Walgreens Refill Policy (2024)

FAQs

What's the earliest you can refill a controlled substance? ›

If you have a medication that follows the 28-day rule on a 30-day supply, it means you can get a refill no earlier than 2 days before the 30 days are up.

There are several reasons why your pharmacist might not be able to fill your prescription. If your prescription is missing key information or hard-to-read, a pharmacy can refuse to fill it. Other reasons why your pharmacy may not have your prescription ready include insurance rejections or drug shortages.

When you ask your pharmacist for an emergency refill, you might encounter what pharmacies and insurers refer to as a “refill too soon” restriction. These are enforced by insurance companies to make sure you're taking your medication as directed, and not filling prescriptions too frequently.

I would like to call in a prescription refill. The pharmacist will tell you when your prescription will be ready. He may ask you if you want it delivered or if you will pick it up. Do you have your prescription number?

Use 72 hours as a general rule. You're marking the 28th day as earliest pick-up because most pharmacies and insurances allow controlled substances to be re-filled up to two days early, for convenience. Be aware that this is considered a privilege which can be taken away at the discretion of your doctor or pharmacist.

Under various state laws and DEA regulations, every pharmacist must resolve “red flags” before dispensing a prescription for controlled substances. Most of the pharmacy state boards have published lists of what constitutes such red flags.

CVS, Walgreens and Costco were all named in a recent lawsuit for not filling opioid prescriptions. The lawsuit claims that because these pharmacy giants failed to fill these prescriptions, patients are unable to continue to manager pain from chronic conditions.

With a one-time set up, your prescription(s) will refill automatically as often as you select, eliminating the need to place a refill order for your medication. After order(s) are sent, you will be notified by email twice: when the prescription is processing and when the prescription is ready.

“Refill too soon” rejections happen because a person is trying to get their medication before the payer thinks it's due. In some cases, the pharmacist can obtain a “refill too soon override” for these rejections.

How long can I wait to fill a prescription? ›

Most prescriptions can be refilled for up to 18 months after it is dropped off at your pharmacy as long as there are refills remaining. Controlled medications however can only be refilled for 1 year after the prescription is dropped off at your pharmacy.

So, for example, if a doctor wrote a prescription for 90 tabs with 2 refills (so the total prescribed quantity is 270 tabs), and the patient chooses to get only 30 tabs, the bottle would say that there are “1+ refills” remaining.

If your doctor is not responding to a refill request, your next best move would be to ask your local pharmacy. A pharmacy can replace a lost prescription, but the process varies depending on the medication type. The pharmacy may also require you to obtain a new prescription from your doctor for controlled substances.

Official answer. In general, schedule II controlled substance prescriptions cannot be refilled and expire after 6 months. Schedule III or IV prescriptions may not be filled or refilled more than 6 months after the written date OR refilled more than 5 times, whichever comes first.

A: In the state of California, it is generally not against the law for a doctor to adjust your prescription without explicitly informing you, as long as it is done in the context of your ongoing medical treatment and within the scope of their professional judgment.

No person shall fill or dispense a prescription for a controlled substance except a person who is licensed by this state as a pharmacist or a pharmacy intern acting under the immediate and direct personal supervision of a licensed pharmacist in a pharmacy licensed by the State Board of Pharmacy, provided that this ...

In general, schedule II controlled substance prescriptions cannot be refilled and expire after 6 months. Schedule III or IV prescriptions may not be filled or refilled more than 6 months after the written date OR refilled more than 5 times, whichever comes first.

The amount you must use is based off the day you last filled the prescription. Example: If you filled a month supply for a controlled substance or stimulant on July 1st, you will not be able to refill again until July 26th. 85% of a 30 day supply is 26 days.

An official prescription, written for a Schedule II controlled substances, must be filled within 30 days after the date the prescription was issued.