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Pharmacy

The goal of our pharmacy staff is to provide caring and efficient services to you, our member. We are guided by certain policies, procedures, and laws, which benefit and protect all patients.

Our pharmacists are always available to answer your questions about medications. The information below will help you use the pharmacy more effectively.

Choosing a Pharmacy

Pharmacies are located within all Kaiser Permanente hospitals and medical centers. If your Health Plan benefits include a prepaid prescription drug plan, you must use a Kaiser pharmacy to obtain drug plan prices. For your prepaid prescription drug benefits, the prescription must be written by a Kaiser Plan Provider or a doctor to whom you have an authorized referral. Prescriptions from dentists for formulary medication will be charged at your co-pay.

Filling a New Prescription

Fill new prescriptions right away. It is a good idea to drop off your prescription before visiting the laboratory, radiology, or other departments in the facility.

  • Remember to bring your Health Plan card.
  • If you need to have insurance or Medi-Cal forms filled out, please tell us when you drop off your prescription.
  • If you do not want childproof caps, you can request easy-open caps at the drop-off counter.

The clerk will give you a claim check with a number that will be lit on the "prescription ready board" when your medication is ready. To pick up your order, give your claim check to the clerk.

Transferring Prescriptions

If you have a prescription from another pharmacy, you may have it refilled at Kaiser as long as it has refills. This is a prescription transfer. To transfer a prescription to Kaiser, contact the pharmacy where you want to have your prescription filled. Provide the pharmacy with the prescription number from your container and the Pharmacy phone number, or fill in this transferring prescriptions form.

Understanding Your Prescription

Read your prescription label and make sure you understand the information before leaving the pharmacy. If you have any questions, please speak with a pharmacist.

All prescriptions not picked up within 7 days from the day they were ordered will be returned to stock.

Photo ID Requirement

Your Kaiser Permanente Health Plan card is required for Pharmacy services. In addition, a secondary photo identification may be required when you pick up your prescription.

Will Calls

Will calls are prescriptions phoned in or sent to our pharmacies by your doctor. If your doctor requests an emergency prescription, it may be ready the same day. Non-emergency prescriptions will usually be ready the next day.

Medication Counseling

Our pharmacists provide medication counseling to patients when new medications are prescribed, when changes are made on existing prescriptions, or any other time as the need arises. The pharmacist is also available to review medications and answer questions.

Over-The-Counter Drugs

Our pharmacies carry a number of commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) products at special low prices for Kaiser members. Convenient self-care kits for allergy, colds, and heartburn are also available.

Pharmacy Computer System

Kaiser pharmacies throughout the Northern California region are linked by a computer system. This enables us to process prescriptions more efficiently, keep more accurate prescription records, and help spot possible drug interactions or other problems that can arise when multiple medications are prescribed. Your doctor can also check your prescription record through our pharmacy computer system.

The linking of all our pharmacies by computer also makes it easier for you to use any Kaiser pharmacy in the Northern California region when you need to refill a prescription. Please remember that your prescription record will be more complete if you use a Kaiser pharmacy for your prescription needs rather than switching between Kaiser and non-Kaiser Pharmacies.

Generic Drugs

Drug products that contain the same medication but are manufactured by different companies are known as generics. Generic drugs – which may look, taste, or be packaged differently, and may have different brand names – can be substituted for one another.

The generics used by our pharmacies have been approved by our Drug Evaluation Department to ensure they are of maximum quality. The generics must also meet the standards for quality, safety, and effectiveness of the Federal Food and Drug Administration.

If your prescription has been filled with a generic, it will be noted on your prescription label.

Formulary

The formulary is a list of preferred drugs. These drugs have been carefully selected by our physicians, pharmacists, and other experts on the basis of safety, effectiveness, quality, and, where possible, cost. Our formulary contains a comprehensive list of drugs, which should meet the needs of most patients. We believe the formulary will enable us to provide high quality drug products while keeping costs down so that our program remains affordable.

Your prescription drug benefit plans cover only those drugs on our formulary. If you are taking a drug that is not on our formulary, we will work with you to find the right alternative.

Refilling a Prescription

Plan ahead when you need refills. If you have to take a medication continuously, remember to order your refill a few days before your supply runs out.
The total amount of medication refills remaining on your prescription is listed at the bottom of your prescription label.

Please note the following special conditions:

  • If 2 or more years have passed since you originally filled this prescription, we cannot refill it without getting your doctor's approval.
  • Prescriptions for certain pain medications, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or similar drugs cannot be refilled after 6 months (or 120 days supply) without the approval of your doctor. If you must take one of these medications continuously, please plan to contact your doctor before the prescription goes out of date

If you have questions about the expiration of your prescriptions, please speak to your pharmacist.

Order Refills by Phone

The easiest way to obtain a refill is to call EasyFill, our 24 hour refill recorder. The EasyFill number is listed on your prescription label and on the cover of this guide. When you call, have your Health Plan card and medicine containers ready so that you can provide the information requested.

EasyFill allows you to order refills for both refillable and non-refillable prescriptions.

  • If your prescription is refillable (that is if your doctor has approved refills), your medication should be ready for pickup 48 hours after you call. If your medication is a "special order" item, allow at least 5 days.
  • If your prescription is non-refillable (a "0" is usually noted on your prescription label), we must contact your doctor for a renewal. Please call EasyFill at least 5 days before your medication runs out.
    If your doctor approves a refill, your medication should be ready for pickup within 3 to 4 days of your call (on average). If the refill request is denied, your doctor's office will contact you.

Easy Steps To EasyFill

  • Call the EasyFill telephone number.
  • Press 1 - to order a refill or zero refill.
  • Enter your medical record number, then press the "pound" (#) key.
  • Press 1 - to confirm your medical record number.
  • Enter your prescription number, then press the "pound" (#) key.
  • Press 1 - to confirm the prescription number.
  • Then choose from the following:
    • • Order another prescription for the same person – Press 1
    • Order refill for different person – Press 2
    • To Pick Up Prescription – Press 3
    • To Mail Prescription – Press 4

    You will be told when your prescription will be ready at the end of the call.

Order Refills On-line

Now you can order your prescription refills on the Internet. Log on to our members-only web site and:
  • Order prescriptions refills anytime, in the comfort of your own home or workplace,
  • Have your medications mailed to you or pick them up at any Kaiser Permanente pharmacy,
  • Check on the status of each refill,
  • Research information on medications and other health topics.

    • To Log on to our website:

    • Visit www.kaiserpermanente.org
    • Click on 'A Member of Kaiser Permanente'
    • Click the 'Appointments/Rx Refills' button at the top of the page.
    • Then click on the 'Refill Prescriptions' link.

    Here you can enter your User ID and Password and provide the information required. If you do not have a User Id and Password, use the 'Register now'.

Free Mail Prescription Service

We will mail most prescriptions to your home on request at no additional charge. You must pay for the prescriptions in advance with Visa or MasterCard or American Express or mail us a check for the exact amount. Please allow extra time for mail service, up to 7 business days.

To take advantage of this service, Call Toll Free (888) 218-6245.

Order Prescriptions Using the Blue Rx Boxes Located at each Pharmacy.

  • Each pharmacy has a Blue Rx box that will accommodate new and refill prescription request.
  • Please indicate if you will pickup the prescription or wish to have it mailed.
  • Please provide credit card information for prescriptions being mailed
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