As your teen becomes more independent in taking their medications and learning about their transplant healthcare, it’s important to help them build skills for the next step: managing their medications safely and responsibly. Here are some practical ways you can support them as they learn:
Knowing Your Pharmacy
- Make sure your teen knows which pharmacy your family uses, where it’s located and why you chose it (convenience, accessibility, or insurance requirements).
- Have your teen store the pharmacy’s phone number and address in their Contacts.
- Show them that this information is also printed on every prescription bottle.
- Bring your teen with you to the pharmacy so they can watch the pick-up process. When they are comfortable, encourage them to check in at the counter themselves.
- Explain that they will usually need to provide only their name and birthdate, and they should be ready for any copays required at pick-up.
Specialty Pharmacies
- Some medications—especially anti‑rejection medicines—may need to be filled at a specialty pharmacy.
- If this applies to your teen, make sure they understand which medications are filled through the specialty pharmacy and how refills are ordered (typically by phone or online).
- Remind them that these medications are shipped to your home, so ordering early is important.
Insurance and Payment
- Ensure your teen has a copy of their insurance card.
- Keep a physical copy in their wallet, purse, or backpack.
- Take a photo of the card and save it to their phone so it’s always available.
- Review copay expectations so your teen knows what costs to anticipate.
- Remind them they can always call the pharmacy ahead of time to ask about the cost.
- If the cost or copay of a medication is a problem, contact someone who can help or advise you on how to obtain that medication. Your pharmacist, transplant coordinator, and social worker can help you work through these issues.
- A medication should never be skipped or forgotten due to the cost. Your transplant team may be able to find another medication that is similar but less expensive or will try to find ways to get financial assistance for that medication. It is very important to discuss this with your transplant team.
Refills
- Give your teen opportunities to practice ordering their own refills as they begin managing medications independently.
- Teach them to request a refill when they have about one week of medication left after filling their weekly pillbox.
- Show them where to find the number of remaining refills on the prescription label.
- If the label shows “0 refills,” they will need to contact their transplant coordinator to request a new prescription.
- Make sure they know whether each prescription is filled as a 30‑day or 90‑day supply, so they know when they should expect to need more.
- Help your teen understand why ordering refills early is important. It gives the pharmacy time to resolve common issues such as:
- Needing new refills from the provider
- Medications being temporarily out of stock
- Pharmacy transfers
- Encourage your teen to use the refill method that works best for them—phone, pharmacy app, or automatic reminders.
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