Don’t Leave the Dock Without Your Meds!
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
All your years of hard work and planning have paid off and you are finally ready to start seeing the world by boat. You’ve gone through all the checklists, read all the books, and watched the many YouTube channels that are out there. But there is still one more thing left on your to-do list…you have no idea how you are going to get your prescription medications filled or sent to you when your address becomes your ever-moving sailboat. Over half of the population in America takes at least one prescription medication and of those people, the average number of medications taken is 4. You know there are lots of cruisers out there which means there are lots of prescription bottles that need refilling too. Most insurance plans will only allow you to pick up a 30 or 90 day supply of medication at a time. So how can you travel for months and/or years at a time and manage to have enough of your prescription medications on board?
Acquiring enough of your meds is actually very feasible but it is going to take some work on your part to make it happen. Communication is going to be so important between you, your doctor, your pharmacist, and your insurance company (if you have insurance). Let’s start with the process of how to get enough medication for the duration of your travels and then next week we’ll cover how to save some money in the process. Spending a good chunk of your cruising kitty on medicine is not going to get you off the dock and out there sailing the world!
Talk to your doctor first
The first conversation you should be having is with your doctor. You should have a visit with your doctor before cruising and getting your prescriptions filled is just one reason. Let your doctor know when you are leaving, where you are going, and for how long, then ask if they can write a prescription that will last you for the duration of your travels. The most you may be able to get is one years worth. Most prescriptions are only valid for one year (state and federal laws apply this limitation) plus you should visit your doctor at least yearly anyway. He or she can write for a 30 or 90 day supply and give you enough refills to last the year. So you’ve got your prescription in hand; Now how do you go about getting all those refills filled at once so you have enough once you leave? Time to call your insurance company…yay!
Get your insurance company on the phone
This is where you may need to draw upon your stockpiles of patience and get a representative from your insurance company on the line. Call the customer service number on the back of your prescription insurance card. Once you get someone on the phone just explain that you’re going to be traveling and would like to be able to get enough of your medication for your trip. If they agree, they should put an override into the system so that when the pharmacy tries to fill more than usual for you, it will go through. There may be limits to what your insurance will allow. For instance, if you are going to be traveling in the states, they may not allow any refills to be done early because you can transfer most medications to a pharmacy near you when the time comes. Inconvenient? Yes, but sometimes it might have to be done this way. They may also only allow 1 early refill per year which is also not ideal but it will get you started.
I know you may be thinking “shouldn’t my pharmacist be calling my insurance company to get all these overrides put in place?” Typically, yes. The pharmacist can call your insurance for you but this situation is much different than your average 1-2 week vacation. When you are leaving for an extended period of time and need more than just a couple weeks of medication to get you through, the insurance usually starts asking a lot more questions that your pharmacist is not going to have the answers to. Questions like, how long will you be away? Are you leaving the country? If you’re not leaving the country, where will you be while in the states? Are you going to be near an in-network pharmacy at some point that you can transfer your prescription to? If the pharmacist can’t answer these then she’s just wasted her time and ultimately you’ll have to call anyway. And trust me on this one…when you start talking about your travel plans and how much medication you need to get beforehand, your pharmacist is going to be so happy you’ve already informed the insurance company about what’s going on. She may still have to make a phone call but at least the insurance company will know what the deal is.
Talk to your pharmacist
You’ve gotten your prescription from your doctor and the insurance has been notified of your plans; now you can bring your pharmacist in to the loop. She will now work her magic and figure out how to supply you with the medication you need. If the insurance will not bend and allow you to pick up more than one refill at a time or you don’t have prescription insurance, you may have to pay out-of-pocket for what you need. Fortunately, there are quite a few discount programs available to help you afford your medication and your pharmacist can talk to you about ones that may suit your needs.
Do not go without your medications
I know that juggling your medications in this crazy healthcare system we have in The States can be a pain in the ass. Especially when combined with the enormous to-do lists you have to complete before you leave on any long sailing trip. Please, please make your health a top priority and do not go without your medications. As a pharmacist, I have seen first-hand what happens when my patients go without their necessary prescriptions and it is a sure fire way to bring any traveling plans to a dead stop - literally! Your community pharmacist is a great resource to tap if you have any questions about how to get your prescriptions and how to afford them. I am also available to anyone who needs assistance so please don’t hesitate to ask!
Sail Healthy and Stay Well