It’s a good thing to know that many pharmacists will keep your prescriptions for as long as they can. How long they keep it for varies too. But, in case you are wondering if you still have a grace period for when you can pick up your prescription from Walgreen, you have come to the right place.
Walgreen will generally hold your filled prescription for between seven to twelve days depending on the store and location. The unfilled prescription on the other hand can be held for between six to twelve months. Controlled substances are held for six months while others can be held for a year.
What Walgreen does with unclaimed prescriptions however is a company policy and you will find out about that in this article.
What Happens To Unclaimed Filled Prescriptions At Walgreen Pharmacy?
If you somehow forgot to pick up the prescription for an extended period, here is what would likely happen and how you can get your prescription filled at Walgreen.
Unclaimed filled prescriptions are put back on the shelf after the 7 to 12 days waiting period. When it’s back on the shelf, the drugs are up for grabs by anybody that needs to purchase it. While on the shelf, your local Walgreen pharmacy will place calls through to your or send you messages as gentle reminders. When you are ready for your pick up again, simply fill out a new order for when you will be available and it will be refilled again. Your prescription order will be kept in the Walgreen archives for up to a year, for unfilled prescriptions. Outside that period, you will need to get a new prescription order from your pharmacist to get them.
Why Does Walgreens Hold Prescriptions?
Walgreens, like any other pharmacy, holds prescriptions for a specified period so that they can be available to you when you come for them. Think about it this way, you ordered an item from a store and the store takes it off the market so that someone else will not purchase it.
This way, drugs that are important and in limited supply can be given to the right people who need them at the right time.
Dangers Of Not Picking Up Your Prescription In Time
It is not very wise to go too long before picking up your prescription. Apart from the dangers that could come from missing your regular doses, if you had finished your present ones, it reeks of being irresponsible. The following are reasons why doctors and pharmacists encourage timely prescription pickups.
Avoid having to land in the emergency unit too often. Many a time, the reason why people relapse and end up back in a hospital bed is that they missed one or two important drug dosages. Doctors are human too and they’ll like to manage how many patients they must compulsorily attend to when necessary. It will also be a relief to you when you are not constantly poked and prodded with needles. Minimize unnecessary complications. The majority of prescription drugs are to keep your body’s physiology normal and in check. Missing some doses could end up in some complications you would like to avoid. Prescriptions were not made for the fun of it. Missing dosages of antibiotics may result in your system building resistance to the drug. If you have been placed on antibiotics, it is very wise that you do not miss any dosage. This is because microorganisms have a way of building resistance when they are not eradicated in one fell swoop. Do all you can to avoid that. Some complications may result in eventual death. Too many times, the complications that result in the deaths of patients could have been avoided if they could just follow simple rules and take their prescriptions when they should. Since you are not an expert in your treatment, do all you can to make sure you have your prescription at all times. Don’t go before your time.
How To Avoid Delay In Picking Up Your Prescriptions?
There are several ways you can avoid picking up your prescriptions too late from the pharmacist.
Place the order before your present one finishes so that you can have ample time to pick it up without having to worry that you will miss some doses. Have someone else pick it up on your behalf. Walgreens has a policy of allowing someone else to pick up your prescription once they have been authorized to do so. Set a reminder. It is not cheesy or means that you are forgetful. It just means you can manage your time well when you know what to do when due.
Conclusion
Now we have learnt “How Long Will Walgreens Hold A Prescription?”, So, you missed picking up your prescription for a few days? No matter. Walgreens’ got you covered and will keep your prescription for about 7 days before it is back on the shelf for resale.
How often can I delay picking up my prescription at Walgreens?
Walgreens does not presently have a policy for constant delaying in picking up filled prescriptions. But you should try as much as possible to keep it to a minimum.
Who can pick up my prescription on my behalf at Walgreens?
Anybody. They must however have the necessary information to do the pick-up, including special notes from your doctor if any.
