CVS Health encourages patients to pick up medications in preparation for Hurricane Sally

As Hurricane Sally approaches and makes landfall in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, CVS Pharmacy has been reaching out to its patients via text message and email where possible to remind them to refill prescriptions.

In addition, through CVS Caremark, CVS Health’s pharmacy benefit manager, the company has activated a process to provide one-time emergency refills of a 10-day supply of medication for plan members in impacted areas. Patients within the emergency area taking specialty medications filled by CVS Specialty will be contacted to discuss alternate delivery arrangements if needed.

CVS Health said that through its Aetna Business Unit, its clinical response teams have expanded their engagement with Medicare and Commercial members in potentially impacted counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to ensure member safety, access to emergency services and continuity of care.

CVS Health also offers the following tips for assuring prescription needs are met for those potentially impacted by Hurricane Sally:

• Follow local evacuation orders. Get to a safe location first and refill your medications at the nearest pharmacy. This allows you to avoid potentially long lines at your local pharmacy, and you won’t need to needlessly delay your evacuation;
• Take a waterproof bag with your current medication – even if the bottle is empty. The information on the prescription label will help pharmacy staff with refill requests. Heat, humidity and sunlight can degrade the effectiveness of medicine, so try to protect it from extreme weather conditions; and 
• Keep a written record of your current prescriptions in your valuable papers files. If you are taking several prescription drugs, it’s an especially good idea to keep a record of your current dosage and doctor’s contact information.