It’s important to maintain current drug therapies and ensure you have the appropriate treatments at home if you or your family members are sick. Remember most people will be able to recover from COVID-19 at home.
For necessary prescription medications, we recommend contacting your doctor or other healthcare professional to obtain them to have on hand in case there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community and you need to stay home for an extended period of time. Additionally, some pharmacies, including mail-order ones, allow you to automatically refill your prescriptions, sometimes for 90 days at a time; some pharmacies are now also offering home delivery of prescription medications at no charge.
It’s important to also have over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and medical supplies on-hand, including:
- Fever-reducing medicines that contain the active ingredient acetaminophen or ibuprofen
- Chest decongestant medicines that contain the active ingredient guaifenesin
- Cough suppressant medicines that contain the active ingredient dextromethorphan or menthol
- Antidiarrheal medicines that contain the active ingredient bismuth subsalicylate or loperamide
- Cough drops
- Thermometer
- Face masks that cover the nose and mouth – such as home improvement masks, bandannas, or scarves
The recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) allows consumers enrolled in pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), certain Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to purchase most OTC medicines without a need for a prescription through their accounts – depending on what their employer’s plan documents allow. We recommend that you save your OTC medicine receipts and reach out to your HSA, FSA or HRA provider to learn more about eligibility. This provision is retroactive to January 1, 2020.
For more helpful information on how to prepare for COVID-19, including a household checklist, visit CDC’s website.
Be sure to keep all medicines up and away and out of sight and reach of your children, to help prevent accidental ingestions. Avoid an accident with these safe medicine storage tips.