The Los Angeles fires have forced thousands to evacuate indefinitely from their homes, often without necessary medications or medical devices. Here’s what to do if you find yourself without access to the things you need to stay on top of chronic conditions.
This article is provided free of charge to help keep our community safe and supported during these devastating fires.
Go directly to the pharmacy
If the fire has closed your doctor’s office, or if wait times will keep you from getting your medicine when you need it, you can go directly to a pharmacy to replace needed medications, said Dr. Richard Dang, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
“We definitely don’t want patients to wait days without medication, and physicians are probably slammed as well with the requests that are coming in on top of their regular patient load,” he said.
If you typically get prescriptions from a chain pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens and your usual branch is closed or otherwise inaccessible due to the fires, you can request a refill from any other pharmacy in that chain.
If you’ve evacuated to an area without a branch of your usual pharmacy nearby, you can go to any nearby pharmacy and request to have your prescriptions transferred to that location. If, for example, you typically get prescriptions from Rite Aid but have evacuated to an area with only a Walgreens nearby, you can go to Walgreens and ask to have your prescription transferred there.
If neither your pharmacy nor your physician is reachable because of the disaster, California law allows pharmacists to dispense a “reasonable amount” of medication without a prescription at their discretion to see patients through until they can get a regular supply.
Don’t worry about what’s in-network for now
The California Department of Managed Health Care on Jan. 9 ordered all insurance providers licensed to operate in the state to suspend prescription refill limits for members affected by the fires who need to replace necessary medications.
The order also allows consumers to fill existing prescriptions or obtain new ones at out-of-network pharmacies without any additional costs beyond what they would have paid at in-network outlets.
“There are so many barriers to getting meds. Patients don’t need any more right now, given the situation,” said Dr. Rita Shane, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
If you are having trouble contacting or getting the services you need from your health insurer, you can contact the DMHC Help Center at www.DMHC.ca.gov or 888-466-2219 (TDD: 1-877-688-9891) for free assistance.
Call your insurance provider to replace devices and equipment
The state order also mandates that insurance companies replace medical equipment or supplies for people who have lost or can’t access theirs because of the fires.
Call your healthcare plan provider to figure out the best way to replace any necessary equipment. Every healthcare plan is required to have a toll-free number prominently displayed on its website to assist fire disaster victims.
Organizations can help
If you’re not sure where to start or don’t typically have health insurance, you can dial 211 or visit 211LA.org for community organizations that can help with emergency medication access and other services in a disaster.
Don’t wait
The fires have upended thousands of lives in Los Angeles County. While there are a dizzying number of things to take care of in the wake of an evacuation, your health should be a priority, Shane said.
“The most important thing is to tell people to get their refills sooner rather than later,” she said.
Insurers, pharmacies and doctors offices will likely be dealing with high caseloads and may have longer wait times than usual. Sorting out prescriptions and device replacement without the documents you’d typically have on hand may take longer.
“The last thing we want is for people to end up in the emergency departments,” Shane said. “They could be in a situation of having to wait for a long time, and we wouldn’t want people to miss doses of medications that are really important for their well-being.”