The clinic at RAF Upwood, England, will discontinue its pharmacy mail-order medication refill service Dec. 6.

The change brings the clinic in line with Department of Defense policy, according to information released by the 423rd Air Base Squadron public affairs office.

For three years, the clinic had a verbal waiver to offer the service, said Staff Sgt. Misty Lewis, pharmacy technician, in a squadron news release. During that time, refill prescriptions could be delivered through post-office boxes.

That service, however, was not in line with Air Force instructions within DOD Tricare policy.

“There was only one pharmacy technician. If she was sick or [on temporary duty], there was no pharmacy service available and mail-order was a necessity,” said Tech. Sgt. Scotty Cass, noncommissioned officer in charge at the clinic, in the news release.

Now that the pharmacy has two full-time staff members, the clinic must comply with the policy.

Cass urged people to plan ahead for their medication refills so their ability to receive the medicine will not be interrupted. The refills can be handled at the Upwood clinic or the hospital at RAF Lakenheath, about an hour’s drive away.

Lewis said, “In most cases, the pharmacy at both Upwood and Lakenheath will dispense a 90-day supply of maintenance medications.”

Also, the clinic at Upwood will be open during lunchtime to extend its refill pick-up hours.

Patients are also urged to call ahead for prescription refills at 0800-919121. Refills called in by noon should be ready the following duty day.

Another way to obtain refills is through the Tricare Mail Order Program, an Internet-based medication service available to all Tricare beneficiaries.

More information about the program can be found at www.express-scripts.com.

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