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> Until that happens, I don't even know what to /do/ with that kind of "advice."

My wife asked once, and was told that 3 month supply prescriptions are common for people that use mail order pharmacies, and was happy to write one. Insurance covered it too, since the refill schedule was every 3 months -- it comes out to the same cost in the end.

Again, that depends on the med. Your monthly allergy prescription? Sure! Your oxy Rx? No way. My spouse and I are on some meds (not oxy) that they absolutely would not refill for 3 months at a time. My other meds do come in 3 month prescriptions from a mail order pharmacy.

Yep, I'm on a medication that is commonly abused so they only allow 30 day prescriptions, and you can't pay with cash, it has to go through insurance.

I imagine such medications must be very important to take as prescribed, but the only other option I can think of is one day out of every two/three/four weeks, take less of it so that you can save it and slowly stockpile it.

It's an ADHD medication, so there's no health risk associated with not taking it, they're just really strict about the amount given out at once because they don't want people getting a 90 day supply and selling it. Sometimes I won't take it on weekends to keep some extra just in case I might not be able to get a prescription filled on time due to no doctor appointments being available, or the pharmacies being out of stock for a few days.

Whats to stop you stockpiling them at home for a year, and then taking them all at once and getting hooked?

Nothing. To be more clear about the potential for abuse, it's an ADHD medication, so they don't want you selling it to other people to abuse. It's not physically addictive, so you can only really get hooked on the benefits, there aren't any withdrawals or anything if you don't take it.

There's a medication that's not available to people who don't have insurance? That sounds terrible.

Sure, It really depends on the potential for abuse and the doctor's decision. There are a lot of critical medications that aren't likely to be abused. If you check with your doctor they may very well write you the prescriptions you need if you ask and explain why.

Your refill schedule will not allow you to get extra prescription meds early.

I hate your advice, seriously. You can't speak for every person and every prescription. You are talking people out of taking action when you are outright wrong for some, if not most, situations. Literally yesterday just got an extra 30-day subscription for a handful of prescriptions. Not for coronavirus, but because we are planning to be visiting family in Europe next month. Fingers crossed that travel won't be disrupted.

If you are on a critical medication, talk to your doctor and insurance company. You can probably work it out.

How? I once went to three different urgent care clinics and two different emergency rooms begging for an Augmentin prescription. I felt a stabbing pain in my gut hours after eating bacon for the first time in 10 years, and I had strong reason to believe Augmentin was the solution. They all refused to prescribe me Augmentin. I even tried bribing a few doctors with two thousand dollars in cash. They all said no. They all insisted I needed a CT scan before they’d do anything else. I finally obtained Augmentin by finding a discord server full of Mexicans who I paid to mail me some Augmentin they simply ordered over the counter there. After a month of extreme pain, I felt fine again 24 hours after taking the Augmentin.

Ask the doctor to write your prescription for three months. Call up insurance company and get a "vacation" flag/whatever which will pay for three months. (Source: I used to do this)

Great now try it with Adderall. It won’t be allowed.

Just because not everyone will be able to do it for every medication does not mean that it is not good advice for those who can act on it. It keeps healthy people from needlessly exposing themselves to higher risk of illness by standing in long pharmacy lines with potentially sick people, and it makes lines shorter for sick people who need to go to the pharmacy.

What you're saying is true in the United States, but perhaps things work differently in Australia?

This advice is coming from Australia where prescriptions are subsidized by government not insurance so this is possible.

This depends on the doctor, patient, location, and reason.

I have never been turned down for additional medications. My roommate just got a 3 month supply of all of controlled painkillers upon request.

Also, If you have a life-sustaining medication and can afford it, it is probably a good idea to have a supply even if you have to pay out of pocket.

If your prescription medicine isn’t a scheduled substance you can get it in advance, usually.

I guess buying sofas “isn’t a thing” by your logic since an insurance company doesn’t buy sofas for people.

You don't need a doctor to write a prescription for you to go out and buy a sofa. A pharmacy cannot by law let you refill a 30 day prescription less than about 30 days after the last time you refilled it for many medications, so you can't use your existing prescription to go stock up either.

Pharmacies seem to cheerfully dispense larger quantities even if it's not indicated on the prescription.

> But increasingly, the psychiatric association has heard from members that smaller quantities specified on prescriptions are being ignored, particularly by CVS, according to Dr. Schwartz, the group’s president.

> CVS has created a system where doctors can register and request that 90-day supplies not be dispensed to their patients. But doctors report that the registry has not solved the problem, Dr. Schwartz said. In a statement, CVS said it continued to “refine and enhance” the program.

> Dr. Charles Denby, a psychiatrist in Rhode Island, became so concerned by the practice that he started stamping prescriptions, “AT MONTHLY INTERVALS ONLY.” Despite those explicit instructions, Dr. Denby said, he received faxes from CVS saying his patients had asked for — and been given — 90-day supplies.

> Dr. Denby, who retired in December, said it was a “baldfaced lie” that the patients had asked for the medication, providing statements from patients saying as much.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/31/health/pharmacists-medica...