1 Year Prescriptions

[mtkayak]

Does anybody here do 1 year prescriptions for Coumadin? My insurance company sent forms to order a years supply. I thought I could save a little money and eliminate monthly trips to the pharmacy. My doctor told me to hold off a while till I get my INR level stablized so I could order the right miligram tablets. Does Coumadin keep well for a year?

 

[catwoman]

Mike:

What have your INRs been ranging lately?

What you might get your doctor to prescribe is warfarin in several strengths. I have 1s, 2s and 10s. I'm pretty steady at 6.5mg, so I can usually halve my tablets to get a 5mg, 1 mg and 0.5 mg, thus giving me 6 months from each refill of all 3 strengths. My doctor writes the Rx saying to "take as directed." He writes them for 1 year and I refill them as needed. Right now, I'm very stocked up. I won't be ordering any more for a long time -- I think I have 18 months' worth on hand.

Many of us have several strengths on hand. There are times when you need to take more or reduce your dosage. Having several strengths allows more flexibility in dosing.

 

[Lynlw]

Mike, I take pain meds and some of my pills can only be written monthly, but a few of my meds i get thru the mail in 3 month supplies, my doc write the script i is good for a year and when I get low i call and they send out 90 more days worth Lyn

 

[Blanche]

How long the Coumadin last must depend on many things, especially how old it is when you get it. The annual option is not open to us. We must purchase a 3 month supply each time. Hubby has 2s, 3s, and 5s. His dose ranges from 5.0 to 7.0, with the mode being 6.5.
Regards,
Blanche

 

[Karlynn]

Just be sure your Dr.'s Rx is written "Take as needed" and does not specify an exact amount like "take one tablet". I ran into problems trying to refill a 9 month prescription because I ran out before the "take one tablet" instructions would have had me run out.

 

[geebee]

My doctor writes my scripts so that I can refill them as needed for a year. My insurance has a $35 copay for 90 days and I can buy all my meds for less than that in 100 pill increments. Therefore I order the quantity I want. I have had coumadin on hand for over a year and have not seen a change in INR. I would not keep any meds for more than 2 years but most tablets have a shelf life of 2 or 3 years and I always assume they have been sitting around for a few months before I get them.

 

[Ross]

As indicated, it depends on how old the pills are when you receive them. Personally, I wouldn't go any more then 6 months ahead and make sure the Doctor writes as needed and not a specific number of pills as a dose.

 

[RandyL]

one year thts nice. only 90 days here

 

[Guest]

Keep them at room temp and out of direct sunlight and they should last for years.

The expiration date on medications is a phony number. The company uses a simulation and then says that they guarantee that they are good until X. It has very little to do with home shelf life. When my boss was in the Army he worked with the FDA in determining actual shelf lives. The army extended many things past what the company said that they would last. I don't believe he ever found anything that was below standard even a year after the "expiration" date.

Putting them in a fridge will cause them to be wet and will destroy them well before a year is up.

 

[mtkayak]

Well, I must have misread the letter. I should read things more closely Medco (my insurance company) offers 3 months supply with refills up to a year. Not a 1 year supply. It's offered through Mail Order which is good because it can be delivered to my door, eliminating monthly trips to the pharmacy. I use the Generic stuff so my copay is $10 for a 30 supply. My annual cost through mail order would be $90.00, saving me $30.00 a year. I guess any savings is good savings. To me it's more of a pain reminding myself to go to the pharmacy once a month since I've never had to take medication for more than 3 months at a time my entire life.

I'm almost 5 months Post Op now. The first 3 months my INR was all whacky. Within the last 2 months it's settle down into my target range of 3.0 to 3.5. My last 2 months have been, 2.7,3.0,2.8,3.2,2.8,3.8, 3.2,3.2. I'm using 5mg. tablets and it seems to be what I need. I do take 7.5mg twice a week. All I do is break the 5mgs. in half. So, that seems to work well for me. I'm thinking maybe now that it's settle within the target range that I can do the 3 months supply with 5mg. tablets. All I need to do is fill out the mail order form, get my doctor to sign it and fax it in.

 

[catwoman]

Mike:

I get mine through Medco, too.
You might get an Rx for 1's -- just in case. Or you can get an Rx filled locally for 30 days of 1's.
My plan is only $20 for 90 tablets of generic warfarin, so that's what I go with. I've had warfarin Rxes filled at Costo here, but the Rxes have expired.

You're dealing with a narrow INR range -- 2.5-3.0.

I aim for 3.0-4.0, and am usually 3.2-3.7.

 

[mtkayak]

Yeah, my surgeon suggested I keep it in the mid to high range of the INR for valvers, (2.5-3.5) hence the 3.0-3.5. Due to the fact that the tricupsid valve has slightly less blood pressure than say the Aortic valve. Therefor it would create a sligtly higher chance of a clot. In reality, he accepts anything in the 2.7-4.0 range. I know those sound like odd numbers but he doesn't adjust my meds unless it get's above or below that.