CORONAVIRUS: PREPARE FOR
A DRUG SHORTAGE
by Dr. Jessica Nouhavandi
You might have read in the
news that the coronavirus
could potentially impact drug
supplies, leading to a possible
drug shortage.
While it is difficult to predict
the possible impact and the
FDA is closely monitoring
the situation, here are 3 easy
steps you can take to prepare—
just for peace of
mind.
1. Buy Extra
Refills of Your
Generic Prescription
Medications.
If you take maintenance medications
daily (like for chronic
conditions such as high
blood pressure, high cholesterol,
depression, etc), you
might consider buying a 90-
day supply (in other words, 3
months) of your prescription
medications. This way you
wont have to worry about
the possibility of a drug
shortage.
Not all pharmacies can give
you a three month supply.
Typically, traditional retail
pharmacies that accept insurance
often have restrictions
that make you only get one
month refills at a time. In order
to get extra of your medications,
youll most likely
need to switch to a pharmacy
that doesnt use insurance.
One example is Honeybee
Health. Honeybee is a pharmacy
that doesnt work with
insurance. Instead, you pay
out-of-pocket for the cash
price of your medications.
The good news is that for generic
prescription meds, this
option is actually cheaper
than if you use your insurance.