Is it Hard to Transfer a Prescription? (and Other Pharmacy Secrets)
An America’s Pharmacy reader asked via Twitter:
"I just found out my prescription is cheaper at the pharmacy across the street. Like, A LOT cheaper. How hard is it to transfer my prescription?"
Luckily, transferring a prescription is easy...
Why transfer your prescription?
Switching pharmacies can significantly lower your prescription cost. Most people don’t realize that prices can vary at different pharmacies by more than 300%. It's easy to compare prices in your area - simply use the America's Pharmacy drug price comparison tool.
3 simple steps to transfer your prescription
1. Have your prescription or Rx label on-hand so you can provide the required information, including your:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Phone number
- Allergies
- Name of prescription
- Current pharmacy name and address
2. Call the new pharmacy to request the prescription transfer. The new pharmacy will contact your current pharmacy for you.
3. Your new pharmacy will contact you when your prescription is ready for pickup. It’s that easy!
How to find the pharmacy with the lowest prices
Use the America’s Pharmacy price comparison tool to see pricing for the same medication at different pharmacies near you. You can save on prescription medications for you, your family, and even your pets!
How long does it take to transfer a prescription?
Typically, the transfer process takes a day or two. To help expedite the process, you can call your existing pharmacy to confirm you want the transfer to take place. Your pharmacy is required by law to fulfill your transfer request.
Prescriptions with transfer restrictions
There are certain medications (such as Schedule II medications) that are ineligible for pharmacy transfers.2 Because of these restrictions, your doctor will need to write you a new prescription if you want them filled at a new pharmacy.
Examples of these kinds of medications include:
Other medications (Schedule III, IV, and V) may also have limitations on the number of times they can be transferred from one pharmacy to another - even if you have refills left. If this is the case, you will need to obtain a new prescription from your doctor in order to switch to a different pharmacy.
Some medications that can only be transferred once include:
- Ambien
- Robitussin AC
- Tylenol with codeine
- Testosterone
- Ultram
- Xanax
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