Can you return a Prescription?
 

I had a rootcanal today and my doctor had me get a prescription for anibiotics and Vicodin. So on the way home I had the prescription filled. Well, after the anesthetic wore off I started to feel some pain so I took an Advil instead since I was a little scared to take the Vicodin, and it did the trick, no pain.


So do you know if I can return the painkillers? I'm not going to take them and I don't need them.

I don't believe so.

Having worked as a pharmacy technician for the past 10 years (and having a dad who's a pharmacist and owner of a pharmacy) I can tell you that it's against federal and Kentucky state law to take back any prescription medication that has left the store.

The reason for this is once it has left the store, the store cannot know what has happened to that medication. Someone (not saying that you would) could tamper with the medication.

There are strict pedigrees that have to be in place for medications, especially narcotics, of which Vicodin is one of. A pedigree tells whose hands those medications have been in and that they have every reason to have been in those people's hands. The people that has had their hands on those medications have licenses to have those medications whereas you do not. Therefore, the general public, once they have been dispensed the medication may not return medication to a store unless it is a tamperproof bottle or packaging such as a tube of ointment or something such as that. Pills that have been put in a store bottle from a stock bottle would not be returnable. Make sense?

Think about it this way. If someone else took their prescription home, decided they didn't want them, but dumped them out in the toilet first, then put them back in the bottle and then returned them to the store, and the store puts them back in the stock bottle and then you come along and get a prescription filled for the same medication and get some of the pills that had been dumped in the toilet, you wouldn't be too happy, but you wouldn't know any better. This law keeps this type of thing from happening.

That's what I was afraid of.... Oh, well.... it was worth a shot to ask.

Thank you! Great explanation by the way!

Yeah....just keep 'em for those REALLY bad headaches or for some horrible pain that you may get later on. Chances are that they won't expire for at least another year an a half (since the bottle that they poured them out of at the pharmacy usually has at least another year and a half expiration on it), so just tuck them away in the back of the medicine cabinet and should you need them later on, you'll have them. :)

Will do! Thanks for the tip!

I know someone who got a bottle of pills without really thinking about how much the prescripton was, complained about how much they were, and he was allowed a refund.

I'd say it'd be worth a try.. at worst all they are going to do is tell you no.

i don't think so. just flush them if you no longer want them.

That may be, but you'd be asking the pharmacy to break federal and state law. These laws are in place to protect the public. And as I stated before, would you really like to know that the pharmacy you do business with does this type of thing for people?

Think about it for a minute...What if the people took a medication outside of the store, took the capsules apart, took the medication out of the capsule and then put say dishwashing detergent (or worse) inside the capsules and then returned them to the pharmacy, then you came along and got those capsules and ingested them? Wonder what would happen to you? Wonder if you would sue the pharmacy for dispensing them to you?

If you're not sure that you need/want a medication, don't fill the prescription until you're sure. Don't make it the pharmacy's fault or put it back on the pharmacy's shoulders to break the law to make you happy. This is just not right.

wow, a root canal and an advil worked?

Keep Them!!
 

Keep them in case you have an emergency. They last about a year or so berfore expiration, which will be listed on the bottle. Believe me, you may need them. I've had to take my left over pills once or twice before seeing a doctor.

Vicodin is a controlled substance....According to http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/general.htm

QUOTE - Question: Can an individual return their controlled substance prescription medication to a pharmacy?

Answer: No. An individual patient may not return their unused controlled substance prescription medication to the pharmacy. Federal laws and regulations make no provisions for an individual to return their controlled substance prescription medication to a pharmacy for further dispensing or for disposal. There are no provisions in the Controlled Substances Act or Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for a DEA registrant (i.e., retail pharmacy) to acquire controlled substances from a non-registrant (i.e. individual patient).

The CFR does have a provision for an individual to return their unused controlled substance medication to the pharmacy in the event of the controlled substance being recalled or a dispensing error has occurred.

An individual may dispose of their own controlled substance medication without approval from DEA. Medications should be disposed of in such a manner that does not allow for the controlled substances to be easily retrieved. In situations where an individual has expired, a caregiver or hospice staff member may assist the family with the proper disposal of any unused controlled substance medications.

The date that's listed on the bottle is usually the date that the prescription itself expires and in a controlled substance's case is usually 6 months from the date that the prescription is written. The pills will not actually expire until usually around a year and a half or so later. If you're curious about the expiration date of the actual pills, you can call the pharmacy and ask them what the expiration date of the bottle that they have on their shelf is. That way you can mark it on the bottle and know when your bottle will be out of date. :)

Unless the med. is an antibiotic, I would definitly keep it. Like Amira said, you never know when you might need them.



If you don't want to keep them, you can always donate it too me :D J/K

I could tell you what to do with them, but that'd be illegal. :eek: :eyeballpc :confuse2: :embarasse

:yelrotflm :yelrotflm

I won't even get started on the Trafficking in a Controlled Substance charge that would be placed on someone that would give/sell their pain medicine to someone else. (I used to work at the county jail here and have a background in law enforcement - Call me well-rounded.) :eek:

Due to my MS I take large quantities of meds each day. If you have meds that you don't want or that are out dated, return them to the pharmacy to be destroyed. You won't get money back, of course, but this is THE safe way to dispose of medication.

Please DO NOT dispose of medication by flushing them down the toilet. Even though sewage treatment plants clean the water, they are sometimes unable to remove traces of some medications. In some places, there are unreasonable amounts of ssri meds (antidepressants) in the water supply due to people getting rid of meds this way.

Selling your meds or giving your meds to someone else is certainly illegal. If anything happened to the person who took your meds, YOU are responsible.

Pharmacies won't allow meds to be returned as there is no way for them to tell if the meds have been tampered with. Once you buy them, they are yours.

Nobody was serious, don't worry!!! ;)

Just didn't want someone to run upon this thread later and get the wrong idea and think to themselves that they could do that and it'd be okay. That's all. :)

I have 3 pharmacists in the family, no, you can't return them(even if you just left the store for a sec.)

I think most of us on here know it's illegal, that's why I posted "J/K:D " At the end of my post :)

While pain-meds aren't too bad, I only get them when I need them.

meds
 

You know it depends on where you live...here is FLorida they don't even argue with anyone past 50...they must figure they aren't going to go away until they get what they came for....I have seen anything and everything returned to store...one woman returned an open carton of orange juice, saying she bought it and then decided to drink apple juice...Walmart took it back...of course they tossed it out, but they even took back a head of lettuce.

I was at the pharmacy window and a man said he had half a bottle of blood pressure meds and wanted to return it and apply the credit to his new subscription..the clerk said, NO...so the manage came and let him do it...after he left he said the seniors are on a tight budget and they can't win arguing, in fact they cause such an uproar, it is best to let them have their way...
So one day I was in Target with Kate and the man said I could not take her in...I said.."I am old, leave me alone..and he did..my husband said he will never go with me again...LOL

Hahahaha that's great! I'm definitly going to try that when I get older.

LOL PAT - you hush - you are NOT OLD ! But I agree - seniors should be treated special - they really have it rough and our system is just so bad that I DREAD getting older now -

I'm with ya. It's soo crappy how our seniors (in general) are treated. Exceptions should be made for senior citizens (and not just that stupid 10% senior discount either....what's that, tax?)

Hmm, I guess that some places will do it, but I'm sure they won't put the meds back on the shelf. Guess they just take a loss. :p I guess better that than losing a customer. ;)