Dr Diaz added that you can get repeat prescriptions. But she also asked the pharmacists to use discretion.
Dr Melissa Diaz, Director of Health and Wellness, MOHW
"Prescription medication, including contraceptives and chronic disease medicines can be accessed at any pharmacy countrywide using a refill or a repeat prescription. This has been happening for years. Many women collect three, six or even 12 monthly prescriptions regularly. So I want to really highlight this because there has been a misconception that a woman will have to go monthly to their doctor to get a prescription for their medication. Doctors have always done repeat prescriptions. You can do repeat refills. There are many different ways that you and your doctor could discuss with regards to you getting your prescription."
"I said from the beginning that we needed to do a more robust public health information campaign. I would like to ask the pharmacist out there to utilize judgment. When a patient comes to you for a repeat prescription, you know your patient. You have seen your patient for months. You've been giving them prescription. Go ahead and dispense the prescription for your patient, because we want people to continue taking their medication, and we want people to have access, but we also want that the pharmacist educate informs the patient of the importance of going back to a doctor, and the pharmacist should also be keeping files on their patients. The responsibility is for all of us."
