Can someone else fill my prescription?

Yes, in most cases, somebody else can fill your prescription. They will just need some personal knowledge of you, such as your name, address, or birth date. Before going into the pharmacy, it may save time to phone the pharmacy and check their policy. Some pharmacies may require you to contact them ahead of time to let them know someone else will be collecting your script on your behalf, especially if there is no authorization on your account for them to collect scripts on your behalf.

Can someone else pick up my controlled substance prescription?

Picking up a controlled substance prescription on behalf of someone else may be a little trickier, but with a valid ID and knowledge of some of the person’s personal details, it shouldn’t be a problem.

The pharmacy may have a policy that they ring the person whose script you are collecting to verify that they know you are collecting their controlled substance script on their behalf. It also helps if you collect your scripts regularly from the same pharmacy and you are in their system as a customer and have an account with them. At the time of setting up an account you can choose to have the pharmacy allow certain people or only you to pick up prescriptions. They will ID anyone attempting to pick up your prescriptions and if it's not you or an allowed person, they won't give it out.

There are many circumstances that would require somebody else to pick up a controlled drug prescription that is not their own, such as for a person with cancer, severe disabilities, or without transport. Phone the pharmacy ahead of time to let them know you are coming and ask what documentation you need.

Can someone else pick up my prescription at Walmart?

Yes, someone else can fill your prescription at Walmart. They just need your name, address, and date of birth to walk out with your drug.

Can someone else pick up my prescription at Walgreens?

Yes, someone else can fill your prescription at Walgreens. You can load your prescription online then share your digital pass with a friend or family member so that they can pick up your medication on your behalf.

Can someone else pick up my prescription at CVS?

Yes someone else can fill your prescription at CVS, they will just need the name and birthdate of the person who the prescription is for and usually some knowledge of their insurance cover. If there is more than one person in their system with the same name, they may also ask for a phone number or address as well.

If you are picking up a script for narcotics on behalf of someone else at a CVS pharmacy, you will need a valid ID that can be verified and it may be up to the pharmacists discretion about whether or not to give the prescription out. Have the person whose script you are picking up call the pharmacy ahead of time and let them know that you are collecting it on their behalf.

Can someone else pick up my prescription at Kaiser?

You can use “Act for a family member” to order prescription refills online through the Kaiser Pharmacy Center. You can also order refills if you are not signed into “Act for a Family Member” if you have your family member's medical record and prescription numbers.

What about the laws in different states?

25 states have laws that either mandate or allow pharmacists to request ID before dispensing prescription drugs. Oregon is the sole state with one identification law that is entirely discretionary.

Five states have mandatory and discretionary ID requirements that apply in different situations or to different controlled substances. These laws grant pharmacists at least some discretion in requesting ID from patients. Mandatory ID laws may specify the circumstances under which ID is required, specific drugs that require ID, the type of ID required, and whether the pharmacist needs to record the ID.

Most of the mandatory identification laws require a dispensing pharmacist to ask for identification if the person picking up the prescription is unknown to him or her and the script is for a controlled substance.

• The laws in California state, “No prescription for a controlled substance transmitted by means of an oral or electronically transmitted order shall be furnished to any person unknown and unable to properly establish his or her identity.”
• Delaware has a mandatory identification law that is the only one that applies universally, stating that “The pharmacist and/or an employee under his/her direct supervision must verify the identification of the receiver of the controlled substance prescription by reference to valid photographic identification,”
• Florida law requires dispensers to demand identification if certain identified factors would lead them to question whether a prescription was issued for a legitimate medical purpose
• Georgia law requires pharmacists to demand, inspect, and document a government-issued or similar identification from individuals picking up prescriptions for Schedule-II controlled substances only.
• Idaho law reverses the standard, making an exception to the identification requirement “if the individual receiving the controlled substance is personally and positively known by a pharmacist.” It also states that “identification is presumed and presentation of identification is not required if [the pharmacist is] dispensing directly to the patient and if . . . the controlled substance will be paid for, in whole or in part, by an insurer.”
• Illinois statute requires individuals to identify themselves with two forms of identification before pharmacists may dispense Schedule-V controlled substances.
• Maine law requires pharmacists to request identification when the prescription is from an “out-of-state practitioner” for a Schedule II controlled substance that is not written on a tamper-resistant prescription pad, and “may be filled by a pharmacist only if . . . [t]he pharmacist demands, inspects and records a valid photographic identification from any person presenting [the] prescription or receiving [the] filled prescription.”
• Minnesota, Nevada, and Idaho have laws requiring a dispenser to ask for identification if the prescription is not covered at least in part by a health plan. The Minnesota law specifies that the identification requirement “applies only to purchases of controlled substances that are not covered, in whole or in part, by a health plan company or other third-party payor.”
• Nevada law provides the reverse language, stating that identification is not required when “the prescription is paid for, in whole or in part, by an insurer.”
• New Mexico regulation requires dispensers to verify identification of individuals receiving new prescriptions for prescriptions for controlled substances in Schedules II through IV.
• North Dakota regulation states, “Pharmacists, pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians, and clerical personnel are required to obtain positive identification if they are unsure of the identity of the person picking up a prescription for any controlled substance.”
• Oklahoma regulation requires identification when the pharmacist is “unsure” of the identity of the person picking up the prescription.