Home Doctor: Practical Medicine for Every Household
useful in emergencies and having them at home can help save lives and in other cases prevent health complications. Remember, that in the past year people have suffered losses that could have been prevented if they only had some or all of these medical supplies in their homes. Venezuela as we know is experiencing an economic crisis that has made foods and medical supplies very scarce. People have died due to the absence of these simple medical supplies in Venezuela. So yes, there is a very strong need for us to equip our homes with medical supplies and stay prepared.
An Ingenious Way to Stockpile Prescription Medicines If you’re like many Americans these days, it’s likely that you have at least one medication that you need to take regularly. It is also likely that this medication is one that is essential, meaning that being without it may constitute an emergency. Things like insulin, inhalers, and blood pressure medications are part of daily life for millions of people; yet most of those people do not have a plan in place for what they’d do if the medication were suddenly unavailable. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are seeing that this scenario is becoming closer and closer to reality. Between the public scrambling to fill prescriptions out of fear for their health to pharmaceutical production being halted due to quarantines and shut downs, many medications became temporarily scarce. While pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies have done their best to mitigate the effects of various shortages, the situation highlighted for many that they would be in nearly immediate danger if their medication became suddenly and indefinitely unavailable. Becoming suddenly unable to acquire necessary medication is certainly a frightening thought, but there are some ways in which you may be able to build a stash of emergency medication. It may take a while to stockpile a reasonable supply – prescription medications are relatively well-controlled, both by pharmacies and health insurance companies. Some “easy” methods for stockpiling meds (like purchasing illegally online or skipping doses) should be avoided for safety reasons, but the following are a few ways to start building a stash of your medication safely and legally: 1.) Refill Your Prescriptions as Soon as Possible It is standard practice to have prescriptions refilled a day or two before they run out, but most insurances will allow for refills to be filled and covered up to a week in advance of the current supply running out. The best way to find out when you can get a refill is to call your insurance directly, as medical providers typically don’t know the ins and outs of insurance coverage. Building up a backup medication supply this way is slow but takes minimal effort. By refilling prescriptions three to five days before they run out you can put aside three to five days of medication for emergencies. This method is slow, and if you want to have more of a supply for peace of mind you may also be able to get a full refill if you claim to have lost your medication. Most insurance companies only allow full replacement of a lost prescription once or twice a year, but even once is enough to have a full month worth of your medication for a stockpile. It can’t hurt to ask at your pharmacy whether they are able to replace a lost prescription. 19
