by Rural Pharmacist, Survival Blog:
I am a registered pharmacist licensed in both an American Redoubt state and a state in the Ozarks. I own my pharmacy in a small town in a rural area. I have had many discussions with patients about larger than normal supplies, rotating stock, ‘vacation supplies’ and various ways to accumulate a stockpile of prescription medicines. The content in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional medical advice.
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Having your personal pharmacist on board with your prepping list of medications, is probably the cheapest way to accumulate a stockpile. I have compared prices at JASE Medical and HoneyBee Pharmacy which both have been mentioned in previous SurvivalBlog articles on stocking up, and both charge more than I would. Your options are limited if your doctor or your pharmacist won’t cooperate. These online firms do give you a choice. If just your doctor won’t cooperate, then check the tele-health doctors via the Internet in your state. After Covid-19 many of these tele-health doctors are still available to consult with and send prescriptions to your pharmacy. I would ask for a year supply, especially on the cheaper generics that you are taking regularly, see if they can be dispensed in the original unopened bottle with the expiration date showing.
Your goals and future dictate what to stock. If you are a health-care professional teaming up with other health-care professionals to provide a mini-clinic after the ‘crunch’, your goals will be different than a family of 4 just trying to secure the basics. In a previous article the author mentions the book “Wilderness Medicine” by Dr. William Forgey but did not elaborate on his suggestions for Over-The-Counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) medicines to have available.
Here are Dr. Forgey’s lists:
OTC Drugs
Percogesic (back when Dr. Forgey wrote the book it contained Acetaminophen and Phenyltoloxamine, it has been reformulated with Acetaminophen & Diphenhydramine. Phenyltoloxamine is an antihistamine with sedative & analgesic properties, probably did a better job with back pain than Diphenhydramine.
Ibuprofen 200mg good for pain, fever, menstrual cramps, and inflammation. Otc dose is 2 tablets 4 times a day, maximum Rx dose is 4 tablets (800mg) 4 times a day.
Diphenhydramine 25mg (Benadryl) is good as an antihistamine for rashes, allergic reactions, insect bites, etc. Dosage is 1-2 capsules every 6 hours. Can be used as a sleep aid (2 capsules at bedtime), as a cough suppressant (1 capsule every 6 hours), for muscle spasm relief (1 or 2 capsules with 2 tablets of Ibuprofen). For nausea or motion sickness 1 capsule every 6 hours.
Bisacodyl 5mg is a laxative, take 1 tablet as needed with a large glass of water.
Loperamide 2mg (Imodium) is an anti-diarrheal, dosage is 2 tablets after loose stool, followed by 1 tablet after each loose stool, max of 16mg/day.
Cimetidine 200mg (Tagamet) this medication suppresses acid formation in the stomach. OTC dosage is 2 tablets four times a day, Rx dosage is as high as 4 tablets (800mg) four times a day. This drug contains some antihistamine properties. (My opinion; this drug is not used much today or recommended much. The drug has a lot of drug interactions, that they did not know of when this book was written. My advice is to substitute Famotidine 20mg tablets, dosage is 1 tablet twice a day, or 2 tablets (40mg) once daily at bedtime.
DOctor Forgey’s RX list
Hydroxyzine (Atarax) 25mg tablets can be used for nausea, anxiety, antihistamine, pain medication augmentation, as a sleep aid. For sleep the dose is 2 tablets (50mg) at bedtime, other indications are 1 tablet every 4 to 6 hours as needed.
Desoximetasone 0.25% (Topicort) is a topical steroid to treat allergic skin rashes. Dosage is a thin coat twice a day. More potent than OTC hydrocortisone 1% which could be substituted if the Rx was unavailable.
TOBRAMYCIN/DEXAMETHASONE Ophthalmic drops (Tobra-dex) is an antibiotic and steroid to treat infections and allergies in the eye and ear. Dosage is 1-2 drops in eye(s) every 4 to 6 hours. Place 5 drops twice a day in ears. Duration is usually 5-7 days, only if improvement is noted after 2 days.
Tetracaine 0.5% ophthalmic drops is used to numb pain in the eyes or ears. “Do not reapply to eye if pain returns without examining eye for foreign body very carefully. Try not to use it repeatedly in the eye as over-use delays healing. Continued pain may also mean you have missed a foreign body. Do not use in ears if considerable drainage is present; an eardrum may have ruptured and if this medicine gets into the middle ear through a hole in the eardrum, it will cause profound vertigo (dizziness).”
Stadol Nasal Spray (Butorphanol Tartrate) is a powerful pain medication absorbed by the lining of the nose, use 1 spray wait 60-90 minutes before using a second spray, can be repeated every 3-4 hours. This is a controlled substance; all DEA laws would apply. Dr. Forgey could carry this in his kit, but it might not be available to us.
