Prescription Drug Refills

I'm sure the base pharmacy is the best choice for many traveler's. But our travel style doesn't always have us near a base when we need a refill. I wouldn't want to drive far out of my way to save a few bucks. In addition, we still need to stop and take seasonal jobs for 6 months out of the year. This year, it's over 90 miles to the nearest military installation (Lemoore NAS, CA), but only 1/2 mile to the post office. For us, I'd rather pay a few bucks and save the 180 mile round-trip.

As with other options, everyone's travel styles are different and different options will be best for their circumstances. Such as, for us (as fulltime travelers), Tricare Standard is MUCH better for us than TriCare Prime.

I agree Express Scripts is an extension of a free "Benefit". One of the remaining "benefits" that's truely a BENEFIT.

The computers don't talk to each other. The wait times are long. They have eliminated many name brand drugs from their list. Only a few reasons not to use VA or military pharmacies. At a certain point, it just isn't worth the hassle to get "free" drugs. TMOP is the way to go.

Next time you get a new RX, ask the doctor if he/she has any samples to give you while you wait to get a mail order completed. If it's a common drug, they probably do. They get them free from the drug sales people anyway. Also, ask the doctor if he will do the RX for twice the dose and then you can cut them in half; thereby, getting a 180 supply. My doctor knows that I travel alot, so he is willing to help with that issue for a common med that wouldn't be an overdose problem.

I play golf with an older gentleman who only hits the ball about 150-175 yards, but it's alway down the middle. He never loses a ball and is hard to beat. My new goal....play 18 with the same ball.

We get all our meds at Wal-Mart. Our doctor writes script for 90 day supply with three re-fills. Of my four meds two are $3 per month and 2 are $9 per month. Wal-Mart has us in their computer so we can get them filled anywhere. Since we don't stay in one place very long it works well. We've had refills at Wal-Marts at home in Oklahoma but also in Keywest and Jacksonville, FL; Tucson, AZ; and just this past week in Savannah, GA.

We don't use the base when we are home because it is a 50 mile round trip to the opposite of town. Wal-Mart is just down the street. It works for us.

Like Larry, we also use TriCare Standard instead of Prime so we can get help anywhere we may happen to be. We aren't folks who like to stay in one place very long. Other than at home we have yet to stay in any one location longer than 8 days and that was last January at an FMCA rally in Florida.

We do the Scripts thing for our Type II pills and High chloresteral. I like that I can refill on line and get them sent anyplace in a hurry. They have always been excellant on the phone with helping me. I usually have the prescriptions sent to my mail forwarding address and they come with the regular mail. Great stuff and we are lucky to have it available.
Chris the Bigfoot

Our last prescriptions were filled at Fort Jackson, SC just before we headed west to AZ for the winter. Today we went into the Branch Clinic at MCAS Yuma to get them refilled. All were successfully transfered from Fort Jackson and issued to us in less than 45 min. We are very happy with the outstanding service provided by the MCAS Yuma Branch Clinic.

FastEagle

Last spring after wintering in Yuma AZ we started our trek back to the east coast and our first scheduled stop was at Tucson, AZ. We stayed at a very nice RV park just off the interstate (Prince of Tucson) because we could not even get a dry camp spot at the Davis-Monthan AFB RV Park. Our objective here was to play a little golf at the base, do some shopping at the BX and get our prescription drugs refilled. Well all was going just great till we got to the medical facility. Clearly against DOD policy they refused to transfer our prescriptions and the base commander stood firm on his decision to not transfer prescriptions for personnel just passing through his command. So we went on to El Paso and had no problem at all at Fort Bliss. Davis-Monthan AFB is the only base we have ever been to that will not transfer prescription drugs.

FastEagle