How to Transfer a Prescription From One Pharmacy to Another

While some medications, like antibiotics, are prescribed for a short period of time, others, like seizure or diabetes medications, are prescribed with refills so you can take them on a long-term basis. If you move from one town to another, you may need to transfer your prescription to a new pharmacy 1. You may also want to make the switch if you find the medication is cheaper elsewhere. This process isn't at all daunting. In fact, the new pharmacy you select can even do a lot of the work for you.

Gather Information on Your Current Pharmacy

Before heading to the new pharmacy, you'll need to gather information regarding the old one. Have the pharmacy's name, physical address and telephone number on hand. Make sure you are listing the number that goes directly to the pharmacy. For example, some pharmacies are located inside grocery stores and it won't do you any good to give the new pharmacist the telephone number of the grocery store. You need the number of the pharmacy itself.

Grab Your Medication's Prescription Label

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The next piece of information you’ll need to transfer a prescription is the medication's prescription label 1. If you don't have the label from your current bottle, you can contact the prescribing doctor and ask for a new prescription. He can send it directly to your new pharmacy.

Visit the New Pharmacy

Take all the information you collected and present it to the pharmacist on duty at the new pharmacy you'd like to use. You will also be asked to give your name, address, telephone number, birth date and list of allergies, as well as present your current insurance cards. The pharmacist will handle the rest of the transfer for you, including contacting your prescribing physician if you are out of refills.

Pharmacies, like CVS, offer home delivery of medication refills for those who need this service. It is at this time that you should inform the pharmacist that you'd like to set up home delivery should it benefit your situation.

Check the Pharmacy's Website

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Some pharmacy's, like Walgreens, don't even require you to come into the store to request a medication transfer 2. They have online forms you can fill out and once you do, they will contact the pharmacy where your prescription is currently on file to get the information needed to fill your prescription. If the prescription doesn’t have any remaining refills, they will contact the prescribing physician. This is a great option for those who have mobility challenges that make it difficult to travel to the pharmacy.