Anonymous wrote:Sort your medication into a pill sorter weeks at the start of every week and start with two sorters for two weeks. So every week you’re sorting one week ahead. That way when you run out, you have a full week at least to refill it.

This is what we do. We also use a google calendar for the 90-day refill reminders (a week out), or a task for doctors' office refills. Its a lot to manage but I have found some doctors will help with the pills if you are trying to schedule the appointment.

Mark the scripts on your calendar with the number of refills remaining. When you fill the second to last one, assess if it’s one that will need a Dr. visit to refill. That gives you ample time to schedule Eve if the Dr. Is heavily booked.

Alternatively, work out when the final refill is (if I have 30 days plus 4 more refills means I have meds through January so I need an appt in Dec/Jan to get the renewal)

Anonymous wrote:You should be able to set this up in the CVS app. You can set up auto refill on all meds and I believe you can set something for the pharmacy to automatically call your doctor when a script is expiring. CVS will text or email you when a prescription needs a refill, when it needs a doctor to renew, and when its ready for pickup.

You might be able to have a pharmacy staff member help you get this all set up.

The only downside is you do get a text or email for each transaction requiring a Y or N. You'll also get notification of store sales and promos which you can turn off.

Yeah - since I am managing 15 medications just for my spouse, it's a lot of texts and phone calls. Some of the medications are contraindicated (but we are taking them anyhow with specialists' approvals) but nevertheless the pharmacist needs to contact me and the doctors each time to be sure it's OK... it's a lot of texts going off on my phone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you do to stay on top of prescription refills? I have to keep track of dozens. They are all through CVS pharmacy, and we do have the online portal but maybe I'm not using it to its best advantage?

We do get a 90 day supply, usually, and automatic refill, usually, but I'm still being caught short and often it seems on a 3 day weekend or something. Sometimes we need to see a doctor to get a refill and that can't be done last minute, they are booked weeks out now. Waiting on the phone takes forever too so trying to avoid being caught short.

Help me think of the easiest system. I'm trying to use Google Calendar to keep track of everything (I am very disorganized) but if I add over a dozen prescription refills to the calendar it will get very cluttered and cumbersome.

But maybe that's the best?

Sept 1: picked up 90 day supply of XYZ prescription $1234567 prescribed by Dr D.
So note Nov 1 (60 days) make sure refill is in the works...and note Dec 1 -- pick up new order of XYZ?

If on Sept 1, the medications information says "No refills available do you want us to call the doctor" -- THAT is when I need to find out if there will be an issue with refilling it and will need an appointment?

I don't know maybe your doc works differently. CVS will not do anything a month away from your refill date. I usually call for refill like 7-10 days (so in your case, late November and pick it new med as soon as it's ready (before Dec 1 of your example).

If you have no refills left, I just sent a msg to my doc - please send me refill for xxx med. My doc office usually sends in the same day

No, they definitely don't refill a month ahead, but a month ahead gives me enough time to schedule an appointment if needed.

Anonymous wrote:What do you do to stay on top of prescription refills? I have to keep track of dozens. They are all through CVS pharmacy, and we do have the online portal but maybe I'm not using it to its best advantage?

We do get a 90 day supply, usually, and automatic refill, usually, but I'm still being caught short and often it seems on a 3 day weekend or something. Sometimes we need to see a doctor to get a refill and that can't be done last minute, they are booked weeks out now. Waiting on the phone takes forever too so trying to avoid being caught short.

Help me think of the easiest system. I'm trying to use Google Calendar to keep track of everything (I am very disorganized) but if I add over a dozen prescription refills to the calendar it will get very cluttered and cumbersome.

But maybe that's the best?

Sept 1: picked up 90 day supply of XYZ prescription $1234567 prescribed by Dr D.
So note Nov 1 (60 days) make sure refill is in the works...and note Dec 1 -- pick up new order of XYZ?

If on Sept 1, the medications information says "No refills available do you want us to call the doctor" -- THAT is when I need to find out if there will be an issue with refilling it and will need an appointment?

I don't know maybe your doc works differently. CVS will not do anything a month away from your refill date. I usually call for refill like 7-10 days (so in your case, late November and pick it new med as soon as it's ready (before Dec 1 of your example).

If you have no refills left, I just sent a msg to my doc - please send me refill for xxx med. My doc office usually sends in the same day

From experience, just make the med list and supply check an item at your weekly family business meeting.

Or of there is no such thing—your personal equivalent thereof. CVS’s tools are not built for this. They suck.

I switched my mom to Amazon Pillpack for a few reasons- they consolidate all her meds, handle all the refills and send the meds packaged by dose time. My mom has morning and evening meds and the Pillpacks come pre-packaged, all she has to do is open the morning pack and take all the pills in it.

I think CVS now has something similar.

I think CVS is now offering a service to get your maintenance medications synched up to avoid this issue.

You should be able to set this up in the CVS app. You can set up auto refill on all meds and I believe you can set something for the pharmacy to automatically call your doctor when a script is expiring. CVS will text or email you when a prescription needs a refill, when it needs a doctor to renew, and when its ready for pickup.

You might be able to have a pharmacy staff member help you get this all set up.

The only downside is you do get a text or email for each transaction requiring a Y or N. You'll also get notification of store sales and promos which you can turn off.

it's so many pills to keep track of... I'm looking for a better way to keep track of all the refills. Yeah, they are a lot of controlled ones so it's hard to get ahead. I do fill two weeks of medications at a time; learned that the hard way, but I am so distracted by everything else (6 different specialists prescribing; 8 specialists total to schedule and that's not counting me and the kids, that's just my spouse who cannot manage his own affairs).

Might you be able to ask the provider(s) to authorize an extra week to have in reserve for holidays and other delays? A one week supply of all meds could even be called to a different local pharmacy, while you get the regular 90 day supply from CVS.

This can be complicated with controlled meds, but it is not complicated with standard meds, especially if you are willing to pay out of pocket if your insurance doesn't cover.

I'd book a regular visit with the doctor and note (at the booking) that you want to discuss medication access difficulties at the visit as well.

Sort your medication into a pill sorter weeks at the start of every week and start with two sorters for two weeks. So every week you’re sorting one week ahead. That way when you run out, you have a full week at least to refill it.

What do you do to stay on top of prescription refills? I have to keep track of dozens. They are all through CVS pharmacy, and we do have the online portal but maybe I'm not using it to its best advantage?

We do get a 90 day supply, usually, and automatic refill, usually, but I'm still being caught short and often it seems on a 3 day weekend or something. Sometimes we need to see a doctor to get a refill and that can't be done last minute, they are booked weeks out now. Waiting on the phone takes forever too so trying to avoid being caught short.

Help me think of the easiest system. I'm trying to use Google Calendar to keep track of everything (I am very disorganized) but if I add over a dozen prescription refills to the calendar it will get very cluttered and cumbersome.

But maybe that's the best?

Sept 1: picked up 90 day supply of XYZ prescription $1234567 prescribed by Dr D.
So note Nov 1 (60 days) make sure refill is in the works...and note Dec 1 -- pick up new order of XYZ?

If on Sept 1, the medications information says "No refills available do you want us to call the doctor" -- THAT is when I need to find out if there will be an issue with refilling it and will need an appointment?