Moxie Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 So, I gave the kids the liquid Tamiflu last night. One of them woke up with a terrible rash. I have 3 boxes of unopened EXPENSIVE Tamiflu pills that I have no intention of giving to the other kids. Think I can return them to CVS?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 if they're not prescription, you can try. maybe call them first to save you some time if they don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 Called CVS and they will take them back! Woo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 You are lucky! One of my daughters picked up a prescription at a Target once, not having any idea how the co-pay worked or the brand name vs. generic. She charged almost $300 for a brand name med, as our insurance didn't cover it. I immediately got in the car to return it and they said it was absolutely against their policy to take it back. It was unopened; I hadn't even taken it out of the bag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 You are lucky! One of my daughters picked up a prescription at a Target once, not having any idea how the co-pay worked or the brand name vs. generic. She charged almost $300 for a brand name med, as our insurance didn't cover it. I immediately got in the car to return it and they said it was absolutely against their policy to take it back. It was unopened; I hadn't even taken it out of the bag! the policy is different for prescriptions. They won't take those back. My dad tried to take back my mom's unopened presc. after she died and couldn't do it. He even tried to donate them to a local health clinic (they were expensive anti-rejection meds) but they couldn't do it. It was such a waste as my mom probably had a couple of months worth of medication stored up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 the policy is different for prescriptions. They won't take those back. My dad tried to take back my mom's unopened presc. after she died and couldn't do it. He even tried to donate them to a local health clinic (they were expensive anti-rejection meds) but they couldn't do it. It was such a waste as my mom probably had a couple of months worth of medication stored up. The OP has Tamiflu. Isn't that prescription? I'm surprised they will take it back too. Good for her! We had plenty of prescriptions from my mother where the doctor changed the dosage and she had just received a 3-month supply. No one would take it back. No one would dispose of it. We probably had a whole cabinet of such prescriptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 These are pre-packaged in sealed boxes and she asked several times if the boxes were opened. Maybe that makes a difference? I certainly would not want them taking back regular bottles of pills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Unless something has changed since we had the flu last, Tamiflu is a prescription. Our CVS will take back unopened prescription medications. If a person has a medication mixed/compounded (like liquid antibiotic for kids), that would be a different story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Did you take it yourself and are you doing okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 No. I just gave the liquid doses to the little kids. The rest of us are on pills that we were going to start today. One of the littles woke up with a terrible rash so we're not taking anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Most pharmacies will not take back any prescription medication once it has left the pharmacy counter. There are laws regarding this and that is why they are so strict. If it is the pharmacies fault that the person got the wrong med, then they obviously will take them med back but they will throw it away and the pharmacy will eat the cost of the mistake. Depending on the circumstances, if it is an inexpensive medication (wholesale price under $5), we allow returns just for customer service, but we throw them away. The law dose allow some grace on factory sealed packages. Since Tamiflu is in its own box, factory sealed and you just bought it, they are within the law to allow you to bring it back. If they were loose pills, or if you had had them for a while, they would not have taken them back. Once a medication leaves the pharmacy they have no way to know if the medication was stored properly or not. Medications are supposed to be stored within certain temperature and humidity ranges and once it leaves the pharmacy, storage conditions fluctuate. Even if it is in a factory sealed package, it is still up the pharmacist to make the call. They are allowed to decline the return of any medication they choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 are they commercially sealed with a tamper resistant seal? possibly, call the pharmacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 No. I just gave the liquid doses to the little kids. The rest of us are on pills that we were going to start today. One of the littles woke up with a terrible rash so we're not taking anymore. Just an FYI, my 5 yo had the flu. One of his symptoms was a rash/hives. So it might not have been the Tamiflu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Most pharmacies will not take back any prescription medication once it has left the pharmacy counter. There are laws regarding this and that is why they are so strict. If it is the pharmacies fault that the person got the wrong med, then they obviously will take them med back but they will throw it away and the pharmacy will eat the cost of the mistake. Depending on the circumstances, if it is an inexpensive medication (wholesale price under $5), we allow returns just for customer service, but we throw them away. The law dose allow some grace on factory sealed packages. Since Tamiflu is in its own box, factory sealed and you just bought it, they are within the law to allow you to bring it back. If they were loose pills, or if you had had them for a while, they would not have taken them back. Once a medication leaves the pharmacy they have no way to know if the medication was stored properly or not. Medications are supposed to be stored within certain temperature and humidity ranges and once it leaves the pharmacy, storage conditions fluctuate. Even if it is in a factory sealed package, it is still up the pharmacist to make the call. They are allowed to decline the return of any medication they choose. That's what the pharmacy did with my mother even though we tried to return meds the next day or next week without ever opening them. She had several meds where she got a three month supply so she got the factory sealed bottles. However, the doctor would change his mind on dosage sometimes because a test came back, but we couldn't return the meds. OP, are you feeling better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 I was never sick, it was just the baby. She just destroyed an ornament on the tree so I'd say she's on her way to her usual self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 That's what the pharmacy did with my mother even though we tried to return meds the next day or next week without ever opening them. She had several meds where she got a three month supply so she got the factory sealed bottles. However, the doctor would change his mind on dosage sometimes because a test came back, but we couldn't return the meds. OP, are you feeling better? (I work in pharmacy) I try to discourage people getting 3 month supplies of any medication if they are just starting on it for the first time. This is exactly why. It is also impossible to figure out if someone is going to react well with the med so they have to stop taking it, and sometimes the dose needs adjusted. I'm sorry that happened to your mom, it is expensive to dump all those meds down the drain. In the future, if you have this happen again, I know some medical providers who work with Doctors Without Borders or other similar programs will accept medication donations for use outside the USA. I don't know if it is legal or not, but I know some will. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Nope. By law, once a prescription med has left the pharmacy/practice/etc, it is absolutely illegal for the pharmacy to re-dispense it. They can't resell it, so they won't take the return. Think about it . . . Would YOU want a prescription med that had left the confines of the prescriber/pharmacy to God-knows-where, exposed to Lord-knows-what temperatures, humidity, adulteration . . . Of course you wouldn't want it. Thus, it is illegal to resell/redispense any such med. In fact, it is illegal (for the doctor or pharmacy) to even GIVE away such meds. We own a vet hospital and often have clients wanting to return or donate meds after their pet has died. We generally are able to explain to clients that we can't reuse the meds, but we are happy to safely dispose of them for the client as a courtesy, and we then just dispose of them according to best practices for drug disposal. However, if the client is too confused or upset (i.e., is grieving or has dementia, etc.), then we sometimes accept the donations, but we then just discard the meds. Sometimes a vet will even refund the client the cost of the med, but that is purely charity and done to preserve goodwill, as we have to dispose of the meds no matter what. My advice would be to hold on to the Tamiflu and save it for "next time". If you don't want to do that, offer it to your vet. Tamiflu is used for parvo treatment, and it is very expensive . . . Sometimes, a vet hospital that runs a charity/adoption program will take in a puppy with parvo for treatment/adoption that would have otherwise been euthanized due to cost. Since the vet now owns the puppy, the vet has more leeway in using potentially adulterated meds (i.e., returned Tamiflu) with those owned pets, since there is no owner that could sue/complain/etc the doctor (and thus put his license in jeopardy). So, if you are going to throw it out, drop it by your vet instead . . . But, really, if I were you, I'd hold on to it. It should have a long shelf life, and it will likely come in handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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