Transfer a prescription in Calgary, refill or renew

Contact whichever Revive store you want to use with your name, date of birth, the medications you know about, and the name and phone number of your current pharmacy — that phone number is the one thing we cannot do without, because we are the ones who ring them. If you would rather not type out a list, photograph the labels and send those instead. If you use more than one pharmacy, say so; we would rather have your whole list in one place.

We then call them and ask for everything that can legally be transferred. A few medications cannot be moved and some need a new prescription instead. We tell you which ones and what to do about them; nothing goes quiet.

The two pharmacies exchange the prescription information directly, pharmacist to pharmacist. When it reaches us, we check the medication, the directions, the refills you have left and your full profile, and we call you if something does not add up.

Ask before you run out, so there is room to sort out anything unusual. If your next dose is close, say so when you make the request and we will treat it that way.

For a prescription we already hold, request the refill online, call the store or bring in the labelled container. Your prescription number speeds it up. We check for allergies and interactions and confirm you still have refills before dispensing.

Not every prescription refills forever — your prescriber may have limited it, it may have expired, or it may need a fresh assessment. Ask us before you are down to the last few days.

Alberta pharmacists can extend or renew many prescriptions. We look at the medication, your condition, how long you have been on it and what your record shows. It is a real assessment, not a rubber stamp. You can ask for one online the same way you would ask for a refill — pick "Prescription renewal" and tell us what has run out.

Some medications and situations need a new prescription from your doctor. If yours is one of them we explain why and tell you exactly what follow-up to arrange.

We deliver prescriptions and pharmacy items to your door at no extra charge, from any of our three stores. Choose delivery when you make the refill or transfer request and give us the address and a number to reach you on.

Delivery does not mean you lose the pharmacist. Call us with any question about directions, storage or a new medication and you get the same answer you would get at the counter.

One pharmacy means one pharmacist who can see everything you take and catch what a split record misses. Tell us about non-prescription medicine, vitamins and supplements too — those never appear in a transferred file. And let us know when a prescriber stops or changes something.

If you take several medications a day, ask about a medication review or blister packs once the transfer is done. It is the same pharmacist, looking at the whole list at once.