Sources for prescription medications in advance of SHTF

[Alaskajohn]

You know the deal. The doctor writes you a script for something. He sends the script to your favorite pharmacist, and the pharmacy fills it. You pay your copay and the insurance company pays the rest.

If it is a chronic medicine that you might need for the rest of your life, it doesn't matter. You will typically only get a 90 day supply. Then SHTF happens. You will have a hard time, if not impossible, finding or stockpiling medications that will buy you time and get you through SHTF. A time is coming where people will be in a world of hurt and die horrifically when the supply chain is broken, or when your pharmacy runs out, or when it is burned to the ground by hoards looking for pain medicines after these run out. The typical 90 day limit is part of the insurance racket, but playing their game is optional. This thread is about the other options.

Maybe we come out of SHTF after a couple years, maybe we don't. But a couple years contingency is better than your 90 day supply, or what is left of this 90 day supply when SHTF hits.

What sources do you use to get chronic medicines or antibiotic medicines that you can stash away? Yes, I know that meds have a typical shelf life, need to be stored correctly, etc. This is fair game for discussion too. Meds are potentially lethal or dangerous if not taken correctly. So buyer beware. There are resources for helping with this too. Feel free to chime in here.

Here are two sources where you can pay cash and get prescription medicines in the mail at a reasonable cost:

Jase Medical: Pricing | JASE Medical
Guide: https://www.prepperssurvive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Jase-Medical-Antibiotic-Guide.pdf

For the price of a meal for two in a modest eatery, you can get a full course or each of these:

-Azithromycin (Zithromax, z-pack)
-Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
-Doxycycline
-Amoxicillin/Clavulanate. (Augmentin)
-Metronidazole. (Flagyl)

Alldaychemist: Prescription Medicines From Online Pharmacy | AllDayChemist

My wife needs two simple pills to survive, and for about $200, we can stash away a year's supply as a backup. It is amazing how prices become more reasonable when it is all cash and the insurance game is bypassed.

What other sources have you used to get your medication stash?
How are you storing it?
If you are not a clinician, how do you manage understanding how to use antibiotic (for example) without doing harm?

A day is coming where it will be too late to do anything about medication needs. SHTF will be a come as you are thing.

 

[BBLife]

Got this just this week. Also got the Jase kit.

 

[Caribou]

Most insurance will let you refill your meds sooner than the very last day. Mine will let you refill on day 80. Takes awhile but you can build up almost a month and a half every year, if you pay attention.

I found my parents a Canadian pharmacy that would fill their prescription a year at a time. They saved almost $5,000 per year as well. Sorry, I didn't keep the link.

 

[Cabin Fever]

Depends on what you need the meds for. When the SHTF, many will be eating a very different diet compared to what they eat now. Chances are they will lose weight because of it. When we changed to a plant-based, whole food diet I not only lost weight, but my physician said I was so healthy that I could stop taking all 5, yes FIVE, medications that he previously prescribed for me. Two were for high blood pressure, two for Type 2 diabetes, and one for cholesterol.

 

[Alaskajohn]

deleted

 

[backlash]

Deleted

 

[Pearl]

Depends on what you need the meds for. When the SHTF, many will be eating a very different diet compared to what they eat now. Chances are they will lose weight because of it. When we changed to a plant-based, whole food diet I not only lost weight, but my physician said I was so healthy that I could stop taking all 5, yes FIVE, medications that he previously prescribed for me. Two were for high blood pressure, two for Type 2 diabetes, and one for cholesterol.

There are a lot of people who take prescriptions they don't need, and more who can change their lifestyles and not need prescriptions!

 

[backlash]

There are a lot of people who take prescriptions they don't need, and more who can change their lifestyles and not need prescriptions!

That describes my wife. She takes way to many pills both Rx and OTC.
I'm just the opposite. I take 1 Rx for BP 1 low dose aspirin and a multi vitamin and that's it.
I was taking metformin but my blood sugar level is 100 to 120 so I stopped taking it.
Losing weight has a lot of benefits.

 

[Supervisor42]

Most insurance will let you refill your meds sooner than the very last day. Mine will let you refill on day 80. Takes awhile but you can build up almost a month and a half every year, if you pay attention.

I found my parents a Canadian pharmacy that would fill their prescription a year at a time. They saved almost $5,000 per year as well. Sorry, I didn't keep the link.

You almost cracked my scam for stockpiling (non-narcotic or hazardous) prescription meds.
Con your doctor into prescribing twice the dose you need (by whining).
Tell him that some days you just can't live with one tablet and you have to have 2. (Most people don't realize that a doctor's main job is to keep us happy)
You take 1 per day, a 90 day supply is now 180, when the refill rolls in 90 days, you now have 6-months worth stockpiled in your stash.
Rotate them to keep them from getting old.
Edit: Oh, and the copay for a 90-day supply of 1 per day, is exactly the same as a 90-day supply of 2 per day, of 180. It doesn't cost me a dime more to stockpile.
*Not medical advice.

 

[TeeJ]

I've done the same as @Caribou - refilling prescriptions as quickly as insurance will allow you can build up quite the buffer. We've also used @Supervisor42 's method as well, which you can really amplify by getting healthy and needing less meds, but keeping the same dosage with your doctor. My ex had an med (cromolyn sodium) that was the only thing keeping her alive for a while - 4 doses a day was $1,400/mo until deductible kicked in and then it was free. She started eating healthier and could get by on one a day, but you better bet we kept getting 120 doses/mo as long as insurance was paying for it! That supply lasted a couple of years until she didn't need it anymore.

 

[Amish Heart]

I get Azithromycin and Amoxicillian at our feed store. Just finished some Azithro I took when I was feeling pretty bad last weekend. I get a bottle of one or the other everytime I go in for chicken feed.
I heard that in June of this year, that vets will have to prescribe it for it to be sold, but I am not sure if it's true or not. Still I like having a stash.

 

[Tommyice]

You almost cracked my scam for stockpiling (non-narcotic or hazardous) prescription meds.
Con your doctor into prescribing twice the dose you need (by whining).
Tell him that some days you just can't live with one tablet and you have to have 2. (Most people don't realize that a doctor's main job is to keep us happy)
You take 1 per day, a 90 day supply is now 180, when the refill rolls in 90 days, you now have 6-months worth stockpiled in your stash.
Rotate them to keep them from getting old.
Edit: Oh, and the copay for a 90-day supply of 1 per day, is exactly the same as a 90-day supply of 2 per day, of 180. It doesn't cost me a dime more to stockpile.
*Not medical advice.

That doesn’t always work. One of the most common rejections I get when trying to process a script at work is the insurance company will only pay for once a day dosing because that’s the recommended dosing for the strength. For example, amlodipine (norvasc) 5mg. Your doc gives you a script for 2 tablets daily. Insurance won’t pay because you could take the 10 mg tablet as 1 tablet daily. Of course this scenario you describe is dependent on the medication and it’s available strengths.

if you’re thinking of getting the higher strength and cutting it in half, talk to your pharmacist. Not every med can be cut because of coatings for time-release or other reasons.

 

[Supervisor42]

If you’re thinking of getting the higher strength and cutting it in half, talk to your pharmacist. Not every med can be cut because of coatings for time-release or other reasons.

I cut the Blue Pill in half!
Dr. told me the 100mg were way less expensive than 2- 50mg tablets and to cut one in half, he was right!
These are NOT covered by insurance.

 

[Haertig]

Unfortunately, people that are closely dependent on their meds to stay alive are going to be one of the first ones to go after the SHTF. No matter what you do, you are going to run out of stockpiled meds at some point. Or they may lose potency and become ineffective as they age sitting there in the stockpile. I would think becoming like our resident medicinal plant expert here - @Peanut - would be to your benefit. Maybe he'll chime in to this thread and tell us how he learned all he knows, what reference books he might recommend, etc. Plus, instead of just concentrating on your current meds, it would be a good idea to have a better understanding of other conditions and how to treat them. I have a feeling that some of your current medical conditions may go away once you shed that extra weight you are carrying around. And, you may develop new diseases and conditions that you do not currently have. You needs may change after the SHTF. That large stockpile of high BP meds may not be needed any more, and it won't help you with the scurvy you've recently developed.

 

[Caribou]

Unfortunately, people that are closely dependent on their meds to stay alive are going to be one of the first ones to go after the SHTF. No matter what you do, you are going to run out of stockpiled meds at some point. Or they may lose potency and become ineffective as they age sitting there in the stockpile. I would think becoming like our resident medicinal plant expert here - @Peanut - would be to your benefit. Maybe he'll chime in to this thread and tell us how he learned all he knows, what reference books he might recommend, etc. Plus, instead of just concentrating on your current meds, it would be a good idea to have a better understanding of other conditions and how to treat them. I have a feeling that some of your current medical conditions may go away once you shed that extra weight you are carrying around. And, you may develop new diseases and conditions that you do not currently have. You needs may change after the SHTF. That large stockpile of high BP meds may not be needed any more, and it won't help you with the scurvy you've recently developed.

Pills last years after their expiration date. Powders not as long. Liquids don't last very long after their expiration date. The military did a study, around the time expiration dates came in use. Some drugs were effective for up to 15 years after their expiration date.

 

[Peanut]

Plant medicine was a necessity for me. I have a debilitating illness. Only a few meds were available with bad side effects. By accident, after several years of researching my illness, I found a few natural things that seemed to help me. Slowly but surely I went down the road of natural medicine. Now I make all my meds but one, take it for convenience only.

Learn plants? just like anything else. If you really want to learn a skill or science there is always a way, much of the information is public. Same for plant medicine.

I posted a list of great plant medicine books in the library.

Herbal Medicine Books - Peanut recommends

More than a few were written by people I know personally. Thats why I recommend them. I’ve talked to these folks, even spent days out in the woods learning plants first hand. They are some of the most knowledgeable herbalists in the country.

Given the currant state of our would. I’d highly recommend a book by Sam Coffman. A green beret medic in the 80’s, then became an herbalist. I took his wilderness emergency medicine class, a great guy. In fact he’s the guy who sent me a list of plants the day my dog was snake bit. (snake bite thread in remedies)

Check out his website. He’s now in Taos NM, has a school near austin tx. He teaches a lot of survival skills too, even scouting. He ran a herbal medic disaster relief group, they spent 2 years on the ground in Puerto Rico after the hurricane. His first book detailed how to set up a field hospital… and secure it! Seems he spent time doing that very thing as a medic decades ago. The military taught him ditch medicine and conventional.

https://thehumanpath.net/
SUSTAINABLE MEDICINE, FOOD, AND SKILLS

San Antonio and Austin, Texas based classes in Wilderness Survival Skills, First Aid & First Responder Certifications, Herbalism & Botanical Medicine, Off-grid Engineering, Homesteading, Self-defense, and much more. On the land & Online classes offered

 

[Tommyice]

I cut the Blue Pill in half!
Dr. told me the 100mg were way less expensive than 2- 50mg tablets and to cut one in half, he was right!
These are NOT covered by insurance.

That one is fine to cut in half--it's an immediate release pill. If it doesn't have a score, or it has an enteric coating, or contains ER, XL, SR, or DR in the name, it should not be cut in half.

If you're using a discount card for that Sup, I think Singlecare is cheaper right now than GoodRX.

 

[Tommyice]

Unfortunately, people that are closely dependent on their meds to stay alive are going to be one of the first ones to go after the SHTF. No matter what you do, you are going to run out of stockpiled meds at some point. Or they may lose potency and become ineffective as they age sitting there in the stockpile. I would think becoming like our resident medicinal plant expert here - @Peanut - would be to your benefit. Maybe he'll chime in to this thread and tell us how he learned all he knows, what reference books he might recommend, etc. Plus, instead of just concentrating on your current meds, it would be a good idea to have a better understanding of other conditions and how to treat them. I have a feeling that some of your current medical conditions may go away once you shed that extra weight you are carrying around. And, you may develop new diseases and conditions that you do not currently have. You needs may change after the SHTF. That large stockpile of high BP meds may not be needed any more, and it won't help you with the scurvy you've recently developed.

A good many people are on certain meds because of lifestyle choices. The sad part is they know it and don't want to do anything about it. I have patients that have out right said that to me when they pick up their 7 prescriptions.

Best advice my pharmacist gave me when I started the job..."stay off this poison as long as you can. Do whatever you need to with diet/exercise/lifestyle before you have to go on the meds because of aging or disease."

 

[Tommyice]

Pills last years after their expiration date. Powders not as long. Liquids don't last very long after their expiration date. The military did a study, around the time expiration dates came in use. Some drugs were effective for up to 15 years after their expiration date.

If you plan on keeping antibiotics, look up that list. There are certain ones, usually ending in -cycline (tetracycline, doxycycline) that actually become dangerous if used past expiration.

As with everything, the more you know the safer, stronger you are.

 

[lonewolf]

its impossible to get any sort of stockpile of prescription medicine over here, by putting in a repeat request a week early each time its possible to maybe get a couple of months supply but thats it.

 

[SoJer]

...What other sources have you used to get your medication stash?
How are you storing it?
If you are not a clinician, how do you manage understanding how to use antibiotic (for example) without doing harm?

a) Got our 'Fam-hookup' in El Sal (and only 'need' that, cause we obviously can't 'Cash & Carry' ourselves, being here, now) and a jaunt down to ol' Mehico is also an option. Have 'shopped Online' (mostly in India and.. Russia Long before "the War", don't worry for Eugenol and several Topical-anesthetic / RC-prep / cleaning, etc gels for Dental situs..) not much else, tho.

Personally, I've never felt 'trusting Enough' in the "fish-biotics" to go that route (I Know they're the "Same AI's" (active ingredients) and "Same Production Houses" and all, but.. I question Quality Control / tolerances, etc for those-lines, vs those for known-human consumption.. So, as long as 'USP grade' meds are Available - anywhere - we prefer those. But, I'd take / admin them to Fam if there was No Other alternative, and life / health was at stake..

b) Pelican cases, in a room that's kept dark / 60-68° (depending on outdoor temps) all year round...

(excess IV bags / DIY-supplies, for Moar, are in there also..) The main Family 'EMK' (sort of an 'immediate, but larger-issue FAK') is one of Pelican's 0450 'portable tool chests', w/ drawers, etc, and One of them, we've also got some first-line ABX ready, too..

...segregated in little 'Kits', based on what's being treated, ie: Far-left 'baggie', there, is an allergic-reaction treatment pak, with: Albuterol inhaler / Benadryl (antihistamine) / Topical antihistamine / hydrocortisone / and Epinephrine vial / injection-kit for more serious situs (not seen, underneath, tho..) etc..

c) Past EMS-course study materials / Field guides (avail to anyone, really) the 'PDR's (https://study.com/academy/lesson/physicians-desk-reference-pdr-content-use.html - ..and finally, Cataloging 'what's been Done' to Self /Family members over the years, when Sick (what was 'prescribed, for what', against the context of Symptoms, etc) and Asking the Dr's / past Paramedic-friends, etc for 'how to' / Why / When guidance.

jd

 

[Cascadian]

I have that same pelican case.

 

[Spikedriver]

I can only stock up on my meds so much. They require refrigeration for long term storage, the shelf life isn't that long, and I can refill my 30 day supply after 21 days. Yeah, if there's a true TEOTWAWKI event, I'm hosed. When I run out, I'm dead within 3 days and there's not a damn thing anybody can do about it...

 

[lonewolf]

medicines will be like the petrol and diesel, all 3 will run out in a short time post SHTF, the pharmacies will be trashed by the panicked masses.
all anyone will have is what they have stored at home and when that runs out there is no more.

 

[angie_nrs]

You know the deal. The doctor writes you a script for something. He sends the script to your favorite pharmacist, and the pharmacy fills it. You pay your copay and the insurance company pays the rest.

If it is a chronic medicine that you might need for the rest of your life, it doesn't matter. You will typically only get a 90 day supply. Then SHTF happens. You will have a hard time, if not impossible, finding or stockpiling medications that will buy you time and get you through SHTF. A time is coming where people will be in a world of hurt and die horrifically when the supply chain is broken, or when your pharmacy runs out, or when it is burned to the ground by hoards looking for pain medicines after these run out. The typical 90 day limit is part of the insurance racket, but playing their game is optional. This thread is about the other options.

Maybe we come out of SHTF after a couple years, maybe we don't. But a couple years contingency is better than your 90 day supply, or what is left of this 90 day supply when SHTF hits.

What sources do you use to get chronic medicines or antibiotic medicines that you can stash away? Yes, I know that meds have a typical shelf life, need to be stored correctly, etc. This is fair game for discussion too. Meds are potentially lethal or dangerous if not taken correctly. So buyer beware. There are resources for helping with this too. Feel free to chime in here.

Here are two sources where you can pay cash and get prescription medicines in the mail at a reasonable cost:

Jase Medical: Pricing | JASE Medical
Guide: https://www.prepperssurvive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Jase-Medical-Antibiotic-Guide.pdf

For the price of a meal for two in a modest eatery, you can get a full course or each of these:

-Azithromycin (Zithromax, z-pack)
-Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
-Doxycycline
-Amoxicillin/Clavulanate. (Augmentin)
-Metronidazole. (Flagyl)

Alldaychemist: Prescription Medicines From Online Pharmacy | AllDayChemist

My wife needs two simple pills to survive, and for about $200, we can stash away a year's supply as a backup. It is amazing how prices become more reasonable when it is all cash and the insurance game is bypassed.

What other sources have you used to get your medication stash?
How are you storing it?
If you are not a clinician, how do you manage understanding how to use antibiotic (for example) without doing harm?

A day is coming where it will be too late to do anything about medication needs. SHTF will be a come as you are thing.

Thanks for posting that guide. I printed it out and put it in the Abx drawer for quick reference. I have a PDR that I could refer to, but this is a good supplement for a quick peek. But WOW! Those are some pretty heafty prices for Abx.

I used some of my stash last week for my dog who had UTI symptoms. I treated the dog and noticed a diference in demeanor and symptoms within a day. I just saved a ton of $$$ by not having to go to the vet. I had to search for the information online for proper dosage so I wish there was a quick guide for Abx treatment for dogs too. I just ordered a vet book that will hopefully have the information in it that I am looking for.

 

[shanrose]

Plant medicine was a necessity for me. I have a debilitating illness. Only a few meds were available with bad side effects. By accident, after several years of researching my illness, I found a few natural things that seemed to help me. Slowly but surely I went down the road of natural medicine. Now I make all my meds but one, take it for convenience only.

Learn plants? just like anything else. If you really want to learn a skill or science there is always a way, much of the information is public. Same for plant medicine.

I posted a list of great plant medicine books in the library.

Herbal Medicine Books - Peanut recommends

More than a few were written by people I know personally. Thats why I recommend them. I’ve talked to these folks, even spent days out in the woods learning plants first hand. They are some of the most knowledgeable herbalists in the country.

Given the currant state of our would. I’d highly recommend a book by Sam Coffman. A green beret medic in the 80’s, then became an herbalist. I took his wilderness emergency medicine class, a great guy. In fact he’s the guy who sent me a list of plants the day my dog was snake bit. (snake bite thread in remedies)

Check out his website. He’s now in Taos NM, has a school near austin tx. He teaches a lot of survival skills too, even scouting. He ran a herbal medic disaster relief group, they spent 2 years on the ground in Puerto Rico after the hurricane. His first book detailed how to set up a field hospital… and secure it! Seems he spent time doing that very thing as a medic decades ago. The military taught him ditch medicine and conventional.

https://thehumanpath.net/
SUSTAINABLE MEDICINE, FOOD, AND SKILLS

San Antonio and Austin, Texas based classes in Wilderness Survival Skills, First Aid & First Responder Certifications, Herbalism & Botanical Medicine, Off-grid Engineering, Homesteading, Self-defense, and much more. On the land & Online classes offered


View attachment 104666

I studied nutrition for years but still have been unable to find a plant that treats pain. Do you know of anything? That's my fear.

 

[Amish Heart]

I don't know, either, but how about a shot of whiskey?

 

[shanrose]

I don't know, either, but how about a shot of whiskey?

You know that's a good idea. I'm going to stockpile some wine - I don't like whiskey.

 

[Peanut]

I studied nutrition for years but still have been unable to find a plant that treats pain. Do you know of anything? That's my fear.

Several, but most are for specific kinds of pain. For instance, you might take a tylenol for a dozen different kinds of pain. Pain plants usually aren't that broad in scope. Search for specific pain... for instance, lavender beebalm is great for exhaustion headaches, at the back of the head and neck. Scarlet beebalm is great for headaches at the front of the head... sinus headaches or the pounding temple headache. Is you pain in joints? inflamed nerves? tendons or muscle? Search using the exact name for your pain, not general terms.

And... the most powerful ones are also very dangerous with varying degrees of toxicity. Toxicity to the point of deadly. I'm not even going to name them in a public forum.

Best advice, find a good herbalist in your neighborhood to work with. Also, fresh plant work best for me, AND in my experience herbs that grow in my local environment are more effective that plants that don't.

 

[shanrose]

Several, but most are for specific kinds of pain. For instance, you might take a tylenol for a dozen different kinds of pain. Pain plants usually aren't that broad in scope. Search for specific pain... for instance, lavender beebalm is great for exhaustion headaches, at the back of the head and neck. Scarlet beebalm is great for headaches at the front of the head... sinus headaches or the pounding temple headache. Is you pain in joints? inflamed nerves? tendons or muscle? Search using the exact name for your pain, not general terms.

And... the most powerful ones are also very dangerous with varying degrees of toxicity. Toxicity to the point of deadly. I'm not even going to name them in a public forum.

Best advice, find a good herbalist in your neighborhood to work with. Also, fresh plant work best for me, AND in my experience herbs that grow in my local environment are more effective that plants that don't.

Mine is severe nerve pain from an injury. I tried kratom, MSM, bentofiamine, B12, inosine...the whole gamut. I'm not as bad as I once was but I'm still dealing with a lot. I was seeing a pain specialist but they own you so I stopped going but I have to do something. Some days I get angry at God! I'm still looking for what I can do.