CVS is a renowned health solutions company that helps millions of people navigate the health care system.
From in-home kidney care to telehealth services, CVS makes it easier for people to access the health care they need. The company makes it possible for you to refill and transfer prescriptions online or locate a nearby CVS pharmacy.
While it is advisable to wait for the due date of your refill, some situations may force people to seek an early prescription refill, thus begging the question, can CVS refill a prescription early?
This article provides an answer to this question and also delves into the matter of CVS policy on filling prescriptions.
How Many Days Early Can I Refill a Prescription at CVS?
CVS allows controlled substances to be refilled two days early. The only exceptions are for occasional situations and legitimate purposes. Exceptions can be made if you’re traveling or lost your medication.
If you want to learn more about CVS’s rx refill policies, keep reading…
Can CVS Refill A Prescription Early?
Yes, CVS can refill your prescription two days earlier than the refill due date. Several reasons could compel CVS to refill a prescription early:
You Are Skipping Town For A Long Time
CVS understands that sometimes, patients could go away from home for a long time due to work travel or extended vacations.
This is enough reason for them to fill prescriptions early. In such cases, CVS needs to contact your prescription insurance requesting a vacation override that will cover your early refill.
If you usually pay in cash for your prescriptions, you will have to explain your situation to the pharmacist and request an early refill. The pharmacist will then check your prescription to ensure you have refills remaining. If this is the case, you will get your refill on all non-controlled medication.
However, if you have no refills remaining, it’d be advisable to contact your provider and ask for a new prescription.
You Lost Your Medication
Sometimes, it isn’t uncommon for patients to drop or lose their medications. Situations like these necessitate an early refill so you do not miss a dose.
If this happens to you, the pharmacist is tasked with calling your prescription insurance company and requesting a call override to allow coverage for this early refill. It is worth noting that most insurances will only allow such overrides once or twice yearly.
However, if you usually pay for your prescriptions in cash, you need to inform your pharmacist, who will get you an early refill on non-controlled medication.
What Is CVS Policy On Filling Prescriptions?
According to CVS, only prescriptions that can be refilled or renewed (those that are expired or have no refills remaining) can be submitted for a refill or renewal.
How To Refill A Prescription Without The Rx Number
Prescription labels display a lot of information, but navigating the web of prescriptions can sometimes prove to be a daunting task. Each prescription must have a label. While the formatting of the information might be different for different prescriptions, you should be able to see these key fields:
- Rx#: A number that pharmacies give to every prescription they receive. It is a transaction number
- Filled: it indicates the date the pharmacy placed the medication in the bottle
- Refills: the number of refills written by the doctor during the writing of the original prescription
- Qty: This is the number of pills inside the bottle. It helps you figure out the duration of taking the pills.
Back to the question: can you refill a prescription without the Rx number? Of course, yes. However, as much as the pharmacist will have to look up your prescription on their computer, the refill process will take a considerably shorter time if you have this number with you as it is your prescription’s shortcode.
What Should I Expect When I Refill My Prescription At CVS Specialty?
Before the due date of your refill, you will receive a refill reminder. There are three ways to order your refill: you could call CVS, sign in to the CVSspecialty.com website, or use the CVS Specialty app.
Here are some of the questions to expect when you request a refill either online or by phone:
- Would you prefer your medication shipped to a nearby CVS Pharmacy store, your home, or office?
- By what date should your medication arrive?
- Have you experienced any changes to your medication allergies?
- Have you started on any new medications?
- Do you wish to ask the pharmacist any questions?
- Have you started experiencing any physical or mental side effects?
Depending on the type of medication you are on, CVS may ask more questions. Also, you may need to verify your contact information, such as your home address and phone number.
Is It Possible To Refill All My Prescriptions At Once?
Yes, it is possible. All you need to do is sign into your account and navigate to the “Refill All” column at the top of the “My Prescriptions” section.
Why Can’t I See the Prescription I Want To Fill?
If this is a prescription for a medication that you are already on, the reason could be that it may not be ready for refilling yet. Worth noting is the fact that only those medications with an eligible refill will appear in your online account.
On the other hand, if you are starting a new medication that requires urgency, ensure your provider has already submitted the prescription to CVS specialty and ask them to follow up by phone.
What Prescriptions Can I Refill Online?
You can refill active prescriptions once they are ready for a refill. You will find them under the “My Prescriptions” section with a “Refill” button close by. Those prescriptions you have refilled before but you are yet to refill again will appear under the “Recent Prescriptions” column.
If you see “Please Call for Refill,” this could indicate that your medication needs special handling. In this case, it may be impossible to request a refill online. Instead, you will have to check your prescription label for a number that you will call.
Can Anyone Refill Prescriptions Online?
The answer is no. You can only refill prescriptions online if you are a CVS Specialty patient registered at CVSspecialty.com and with eligible prescriptions.
Is It Possible To Track My Order?
Yes, you can track your order. First, sign in and tap on “My Prescriptions.” After your order gets a tracking number, you can navigate to the shipper’s website and learn more about your shipment. Note that it may be a while before the shopping details appear.
Also, you can get alerts about the status of your prescription order sent to your mobile device. All you need to do is sign into your account and check the “I want to Receive Text Alerts” box.
Conclusion
Thanks to ventures like CVS, healthcare has revolutionized. You do not have to endure the agony of long queues at your local pharmacy, as all your prescriptions are just a click away.
As if this couldn’t get any better, CVS allows an early refill of your prescriptions. This way, you can get out of town but still complete your dosage.
However, not anyone qualifies to refill prescriptions online as the service is only available for those registered under CVSspecialty.com.