My Mother In-law Needs Help

Updated on December 26, 2008
Z.N. asks from Aurora, CO
16 answers

My mother in-law is visiting me and she usually takes medication for heart. She recently run out of her medication and she staying with us
20 more days. My mother in-law came from overseas and the prescription she has is obviousely not from this country. We took the prescription to walgreens and they refused to get the medication without a US prescription.
My mother-in law is not covred under any american health insurance. I have no idea about the charges but I am assuming that they are very expensive, and there is no garantee that the doctor wll give her the same medication. Tonight was her last medication and we don't want to take the risk to leave her without any. Please let me know if there is any way to solve that! Thanks!!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.P.

answers from Great Falls on

I would take her to the emergency room and explain what is going on. They might be able to help. Do you have a free clinic where you live.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.B.

answers from Denver on

I would get on line and look for free clinic that would help her because the meds are going to cost a lot of money. They will be cheaper at a clinic.
C. B

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Great Falls on

Zohra, I am sorry that it is taking place!

I would call the doctor on call in your nearest hospital: there is such an emergency help doctor always on the phone, the second after the 911 emergency call.
Ask for advice. They should know although it is definitely a unique situation, they should have a way to help.
Good luck!

Not blaming anybody by no means, I would suggest for future to make sure that there is enough medication for the time of the regular doctor's absence, to make sure there is a little more than needed, just in case, especially if she takes the medication regularly, for HEART, and moves from country to country...

yes, I'd start with calling to the doctor on call in the hospital...

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.R.

answers from Denver on

you simply take your mother in law to your own doctor and her insurance will pay. it sounds crazy but that is how it works. You may have to pay for the part of the visit but it will attend to the problem.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from Denver on

I would just take her to an Urgent Care facility - look up MedExpress and find the one closest to you. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.C.

answers from Denver on

Hi Zohra - I would recommend contacting your doctor or taking her to an urgent care clinic - take her medicine bottle with you so they know what medication she is taking - they will most likely write a prescription for her medication or for an equivalent medication for the time she is here.

Unfortunately, you will have to pay for the medical visit. If you have an umbrella insurance policy - they may cover part of her medical expenses since she is a guest in your home.

good luck to you!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.D.

answers from Denver on

You either need to get her doctor to send it in or get her to someone here to write her a new script. Chances are you might need to do both and have her doctor send her info to the doctor here. It could take several days to straighten out. It may be worth calling and ER or urgent care to see if they could write the script if she came in. My understanding is that the pharmacy can't fill it unless it's an American script. In the future when she's visiting or your visiting her, you may just consider paying the money to take enough with you. When we travel overseas, we just take all our scripts with us.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.G.

answers from Denver on

See if you have one of those free/reduced cost health clinics that commonly treat people living here from another country (like Salud) in your area and take your mother-in-law There. The doctor can probably see her and prescribe enough for her until she can get back home to her own doctor.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.R.

answers from Denver on

See if your doctor with give you a prescription. And since you mother doesn't have health insurance here, just keep the reciepts so that she can send it in to her health insurance overseas. And I am sure they will reimburse her for it.

Hope this helps.

Wishing you happy Holidays,
C.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Take your mother to your doctor or nearest instacare. You will have to pay the charge unfortunately you will have to pay their full fee you can try to negotiate but it is much harder when you are an individual. Make sure you have her prescription or medication bottle with you, they will give her the same or the American equivalent. Your mother will be able to claim back from her travel insurance when she returns home or her medical insurance in country. That is the way it goes. There is now no free medical care in the western world. I originally come from the UK and now have to pay if I have treatment there,this happened to me this past summer. I paid a flat fee to see the doctor and then paid for my prescription after. Good Luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.S.

answers from Fort Collins on

Has she tried to call her doctor back home? Usually if you make a call to your primary care doctor they can write a perscription and have any pharmacy fill it. Even in another country. Other than that she would have to contact an embassy from her country and they could help with an emergency refill.
R.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.C.

answers from Boise on

Well i dont know what area your in but here in idaho we have a place called terry riely that is a doctors office, for lower incom people. they can help you, with the doctor and the medication, sometimes its hard to get in but im sure if you call and exsplaine they will halp. my other sugestion is to go online and see if you can get her medication for her there, they can ship next day air, it may cost a little though.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from Casper on

I work in a doctors office and I know we usually charge a little over $100 for an office visit. That of course does not include the prescription. I think an Urgent Care or Same day clinic may be a little cheaper if you could just take her to one of those and explain the situation they may be able to do an exam and then fill the prescription for her. Since I don't know what medicine she has, I couldn't even begin to predict how much it would cost. I hope this little bit of info helps in some small way. Good luck to you and I will pray that all works out fine.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.S.

answers from Denver on

Unfortunatley the only thing you can do is to get her Doctor to fax from overseas or call in the script. Legally there is nothing the pharmicist can do without it. They could lose their license. Good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from Salt Lake City on

You should have her contact her doctor oversee's with your doctors phone number. So that your doctor can send in a prescription. Or maybe her doctor can call a pharmacy here. But it is something that has to be done with doctor approval.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Denver on

Hi Zohora-
Does your MIL have any travel insurance? If she booked her ticket with a credit card there maybe some coverage there. Also, I would call around to more pharmacies and see if someone else would honor her prescription. Try calling a travel clinic, there is one in Lone Tree.

If all else fails, go to urgent care, and they should be able to get her sorted out - for a charge. If she has come from Europe I'm sure there is no insurance to place a claim with as there is socialized medicine over there. Maybe one day we will wake up and have that benefit here!!

Good luck - sorry that other people have to be so rude!!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches