I'm moving soon, cross country... and I take prescription meds. What is the best way to prepare for the move and the extensive time it can take to get a new Dr? I know the area that I am moving to quite well, it is a very rural area with limited Dr's and especially limited Specialists-I know I will be facing a rough time (and a LONG wait! ) even finding a general practitioner, let alone getting referred to the specialists I will most likely need to go see.

I've never had to do this before, so can anyone give me some tips on how to get things in order and ensure I'm covered for a reasonable amount of time to get through the move and finding a new Doc?

Can my current Dr's give me a longer supply of meds? I typically pick up a new refill script every single month. I am not sure if I can get more than a month's supply at once? This would be ideal as well, because I will have a lapse in insurance coverage during the move and initial 60 to 90 days. Some of my meds are far too expensive for me to have to pay cash for, and things will be especially tight of course due to the move.

As I said, I've never had to do this before, so I do not know what might be the "standard" way. I'm sure people have to do this all the time though, so I'm assuming there is some sort of standards or typical practices.

Thanks for any tips!

It depends on the meds and the doctor's leash. Some docs prefer that ADHD meds be done monthly with no refills.

Most prescription plans want you to get a 90 day supply unless it's certain meds.

Controlled substances are a very different story.

Things like:
-must pick up within 7 days. No refills. No partials. No transfers.

-Refills for 6 months

-Refills for 1 year

You State may limit certain drugs for a 30 day supply: Certain Narcotics

90 day supply of meds with 3 refills are common except when it's a controlled substance.

If your able to take a prescription with you. That would be great. Ask about the limitations.

If your picking them up locally at even a 90 day supply. Tell the pharmacy your moving and have the new pharmacy transfer the prescription. That's probably the safest.
A pharmacy that 1000 mi away might not like to refill a script from a doc that far away without some hassles on your part.

Yeah, I know it's going to be a hassle considering some are indeed narcotics. One med I take, OxyContin, I have to present a written script, it can't be called in, but I am unsure about the rules concerning refills on it, I don't know if it's allowed or not-and then transferring refills is yet another thing! Another med I take, refills ARE allowed, but I think in the state I am moving to, they are NOT allowed. So... I'm going to be in a mess!

If my particular scripts are unable to be supplied for more than 30 days at once, can Dr's write scripts that are post-dated-as in, if I move in Feb, can they write me a script for March, April and May that I can take with me and turn in each month? Although that wouldn't be the MOST ideal, as I won't have insurance for 60 to 90 days as I said. The most ideal would be to be able to pick up a 90 day supply right before I leave, and maybe an extra post-dated script "just in case". Or, if they can't physically give me the post dated scripts, I wonder if they would be willing to mail them to me each month for a reasonable period until I establish care with a new provider?

Well, thanks for your response. I guess I will just discuss it with my Dr's and figure out the best plan of action.

And at the end of the day, you make a doctor visit first on your list. Get your insurance company to provide you a list of approved doctors, call to see who is taking new patients and pick one and make an appointment.

If you really don't like them latter you can change

List the meds or at least determine the schedule.

Oxycontin can be written for what the doc seems comfortable with. Not sure if there is an imposed limit. It cannot be transferred. It must be filled within 7 days of it being written.

When mailed to a mail-order pharmacy, it must be postmarked with 7 days of being written

You can also discuss mailing scripts. I do it routinely. All I ask is that it not be mailed on a Friday. Occaisionally the doc post dates, his choice. I have to look at the date. I do it with Oxycontin. I take it PRN. Refills not allowed.

Give the doc's office an SASE. If I don't, it ends up in the hospitals bag of mail and who knows when I'll get it.

It all depends on the level of trust. I once discussed Oxycontin with a neurlogist and he basically said, if YOU wanted a script, you could come in and get it. No visit necessary.

There is a Sticky here as to how I do it: https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/medications/

Thank you for the tips. I will be discussing it with my Dr's to see what we can come up with. At this point, I have no idea if my Dr's are willing to post-date or write for a 90-day period or anything... so we'll see how it goes! I get my scripts from 2 different Specialists, I don't get any from my GP-so if anything, if the Specialists aren't willing to work with me, I can always talk to my GP about the situation I guess. Since I have been on these meds for quite a long time (years in some cases! ), I don't see why it should be a problem either way.

As with the OxyContin, I do not actually have to have a visit with the Dr for my refill, I just have to pick it up in person from the office (call ahead for it, show my ID and sign a sheet saying I received it). That's just the general office policy for all patients. Whether EVERYONE has to pick up monthly, I do not know. In my state anyway, OxyContin prescriptions MUST be written-no call-ins, fax-ins or transfers or anything, it has to be an original script. With my other meds, what I have been doing lately is getting a script every 4 months (it has refills on it). 2 are non-narcotic and one is narcotic. The narcotic one is the one I am worried about, as from my understanding, refills are NOT allowed on this type of script in the state I am moving to. So, a script with refills will be useless to me-I would NEED to go with a 90-day supply in that case, or post dated scripts. Is Xanax allowed to be prescribed for a 90-day supply?

Just to be clear, I won't be breaking any laws by bringing prescriptions to another state (providing I end up getting post-dated scripts)? I certainly don't want to get in any trouble. Also, if all else fails, or if I end up absolutley needing another refill before I establish care, can my Dr call in a script to my new state? I am unsure if Dr's can do that!

Thanks again for the tips! I'll especially keep in mind to send along a SASE if I end up being able to do this via mail!

PS-I didn't know you could take OxyContin PRN! I thought it was only for people requiring a more round-the-clock painkiller! You must take a low dose, right?

Xanax is Schedulae IV. I don't like that med. I like Ativan better. Expires in 6 months, refills allowed. Must pick up within 7 days of it being written. 90 day supply is allowed for Attivan and probably Xanax.

I think your going to have troble with post dating. Rememer to ask about:

Leave a few SASE's with the doc's office.
Call him for a refill
Ask him to mail and post date 3 days and don't date or mail on a Friday. You will check date before going to the druggest.

Tell the pharmacy that you just moved into the area. Have a utility bill or something that shows your from that area. Have a new one too. It may make things go smoother.

Xanax and oxycntin will be troublesome. Xanax can have refills. Not sure about the abiility to transfer. You might try calling a pharmacy in that area/state like say a Welcome to Walgreens - Your Home for Prescriptions, Photos and Health Information (http://www.wallgreens.com) and determine rules.

Post-dating is a no no. Now in order for my doc to post-date something, he has to manually add a date and initial it. Conceiveably you could get 6 months worth.

Your right. Oxycontin is not supposed to be supplied PRN. So what? My pain is weather induced migraines. I have lots of choices as to what painreliever I use. Very Odd, I know. Took 25+ years to get here. Oxy was my idea. I also tried hydromorphone, but I liked Oxy better. Oxy is prescribed in 10mg tabs. It's prescribed 3 every 12 (the PRN is left out) 60 tabs at a time. Usual dose is 3 tabs for 12 hrs relief. I've upped it to 50 mg, but usually it's 30 mg.

As I said I have my pick:
Neurontin up to 3600 mg/day. It has been perscribed so I get 1000+ capsules at a time (2600 mg/day) and they put it in about 8 small bottles. I also take PRN.

Fiorinal (Aspirin/Cafeine and a barbituate sedative) Up to 6/day. My staple. Refills to 6 months.

Oxycontin 30 mg. General choice. Doesn't work well at night.

Percoset 7.5/500. 7.5 oxycontin+500 mg acetaminophin. Better for evening medications. Not exclusive.

Ativan (anti anxiety, makes it easier to fall asleep with a migraine) - prescribed at 1mg. May take 2 mg. Not likely to take during the day. 90 day supply. PRN isn't used in script, but that's how I take it.

Zomig. Limit is 6 per month, 2 per day, by mfr. Rare. Headache must go to ice pack mode so it will work.

I have a small PDR for pain. That's how I was able to suggest oxy.

Idea is, that if you have a choice, your not likely to get dependent. I only had one rebound headache in 25 years. I had a sinus headache instead of a weather migrane. Detoxed myself - ouch. And then back to trigger dosing.

I went through soooo much crap to get my scripts right, which is why I'm really concerned about this move! It took so much experimenting-and a lot of money, to get this right! I don't want this move to screw things up, because for the first time in years I am finally feeling perfect and able to do things that I haven't been able to do previously.

Ativan just isn't right for me, I tried it for a couple months straight and it just wasn't "me". The only thing that even comes close to the Xanax is klonopin, but I found it made me somewhat forgetful. Xanax just "fits".

As for piankillers, I need a round-the-clock kind. Pre- and post- my last surgery a few years ago, I was taking Lortab. While it was certainly better than nothing, I didn't like it for a few reasons-too short-acting, would wear off during the night and I'd wake up every single morning feeling like I got hit by a train, so every single day I would have to go through a couple hours of sheer misery until the meds kicked in, and I was taking so much of it (8-10 pills/day) that it was ridiculous. Lortabs also caused me to be nauseous all day long, which was misery and it really held me back from a lot of things-going places, even just walking, and so on. All that aceteminophen would end up killing me! At first I was taking 7.5/500 and then a 10/500, and then I discussed with my Dr the aceteminophen factor, and he changed me to a 10/350 and then Vicoprofen, I would switch back and forth every so often (I seem to get used to some meds, and switching up every once in a while seems to help a lot). I was able to stop taking pain meds for a while until I had some major problems resurface not too long after my last surgery, along with 2 new problems. At that point, my GP tried to address things. We tried fentanyl and Avinza (morphine), both of which I just didn't like (well the fentanyl was OK but I got some pretty bothersome side-effects from it), and the morphine had zero effect at all, it was terrible, it actually gave me bad headaches, he then had me try OxyContin but he personally doesn't prefer that drug so he didn't want to handle this issue with me. So he ended up sending me to a pain management specialist last year and we went with the OxyContin, and it was literally like a miracle, it's changed my life. If I couldn't continue taking it, I would just be crushed. And I only have to take 2 tiny pills per day, which seems like such freedom compared to the hassle of Lortabs. I would lose so much if I got off track with my script and that just frightens me. I had missed out on years of life and now that I have my life back, I don't want to let it go ever again. I have too much to do to let that happen!

Well, thanks again for the advice, you have really helped me out with some ideas. I will call a pharmacy in my new area to get the lowdown on things, and once I know what the rules are there, I will then discuss things with my Dr's, and hopefully everything will work out! I will certainly make 100% sure that I get my full medical records, and ALL my X-Ray/MRI cd's and films and surgical records, from my Dr's before I leave as well.

Thanks for the thank you.

You gave me an idea, although it would not likely happen. Take oxycntin once daily. It could actually work. Fiorinal+Oxycontin. The Fioriall helps my asthma because of the cafeine in the drug.

Once your set in medications. It's resonable to use the most convenient method of renewing, My GP prescribes all meds but eye medications now.

On the controlled stuff, I don't keep switching docs.

My asthma doc prescribes 3 meds. I get them from my Internist.

I had an endo, same deal.

With my neurologists, when they left the practice or discharged me, same thing happened - transfer care to internist. When the neurologist was active, oxy was prescribed by them. Trials were prescribed by them.