Florida enables prescription med refill exemptions as Milton bears down on Gulf Coast

Floridians needing medication can get those prescriptions refilled early as the state prepares for the onset of Hurricane Milton, which is expected to slam the Gulf Coast Wednesday into Thursday.

The Department of Health (DOH) is advising that residents in any of the counties under a state of emergency declared by Gov. Ron DeSantis can acquire early refills or new orders of prescriptions before Milton makes landfall. It’s the same advisory posted about two weeks ago ahead of Hurricane Helene, which hit the Big Bend area Sept. 26.

“The Florida Department of Health is working with emergency managers statewide to prepare for any impacts to communities and reminds Floridians to have enough of their prescriptions on hand in the event pharmacies are temporarily unavailable. Under a state of emergency, Floridians are permitted to receive early prescription refills,” a DOH news release said.

Controlled substances qualify for early refills, as long as that drug is not considered a Schedule II drug under the Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act.

The Florida counties included in the declaration of state of emergency are: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Volusia counties.

The prescription measure also requires insurance companies to honor the special exemption for prescription medication.

“All health insurers, managed care organizations, and other entities that are licensed by the Office of Insurance Regulation and provide prescription medication coverage as part of a policy or contract shall waive time restrictions on prescription medication refills, which include suspension of electronic ‘refill too soon’ edits to pharmacies, to enable insureds or subscribers to refill prescriptions in advance, if there are authorized refills remaining, and shall authorize payment to pharmacies for at least a 30-day supply of any prescription medication,” the state order said.

There are some limitations to the special exemption for prescription orders during a state of emergency, though. The person seeking the prescription medication refill must reside in a county that is under a hurricane warning issued by the National Weather Service. The county must be declared to be under a state of emergency in an executive order issued by the Governor. And the county of the person with a prescription must have activated its emergency operations center and its emergency management plan.

The prescription medication refill also must requested within 30 days after the origination date of the conditions stated or until such conditions are terminated by the issuing authority or no longer exist. The time period for the waiver of prescription medication refills may be extended in 15- or 30-day increments by emergency orders issued by the Office of Insurance Regulation.