Hormonal Contraception: The Pill [General Discussion]

I’m taking Logest pills, and during the first or second week, I had to take antibiotics for four days. I also used condoms throughout this month. After a break, I’m starting a new pack tomorrow, and I want to know if I still need to use extra protection or not?

crimsonrider said:I’m taking Logest pills, and during the first or second week, I had to take antibiotics for four days. I also used condoms throughout this month. After a break, I’m starting a new pack tomorrow, and I want to know if I still need to use extra protection or not?

You don't have to. You really just needed to cover those seven days following the last dose of antibiotics.

Nathan Baker said:You don't have to. You really just needed to cover those seven days following the last dose of antibiotics.

Thanks! 👋

Before, I used to get this little slip of paper every month just to pick up my pills. What’s the drill now? Like, am I supposed to call them every single month or what..?

You receive a prescription that’s valid for either six or twelve months, allowing you to elevate them accordingly.

didn't even get a physical prescription, she just posted it online somewhere..

Brandon Lopez6 said:didn't even get a physical prescription, she just posted it online somewhere..

That’s just how things work now with all medications. I'm not sure if yours is a refillable script or not, but honestly, you shouldn't have to call your OB-GYN every single month just to get what you need.

I know that’s how it goes, but it feels kinda weird doing it that way for meds you’re on for months at a time. Anyway, I guess I'll just call and ask.

Oh boy, looks like the standard recipes are officially gone. Guess you’ll have to call ahead and double-check everything now. I won't even be heading out for my recipe until 11:00, so I haven't had a chance to see how this new system actually works yet.

Laura Mendoza said:Oh boy, looks like the standard recipes are officially gone. Guess you’ll have to call ahead and double-check everything now. I won't even be heading out for my recipe until 11:00, so I haven't had a chance to see how this new system actually works yet.

It’s actually quite straightforward once you get past the confusion—prescriptions are sent electronically now. When you visit your primary care physician, they upload the order to a central database that’s accessible by every pharmacy across the United States. You just show up at any local drugstore with your insurance card and your supplemental coverage info, if you have it, pick up your medication, and they'll hand you a printout. That slip tells you exactly when you're eligible for your next refill. From there, you can go to any pharmacy you like. You can keep doing that for a year, or however long your doctor specifies in the system, and you'll be able to see exactly how many refills you have left right there on that little slip of paper.🙂

Nathan Baker said:It’s actually quite straightforward once you get past the confusion—prescriptions are sent electronically now. When you visit your primary care physician, they upload the order to a central database that’s accessible by every pharmacy across the United States. You just show up at any local drugstore with your insurance card and your supplemental coverage info, if you have it, pick up your medication, and they'll hand you a printout. That slip tells you exactly when you're eligible for your next refill. From there, you can go to any pharmacy you like. You can keep doing that for a year, or however long your doctor specifies in the system, and you'll be able to see exactly how many refills you have left right there on that little slip of paper.🙂

So, how exactly would this work for private OB-GYNs?
So, I was at the pharmacy today and they told me my gynecologist can’t write a prescription for a full year of birth control anymore—only for six months at a time. Honestly, I'm a little confused here... since when does the pharmacist get to decide the duration of a doctor's prescription? It feels like the roles are totally flipped. 🤔

Thomas Collins60 said:So, how exactly would this work for private OB-GYNs?
So, I was at the pharmacy today and they told me my gynecologist can’t write a prescription for a full year of birth control anymore—only for six months at a time. Honestly, I'm a little confused here... since when does the pharmacist get to decide the duration of a doctor's prescription? It feels like the roles are totally flipped. 🤔

It’s not really up to the pharmacy whether they fulfill it or not—private or public, it doesn't matter at that point; they just receive the prescription and see exactly what the coverage allows for. It could be that six months is the absolute limit, though I couldn't say for certain since my gynecologist hasn't needed to write me anything for long-term use; I was only taking Utrogestan occasionally, so it wasn't something requiring a recurring prescription. I suppose I’m only speaking from my own rather unfortunate experience with other doctors and medications that I end up taking quite frequently. It feels somewhat strange to me that a different system would even apply when dealing with a gynecologist. 🤷

Nathan Baker said:It’s actually quite straightforward once you get past the confusion—prescriptions are sent electronically now. When you visit your primary care physician, they upload the order to a central database that’s accessible by every pharmacy across the United States. You just show up at any local drugstore with your insurance card and your supplemental coverage info, if you have it, pick up your medication, and they'll hand you a printout. That slip tells you exactly when you're eligible for your next refill. From there, you can go to any pharmacy you like. You can keep doing that for a year, or however long your doctor specifies in the system, and you'll be able to see exactly how many refills you have left right there on that little slip of paper.🙂

You're welcome. I thought it worked that way too, but since they implemented this new system, I haven't actually used any therapy. My prescription for those pills is still from last year, so I wasn't entirely sure how the process functions now. I also see a private gynecologist, just like Lilit, and I'm convinced it has absolutely nothing to do with how prescriptions are handled.

A year or two ago, the same thing happened where they switched the Triquilar prescription from annual to every six months. It’s totally possible they aren't even allowed to give out the yearly ones anymore!🤷

It seems like you used to be able to get prescriptions for pills without needing a fresh one every single season—but now, thanks to some new law or regulation, they’ve changed everything so they can only last for a maximum of six months at most.🤷

Maybe those were just old-school suggestions people stuck to... but now that all the recipes are on our computers, I guess we’re looking at a 6-month max shelf life now. 🤷

So, back in July, I went to see a specialist privately. He gave me a three-month prescription and basically told me to just swing by again once it runs out. Apparently, they’ve tightened up all the regulations lately, so this is their way of keeping tabs on things—making sure the pills are actually working for us and not causing issues.

Regarding Diane’s e-prescription—she can actually use it for two separate pickups, which basically covers her for about six months.

Once that runs out, she’ll just need to check back in with her gynecologist—either by scheduling an appointment or giving them a quick call—so they can upload a fresh prescription to the system.

🙄

Birth control pills aren't covered by Medicare right now, so you can't use an e-prescription for them (at least not yet). Your doctor has to write out a private prescription and specify how many refills you get. Just keep in mind those prescriptions are only valid for up to 180 days.

Diane isn't classified as birth control under Medicare; it's treated as a therapy for specific diagnoses. Because of that, you're only allowed one refill.

Federal prescribing regulations... NN 82/10

Brandon Lopez6 said:Before, I used to get this little slip of paper every month just to pick up my pills. What’s the drill now? Like, am I supposed to call them every single month or what..?

Which specific pills are you talking about?

So, regarding Lindynette, my doctor told me today that I should be checking in once a month...