What should you do if you run out of medication when you are away from home or your usual pharmacy? At Text2MD, our physicians know that convenience is the pinnacle of effective mobile health care. Whether you need a medication refill while you’re on vacation or you need to speak with a physician immediately, apps for health care will ensure you are well cared for.
How Can I Refill a Prescription While Traveling?
If you have been prescribed medication that you must take daily, then your physician has decided that you need this prescription to manage your health. This is why it can be a problem if you run out of your prescription while you’re traveling, especially if you are in a different state or country.
Since you can’t go without your prescription, your challenge is to get a prescription refill at a nearby pharmacy as soon as possible. Fortunately, when you use mobile health care, it’s easy to get a prescription while you’re on the move.
Ask for a Prescription Before Travel
The first way you can have a medication refilled while you’re traveling is to ask your doctor to write a prescription beforehand. By anticipating your need for a refill, you will significantly reduce the stress you may experience if you run out of medication unexpectedly.
Generally, a physician will be able to predate a prescription so that you can have the prescription filled and covered by your insurance. Be sure to ask for the number of refills you will need while you’re traveling, particularly if you plan to be gone for several weeks or months. Because you will be away from your normal pharmacy, you will need a hard copy of your prescription.
Contact Your Doctor Electronically
If you lose your medication during travel, you may need to contact your doctor immediately for a medication refill. Using a health care app, you can contact your doctor electronically by sending a private message or you can arrange for an urgent care virtual visit, which can also result in a prescription that you can fill at a pharmacy.
What Medications Can Be Refilled?
If you’re traveling across the nation, then you can rest easy knowing that most of your medications can be filled nationwide. However, if you’re traveling abroad, your medications may be more difficult to refill since some medications are not available in all countries. You may need to speak with the pharmacy filling your prescription about comparable medications.
What Will You Need for Medication Refill?
If you are getting your medication refilled at a new pharmacy while you are traveling, you will likely need both your personal identification and your insurance information. The pharmacy requires your personal information, including your full name and date of birth, to verify that the prescription ordered by the doctor is for you.
Your insurance card will also be run to the pharmacy so that the fee for the medication is covered. However, if you don’t have an insurance card or the location you’re in doesn’t take your insurance, you will need to pay your prescription out-of-pocket, which means you should also have a credit card or cash when you’re at the pharmacy.
What About Medication Discount Cards?
If you happen to have a medication discount card, then you may be able to use this discount card at the pharmacy filling your prescription. Just like using the discount card at your normal pharmacy, the pharmacy will decide if they accept the discount card for the medication you are filling.
How Do You Know Which Pharmacy To Visit?
While you’re traveling, it can sometimes be hard to know which pharmacy you can visit. If you have an insurance provider, then it may be a little more challenging to find a pharmacy within your network. However, those without insurance also have the challenge of price comparison between pharmacies to find a pharmacy that is most affordable.
Ask Your Insurance
To find out which pharmacy you can visit, you can always call the membership line for your insurance provider. Your insurance provider will be able to look at your specific insurance plan and tell you the names of pharmacies in your current location that are within the network. Even if you’re abroad, your insurance provider may have information about pharmacies you can use or special forms you can fill out to write off the cost of your prescription.
Ask Pharmacy About Costs
If you don’t have insurance, then it’s a wise decision to shop around to find a pharmacy that can fill your prescription at an affordable cost. When you call the pharmacy, the pharmacist will be able to tell you the general cost of the prescription you want to have filled, including the generic brand. If you have a co-pay for your prescriptions from your insurance, asking the pharmacy about prescription costs is also a good idea.
The Benefits of Mobile Health Care
In addition to the ability to refill prescriptions while you’re traveling, there are several other benefits of mobile health care apps. With thousands of Americans without insurance and millions more needing to wait several weeks or months to see a physician, mobile health care is a huge advantage for people who have urgent medical needs. Some of the benefits of using a health care app include:
Faster Response
Instead of waiting several weeks or months to see your primary care physician, when you use a health care app, you will be able to enjoy a faster response time. For example, if the app supports urgent care, you can speak to a doctor in less than an hour. If the app allows messaging to your usual physician, you will also receive a response within 24 to 48 hours.
A faster response time from a physician can be a huge boon to your wellness. For example, if you have emergent symptoms of a virus like COVID-19, a fast response from the doctor can let you know what steps you should take, including whether or not you should go to the hospital.
Convenience
For some people, a health care app is also a matter of convenience. The app allows you to speak with a physician whenever and wherever, which means you can have more power over your health care choices. This can also be beneficial for those who are unable to leave their homes for any reason, such as those who have physical disabilities or anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia.
Precision
Mobile apps for health care also give patients increased precision about their health care needs. For example, if you only need to see a doctor to manage certain medications, then you can do that with an app. If you want to order blood tests to monitor for anemia or other diseases, you can also request those specific tests directly from a physician. More precision with your health care allows you to take an active role in your health and your health decisions.
Improved Access
For Americans who do not have access to health insurance at all, mobile apps for healthcare can also improve access. These apps are designed to provide patients with high-quality physicians at a low cost. Improving access to health care is a good way to prevent diseases and also encourage healthier habits for the future.
Having access to health care with a health care app can also be a temporary stopgap if you are between insurance providers. For example, if you missed the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act and you have to wait a few months before you can sign up for health insurance with your employer, apps for health care can give you peace of mind until other health insurance is available.
Reduced Costs
Finally, you can reduce your overall costs when you use a health care app. The only charges you will have after a mobile health care visit is for the visit itself and any medications or lab tests that were ordered. Reducing health care costs is another way to reinforce good health habits and encourage preventative health measures.
Rely On Mobile Health Care for Medication Refill
If you’re traveling, you might run out of a prescription early or you might lose a prescription during transit. For certain prescriptions that must be taken daily, this can be a problem for your overall health. Fortunately, a health care app can provide you with medication refills by allowing you to directly contact your physician to receive a refill within hours. Contact text to MD to learn more about a prescription refill on the go today.
