Preparing medicine supply? Bringing scripts on AT

[wvmountaineer]

Hey y'all,

I'm really, really anxious to thru-hike the AT this spring, and I've got a lot of items already in place and I'm in good shape. What's worrying me is bringing my medication and finding ways to refill my scripts. I need them for Epilepsy. As long as I have the medicine, it's not an issue. I'm thinking about trying to accumulate a large supply over the next few months and having people mail them in rations to drop boxes or hostels or wherever I can. Have any of you had to take and refill prescriptions during your thru-hike? How did you manage it all?

[jimmyjam]

What I'm planning on doing is getting mine in a 90 day supply. That's all I'll need as I an not truely thru hiking, but rather "chunk hiking". I would think you could do a 90 day supply from Wally World and then figure out which town with a Wally World would be 75 to 90 days out and get it refilled there.

[10-K]

Use something like CVS or Walgreens "Rapid refill" and phone in refills, have someone pick up the script at the pharmacy and mail it ahead to you.

Since it's likely not a controlled substance should be no problem.

Absolute worse case if you run out is just go to a doc or ER in some town off the trail and explain your situation - they'll write you a script.

[Don H]

There are pharmacies in trail towns and they are noted in the A.T. Guide. I needed antibiotics for Lyme Disease and had my doc phone them in to the pharmacy in Dalton, MA. I would think your doc could phone in a script to any pharmacy you choose along the way. I wouldn't carry 90 days though if you can avoid it just in case you loose them or they get wet. If you do a refill every 30 days you'll only need 4 or 5 refills during the trip.

[ATMountainTime]

I spoke to my doc and pharmacist for my BP meds. My script will run out right in the middle of my hike, he's going to write another one after I take a BP reading in harpers ferry. He's even offered to mail them to me (on his dime), because im doing the coolest thing to him that any of his patients are doing.

[Blissful]

My hubby mailed my need to me on the trail. I got extra for "vacation" refills. No problems.

[dink]

I do the refill requests at the doc I work for and we do auths all the time for folks who have to have their entire years supply of meds with them...like going out of the country for a year. the pharmacy has no problem giving them the meds as long as the docs office says it is OK and the insurance pays!!

[starbright]

I havent talked to my doctor about it yet. But hoping he will set it up so I can get my perscriptions filled along the way.

[BrianLe]

My wife had no problem re-ordering and then picking up my prescription meds from our local drugstore, mailed out in resupply boxes. But the 90-day supply thing really made this easier/nicer for her. Catch is, periodically it seems to reset down to 60 and then 30 day supplies and I have to grumble and ask again for a 90-day supply --- as I like this in general for something that I basically just have to keep taking forever.

[Edro]

Im planning a thru hike beginning around the end of March 2014. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and take and Injection twice monthly for it.
It comes in packages of 2 doses and has to be refrigerated. possibly I may be on a different med by then but its a once monthly med that has to be kept cold also. anybody got any suggestions as to the logistics of this? the once monthly med would not pose as big a problem as the bi-monthly med does.

[heavyfoot]

I would think your doc could phone in a script to any pharmacy you choose along the way.

Doctors are licensed to practice in their state. How could a pharmacy accept a prescription from a doctor not licensed to practice in that state?

[RangerZ]

There are other threads along these lines:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?94388-Vitamins-pills&highlight=pills

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?93725-Diabetic-thru-hiking-logistics

[Another Kevin]

Doctors are licensed to practice in their state. How could a pharmacy accept a prescription from a doctor not licensed to practice in that state?

I've never had trouble getting a prescription filled on the road. The doctor isn't breaking the law, he wrote the prescription in the state where he's licensed. The pharmacist isn't breaking the law, he's filling a prescription written by a physician licensed to practice where he wrote the prescription. (If it's a "controlled substance" prescription, the road may be rougher - there's more checking required, and even legitimate prescriptions sometimes are rejected.)

From your location, you most likely have an Arizona driver's license. It's the same sort of treatment of the law that lets you drive in California or New Mexico.

And in fact, in may cases, the states must treat other states' laws that way: look at any discussion of Article IV of the Constitution - the "full faith and credit" and "all privileges and immunities" clauses impose that sort of requirement on the states.

[heavyfoot]

Cool, thanks for the info, Another Kevin.

[Alligator]

Im planning a thru hike beginning around the end of March 2014. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and take and Injection twice monthly for it.
It comes in packages of 2 doses and has to be refrigerated. possibly I may be on a different med by then but its a once monthly med that has to be kept cold also. anybody got any suggestions as to the logistics of this? the once monthly med would not pose as big a problem as the bi-monthly med does.How does the medicine get delivered to you? My wife used to get a refrigerated medicine. Since it needed to be kept cold, it got shipped with ice packs and went overnight I think or perhaps 2 day direct to the house. It was always cold upon delivery. If it can be delivered to a house/business, maybe try contacting the supplier to arrange a quick shipment to a hostel/business/PO. If it has to go to a pharmacy for some reason, arrange to have it shipped to one specifically. You may need to hang around town a little longer but it may not be too much hassle getting the timing correct. Slow your hiking a little so that you have some cushion. Some pharmaceutical companies will have direct customer service if the medicine has not gone generic yet.

[Rolls Kanardly]

Please fellow hikers be careful. HYOH but you must read this first. "Mailing drugs through the mail seems like a good way to help friends, neighbors and family members replenish their prescription or over-the-counter drugs. However, for a citizen, sending prescription or over-the-counter drugs is very dangerous. If caught doing so, you can be punished criminally and face fines or possible jail time--especially if the drug is illegal. Different regions and states have different regulations. While it is good to check the laws in your state, you must go directly to the United States Postal Service to get the rules that are applied at a national level."

I need an arthritis meds and a back pain med that would not be good to be carrying with out a script. Ehow.com "How to Send prescription Drugs Through the Mail' Muske-gon