ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — In the mad scramble to get food, water and gas, many people are also searching for a place to get their prescription medicines.
Buncombe County Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Mullendore said because of the state of emergency in the area, there are different rules for filling prescriptions.
“These emergency rules allow people to go to any open pharmacy with their prescription bottles to get a 30- or 90-day refill on their medications. You do not have to go to your typical pharmacy,” Mullendore said. “These rules also allow the pharmacy to refill the prescription even if you have no refills remaining on that bottle.”
These types of emergency refill procedures cannot be used to fill prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances which include pain medications containing hydrocodone or oxycodone and ADHD medications like Adderall and Ritalin.
All health insurance plans licensed to operate in the state are legally responsible for allowing and covering prescriptions that are otherwise being filled “too soon” by people who reside in an area subject to an emergency declaration.
It is okay for someone other than the patient to pick up the prescription. Some medications may require the person picking up the medication to have a copy of the patient’s ID, but this is not the case for most medications.
How to get your medications refilled:
The North Carolina Board of Pharmacy is maintaining a list of pharmacies in Western North Carolina that are open. Click here to find the list, which is being updated every 30 minutes.
Some pharmacies that are open may not be on this list.
Mission Hospital’s Outpatient Pharmacy at 509 Biltmore Ave., Entrance #4, is open 24/7 to fill prescriptions. They close for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. daily. They are not filling prescriptions for controlled substances.
If you are a pharmacy that is open and providing services, please notify the Board of Pharmacy via email at emergency@ncbop.org if possible or via the online form on their website.
Donating medications
If you want to donate medicine, ABCCM Medical Clinic at 155 Livingston St., Asheville 28801 is accepting donations of medications from 9 a.m.–noon through Thursday this week.
Requirements for what medications can be donated:
- Only sealed manufacturer bottles
- Not expired
- Do not require refrigeration (like insulin)
- No controlled substances
- No cancer medications
- Not in amber/orange prescription bottles
The ABCCM Medical Clinic at 155 Livingston St. in Asheville also is providing primary healthcare to all adults
You can click here for more information.
“In terms of those who are sheltered as the Western North Carolina Ag Center and A-B Tech campus, I do want to call out some great partnerships that have been helping get those people medications when they can’t leave the shelter,” Mullendore said. “The Charles George VA Medical Center has sent pharmacy teams to our shelters to help serve displacements. I really want to thank them for that.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE STATES’S LIST OF PHARMACIES THAT ARE OPEN
