Once you have completed your first order, refills are typically easier. But because your medication is still traveling internationally, it is important to leave more time than you might for a local pharmacy refill.
Our usual recommendation is to place your refill when you have about one month of medication left.
The goal is not because we expect every refill to take a month. Most do not. The goal is to leave enough time so that a normal delay does not become a medication-supply problem.
Why do we recommend about one month?
Most refills should not take a month. The one-month recommendation is a planning buffer, not the expected delivery time. Many refills are processed and delivered much sooner. We recommend the extra time because an unexpected prescription delay, courier delay, or longer Customs review can add time even when everything else is ready to move quickly.
There are several steps between deciding you need a refill and having the medication in your hands.
Depending on the refill, we may need to:
- confirm the medication and quantity you want;
- make sure the prescription still has valid refills;
- request a renewed prescription if needed;
- prepare and check the medication at the pharmacy;
- ship the package from Canada;
- allow time for U.S. Customs review; and
- allow time for final delivery to your address.
Everything we need to do on our side can usually move very quickly. Once we have everything we need, many of the pharmacy steps can be completed within minutes.
What can take longer is waiting on other parties or parts of the process that we have very little control over. For example, if a renewed prescription is needed, we may need to wait for the prescriber’s office to send it. After the package leaves our pharmacy, courier transit time and U.S. Customs review time can also vary.
That is why we recommend about one month. It gives us enough buffer so that waiting for a prescription, a shipping delay, or a longer Customs review does not bring you too close to running out.
If your prescription has expired or has no refills remaining, we can help coordinate the renewal. We cover that in more detail in What happens when your prescription has no refills left?.
We would rather have extra time available and not need it than begin dealing with a delay when only a few doses are left.
What if you are already running low?
If you realize that you may run out before the refill arrives, contact us as soon as possible.
Let us know approximately how much medication you have left. We can review whether your prescription is ready to refill, how quickly the order can be prepared, where the shipment is if it has already been sent, and what options may be available based on your situation.
The earlier we know, the more time we have to plan with you.
Plan earlier if you have travel, a fixed deadline, or are moving
If you know you will be traveling, need the medication before a specific date, or may be moving to a new address, it is a good idea to plan the refill earlier.
If you are moving, we can help you think through whether it makes more sense to send the refill to your current address or your new address based on when you are moving and when the package is expected to travel.
International delivery does not come with an exact guaranteed arrival day, so if you have a date or address change that matters, building in additional time gives us more room to plan around it.
Refill reminders can help
SimplePills can send refill reminders based on your estimated medication supply.
The reminder is there to help you start thinking about the next refill before you are close to running out. It does not mean the refill has already been placed or shipped.
Refills are not automatic. You still decide when you want the next order and confirm that you want us to proceed.
Where to go from here
Once you know when to reorder, the next step is placing the refill. We explain that process in detail in How to place a refill with SimplePills.