Any pharmacy in a storm: Governor eases refill rule for Hurricane Matthew evacuees

http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/10/any_pharmacy_in_a_storm_govern_1.html

Evacuees coming to Alabama to avoid Hurricane Matthew might have many problems, but getting prescriptions filled while waiting to go back home shouldn’t be one of them, says Gov. Robert Bentley.

On Friday Bentley declared a state of emergency specifically aimed at helping storm evacuees with medication needs “of a chronic, urgent, or emergency nature.”

“The issuance of this State of Emergency today will help ease the burden on evacuees as they try to get an out-of-state prescription filled,” Bentley said in a statement issued Friday. “Evacuees will now have more time to get emergency prescriptions filled, instead of 72 hours; they will now have 30 days to get prescriptions filled.”

According to information released by the governor’s office, the Alabama Department of Public Health’s state health officer predicts “a significant number of displaced individuals” will have such needs.

According to Friday’s release, “This State of Emergency only applies to non-controlled prescriptions. The prescriptions may be refilled upon the presentation of the actual medication bottle indicating the name of the prescriber, copies of prescriptions, insurance billing report or insurance claim notification, or other documentation which would provide the pharmacist sufficient information to adequately identify the non-controlled medication and the dosage.”

According to the proclamation, state law specifies an emergency refill period of 72 hours; the document states that “under the current conditions, this time frame is both impractical and inadequate, and should be extended.”

Filed under: General Problems