Getting antibiotics on holiday in USA

[RapunzelsRealMom]

As the title says, we're in USA on holiday and I have a recurring issue that my GP has prescribed antibiotics for in the past.

I don't want to go to an ER (not sure about US medical system and, although we have insurance, I don't want to kick off the whole process- I know it's super expensive and God knows what the insurance actually covers).

Can I get antibiotics at a pharmacy? Or, if I was to go to a local ER, how much would it cost??

First try an immediate or urgent care. You will have to wait your turn however if you have to pay the cost will be a fraction of what the ER would be.

Dont go to an ER it'll cost you a fortune!

Go to an urgent care walk in clinic - it'll be about $200 -$300 to see the Dr and then whatever it costs for the antibiotics. Google will tell you which ones are near you, and you can usually book online for the big chain ones. You'll need to take ID and a credit card for the appointment

OP, are there any walk-in clinics near you? These are usually stand-alone medical offices, but the actual setup may vary depending on where you are. I am not sure what the insurance situation would be for you or what cost would be, but if it is a fairly straightforward matter, a walk-in clinic might be able to help.

Don’t even go to the stand alone emergency rooms, they’ll gouge you too. Make sure as PP have said to go to an Urgent Care office. I’ve never had much of a wait to be seen.

Yep, an urgent care office is the way to go.

Good point about stand-alone emergency rooms. Traditionally emergency rooms are part of hospitals, but recently more and more stand-alone ones have popped up in the US. You want to find a walk-in clinic, these are usually called urgent care or immediate care. They are essentially doctors' offices with extended hours and no appointment necessary to be seen. You should be able to find ones near you with a quick Google.

I don’t know about the USA but here in Canada a lot of Pharmacies have a Prescribing Pharmacist.

You could also try a CVS Minute Clinic
www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/services

Or if you're in a state that's covered you can get a video consultation for $59 with CVS www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/virtual-care/video-visit

Typically antibiotics cost $2-$6 even if you have no insurance. It's getting the prescription written that will cost you.

Yes to finding an urgent care place. I had to do this for DD last summer (we live in the US so always have insurance anyway).

They didn't take any insurance. I had to give them my credit card and they charged me before I saw the doctor. I think it was $300. Then the prescription was $1.

Places like Wal-Greens/Walmart/CVS etc are the cheapest for anti-Bs.

You can pay the bills as you go, then send to insurance after if it's more than you want to pay.

For insurance, generally you should contact them first and they will have preferred providers BUT if it's an urgent need you can just go to the nearest place and then haggle with them afterwards if necessary.

Another vote for finding an urgent care clinic - I had to do this a few years ago when I forgot my anti-depressants and I was in and out within an hour

I second the CVS minute clinic - they will be able to prescribe antibiotics. An urgent care will do but will be more expensive (probably $100 plus prescription).

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I'm literally a minute from a CVS pharmacy so that'll be my first try. There's an urgent care centre within 3 miles so that'll be next.

👍🏻

I got a bad UTI in Florida a few years ago and went to a local walk in clinic.

It was all very straightforward but I had to pay upfront. It cost about $360 for the appointment, urine test and antibiotics. They gave me the antibiotics there and then.

We have insurance through our credit card and I claimed when we got back and it was all straightforward. Can’t remember what the excess was but I know we got some of the money back.

Speak with the pharmacist at the cvs. If your uk dr can fax over the prescription they may accept it. My dad was visiting me in the US from Canada and ended up staying longer than planned and ran out of his meds - he was able to get them refilled at cvs with a bit of help from the pharmacist. (This of course depends on if the one you speak to feels like being helpful).

Do you have a current prescription with you?

Do you have a container with refill information, dosage, name of AB, and your name and name of prescribing doctor on it?

You will need ID no matter where you go. Bring your passport.

A clinic in CVS will be cheaper than an urgent care - use your credit card if you have one. You will most likely be seen by a nurse practitioner who will be able to prescribe and you can bring the prescription straight to the pharmacy in the store to get it filled.

YY to getting the prescription faxed or emailed to the CVS pharmacy if you can have your doctor do that and if CVS will co-operate.

If you do end up getting an American prescription, ask for generic and not name brand if at all possible. The difference in price can be significant.

• You will have to ask the prescriber to specify on the prescription if generic is ok instead of branded. You can't ask for this yourself at the pharmacy window.

If you're staying at a hotel, they will probably have an emergency doctor on call that will come and see you in your hotel room. You can pay the doctor directly with a credit card and then claim on your travel insurance when you get home.

Oh yes and also check out goodrx as they sometimes have coupons or discounts for prescriptions if you’re self paying - I think there’s an app as well as a website. You look up the name of the drug you’re buying to see if there’s a coupon code and the pharmacy can apply it.

Hotels here do not have on-call doctors.

Cvs Minute clinic or whatever equivalent exists in the city you happen to be. Even with a regular GP and good health insurance, we still use cvs for simple things like ear infections, UTIs or even suspected flu, because it’s faster and cheaper.

We have been very unlucky when on holiday in the US. We have used a hotel on call doctor, urgent care, ER twice on two separate holidays, ambulance transfer and inpatient care at a children's hospital. Our insurance company have always paid out and we have only had to pay the excess. For the on call doctor and urgent care we paid and were then reimbursed and for all the rest we never had to pay at all. We have been impressed that although the hospitals have asked for insurance details not once were we ever asked for money or credit card details, we do know that it took the insurance company at least 4 years to settle one of the bills though.

Go either to a normal drs, clinic or urgent care, you need a prescription from a dr licenced to practice in that state. They may not prescribe though without tests. I suggest you get out your insurance documents, as long as it's not a preexisting condition you should be covered, healthcare is crazy expensive

Some insurance will only pay out if you contact them first if it's not a life threatening emergency, mine specified which hospital to go to (usually the county/state hospital)