FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Are your prescriptions enrolled in the TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery automatic refill program, administered by Express Scripts? If they are, did you know you must approve your refills before they’re sent to you? Not only is the process easy and convenient, but it will also help prevent excess prescription waste.

“The TRICARE Pharmacy Program streamlined the home delivery refill process, so you only get your medications when you need them,” said Marcy Opstal, a senior program analyst with the Defense Health Agency’s Pharmacy Operations Division. “Having patients approve their refills before they’re shipped also improves patient safety and reduces medication waste.”

Here’s a step-by-step guide to approving your prescription drug refills and using the automatic refill program.

How to approve your home delivery prescription refills

1. You receive a refill notification

When it’s time to refill your prescription, Express Scripts will contact you by your preferred method of communication—email, phone call, or text—to approve your refill.

When it comes to approving and communicating about your refills, you have a few options. Texting may be the easiest and fastest way to approve your refills. To choose texting—or to change the way you’re currently approving your refills—log in to your Express Scripts account. Once you’re in your account, you can make a new communication choice.

2. You confirm or decline your refill

You’ll confirm that you want your next refill. You can do this by signing in to your account or through the Express Scripts mobile app. If you don’t confirm or decline your prescription refill, your prescription will no longer be in the automatic refill program. Keep in mind that even if your prescription is no longer in the program, you’ll continue to receive reminders until your prescription expires. You still can order refills via your online account or the mobile app. And you can opt back into the program at any time.

3. Your refill ships

After you approve your refill, Express Scripts will process your prescription. You can track your order via text, email, phone call, or the Express Scripts mobile app.

Have home delivery but not signed up for refills?

First, log in to your Express Scripts account to check if your prescription is eligible. If it is, then you can choose to start refills through TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery. You can also choose which communication method to receive refill alerts and other notices. Note that you’ll still have to approve your prescriptions when it’s time to refill them. Read How to Turn on Automatic Refills for Your TRICARE Home Delivery Prescriptions to learn more.

Reducing prescription waste

By approving your refill beforehand, you’ll help reduce prescription waste. This is important. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates that in the United States, approximately 107,622 people died as the result of a drug poisoning in 2021. When you clear out medications you don’t want or need, you help prevent children and others from accessing them.

To see if your military hospital or clinic has a medication disposal program, go to Safely Dispose of Drugs. You can also visit the DEA Collection Site Locator to find a drug take back location near you.

Remember you must approve your home delivery prescription drug refills before they can be shipped. For other details about your pharmacy benefit and ways to help you manage your prescriptions, be sure to refer to the TRICARE Pharmacy Program Overview Fact Sheet or TRICARE Pharmacy Program Handbook. To check your copayments, go to TRICARE Pharmacy. If you have questions, you can reach out to Express Scripts.

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