).
Other than that; try to get samples. When my doc heard I was hiking; he was more than happy to get me samples. He hit up the drug salesman for samples of all kinds he thought I might need; for upset stomach; for heartburn, everything. I could have probably carried a 10 lb first aid kit with all the samples he gave me.
Big Boy
I took bloodpressure meds on my thru-hike in '02. I got one month extra and had the others maildroped each month. Lost one mailing and had no problem just got the other mailing the next month. I also had the doc give me a prescription for Amoxicilin (sp) never used it, but gave it to a thru-hiker who was a Pharmacist with a sinus infection. Good luck on your hike.
Papa Smurf