Having anything in your life stolen is traumatic. Whether it is your car, computer or television, the financial and emotional cost can be daunting. When it is your medication that is stolen, the financial and emotional cost can pale in comparison to the impact on your health and even life. One of the most difficult aspects of losing your medication to a thief is that you must replace it and that can be difficult. If you don’t know know what to do if your medication is stolen, we’ve got you covered.
File a Police Report
It can be a hassle, but the first thing you need to do, before going to replace your medication, is file a police report. Not only does this help police determine where thefts are happening, it will help the force protect against them. But to get another prescription from your pharmacist, a police report may be something you need.
Due to tightly controlled laws created by the federal government to deal with the sale of prescription drugs, some pharmacists may not be willing to refill a prescription without a police report. This is because they want to make sure that you are not taking more of the medication than you need, or in the case of opioids, selling the prescription drugs.
Federal regulations also dictate that pharmacists are required to report lost or stolen drugs and must notify the DEA Field Division Office in the area. This must be done within one day of the theft, and a special form must be filled out. While that applies to thefts from the pharmacy itself, it can also apply to you and your lost medication.
Get a Refill on Your Prescription
Most places will not require you to fill out a police report, but it is likely your pharmacist will want to see one. A pharmacist will often use their professional judgment when dealing with someone who has had medication stolen. This can include doing an emergency refill for you and overriding the refill too soon limitation that dictates how many refills someone can have in a coverage period.
The pharmacist will then submit the claim of the lost medication to the PBM and charge the co-pays for it. It will then be documented in Propharm to track the theft.
If you got your prescription through your doctor, then you should contact them before the pharmacist and report the theft, along with providing the police report. The doctor can then speak with the pharmacist to ensure that you get your prescription without the hassle of trying to prove it twice to the doctor and then the pharmacist.
Having a thief steal your medication is not as rare as you might think. For example, in Arizona, there are 35.1 thefts per 100,000 people, which is the most in the United States. The next highest state is Missouri with 17.6 thefts per 100,000 people. The 382 thefts in pharmacies that happened in 2015 show how desperate some people are to steal medication, with pain relievers and other opiates being the most common item stolen.
Protect Your Prescription Medication From Theft
To avoid the hassle of dealing with stolen prescription drugs, that you need to stay healthy, medication bags are a great solution.
A prescription medication bag can keep your medication safe, and away from the sticky fingers of thieves. A prescription medication bag with a lock is especially handy as it will make stealing your medication more hassle than it is worth. If you are taking opioids, completely legally for a condition, then an opioid bag with lock will be something that will make your life easier.
Use a Locking Medication Bag When Travelling
If you decide to travel, you often keep your vital documents such as your passport and traveler’s cheques safe on your body. Why wouldn’t you do the same with your medication? Medication bags for traveling are designed to be close to your body, and hard to steal, ensuring that if you are half a world away, you are not trying to get the medication that can save your life.
Medication bags for patients is another thing to consider if you are staying in a hospital and do not want to lose your medication when you likely need it the most.
Remember, chance favors the prepared mind, and having medication bags ensures you will not be someone who has the headache of getting more medication after you were robbed of what you need to keep you healthy and save your life.
Cardinal Bag Supplies provides quality bags for business, government, medical and school supplies. If you want to protect your medication from theft in an excellent medication bag, this is the one for you.