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Pharmacy/Med comment

Posted: Dec 18, 2013

I just need to get this off my chest...our local pharmacy will now only refill a controlled substance on the very day its due to be refilled, not any time before (used to be you could refill 1 week ahead). This isn't a chain pharmacy; they're local. They are open 7 days a week, not holidays, and the weekend hours are significantly reduced. The pharmacy people said it was a federal mandate. The drug I'm talking about is alprazolam, btw. The first month this happened they refilled it on a 31-day month, so I had 30 pills to last 31 days. Hmmm. This month it's due to be refilled on Sunday, when they're open only 3 hrs, while I'll be at work. :(( I'm not sure why it's such a huge deal that they couldn't open the refill window to maybe 2-3 days. What if your refill date falls on a holiday? It just honks me off to the nth degree. I don't like skipping doses...would my doctor consider that being noncompliant? UGH. I can't imagine needing heavy-duty pain meds and being denied due to some federal blow-hard who has no clue about medications and the people who truly need them.

;

Controlled Substance Act - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Apparently the Controlled Substance Act (Nixon administration) regulates alprazolam. From my understanding pharmacists cannot release the medication before the 30 days and only 5 prescription refills in 6 months. I guess this is to prevent addiction, overdose and black market sales. As far as the pharmacy window goes, perhaps transfer to another pharmacy or talk to doctor.

thanks... - poorhouse

[ In Reply To ..]
I was too lazy to do the research, just wanted to blow off steam. I knew about the 5 refills in 6 months, but they had refilled it for me within the 7-day window. Maybe they were sanctioned or something? The Rx people acted like the "no refills before 30 days" was something new. Odd. I'm in a small town. I had to go to that Rx due to insurance purposes but whaddaya know! My insurance has changed so I can probably hit up the $4 scripts at Wally World now!

You must be on extended release if i only take - one a day. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
Im on extended release alprazolam, one h.s. I cant tell you how often I miss a dose, but its frequent enough that I still have a few left when its time for my refill. I also take citalopram 40 mf daily which helps alot with my anxiety so maybe thats why when I foeget to take my alprazolam at night I dont always notice.

Are you on something else that can help your anxiety or panic? If not maybe you should talk to your doctor about taking a non-controlled substance to help with the anxiety and you wont have to stress when you run out of the alprazolam.

yep, XR... - poorhouse

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm just trying to make sure I take it correctly and whatnot. And, at least in my case and being an MT, I definitely need it! lol

Not on that, but... - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
What happens if you have an upcoming vacation or something? You can't refill before you leave?

I take Ambien for good sleep--I have fibromyalgia--and they give me 10-mg pills, and I split them in half so that the 1-month Rx lasts me 2 months.

I think with XR you can't do that, not sure, but I'm wondering if the OP could ask for a higher dose then cut it in half.

You cant cut those in half. They are sustained release. - You can only cut in half pills that are

[ In Reply To ..]
scored - meaning have that line indentation going down the middle. Regular Xanax she can do that with, but not sustained release.

That's what I figured - Same with timed-released

[ In Reply To ..]
Yeah, splitting them up or crushing them messes up the timing of the drug release. I never made the connection to check on the scored vs non-scored. I guess that would be the answer if someone questioned it.

The OP may want to discuss some sort of anti-depressant-type (even if she's not depressed) that might help her. I think the pharmacies don't get as wiggy about those. While they do get sold on the "black market," they're not as prevalent as the others, because there's no real immediate relaxation associated with them for the most part. They're more of a cumulative effect.

Thanks for the info - poorhouse

[ In Reply To ..]
Yeah, those XR aren't scored. I hadn't thought about people going on vacation and being gone on your refill day. My guess is the PTB who decided this wonderful regulation get "special" refills if they take these kind of medicines.

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