If your VA prescription will run low during a trip in the United States, call your home VA pharmacy before you leave. Have the bottle and your travel dates handy. Ask two questions: “Do I have a refill left?” and “Where will this particular order be sent?” The answers tell you whether to order a refill, request a new prescription from the prescriber, or make a plan for delivery while you’re away.
Work backward from the day you’ll run out
Check how many days of medication you have at your prescribed dose. Compare that date with your departure and return dates. For example, if you have 18 days left and you’ll be gone for a month, a refill sent to your home after you leave won’t help you on the trip. Ask the pharmacy when it can fill the prescription and where you’ll be when it arrives.
VA asks travelers to give their care team four to six weeks’ notice when possible, particularly if care at another facility needs arranging. For a routine refill, VA advises requesting it at least 15 days before you need more medicine. If the trip is sooner, call now and explain the timing. VA’s travel guidance and its medication ordering instructions explain these two timelines.
Choose the next step for each prescription
- It’s active and has refills. Confirm the delivery address with your VA facility, then use VA’s prescription refill and tracking tool or the pharmacy number on the label. If you already requested a refill, check its status before placing another request.
- It expired or shows zero refills. Request a renewal. VA says calling your VA pharmacy’s automated refill line is the fastest way to request one. Have the prescription number ready. You can also follow VA’s online renewal instructions. Ask when to check back if the prescriber needs to review the request before the pharmacy can fill it.
- You’re already away and could run out before a delivery. Call your home VA pharmacy and say how much medication you have left, where you are and when you’re leaving that address. Ask what can be arranged for this particular prescription and whether your care team needs to coordinate with a nearby VA facility. Confirm the arrangement before making a trip to pick it up. If you may miss a dose, ask your pharmacist or clinician for instructions specific to your medication.
Make sure the package can reach you
Give the care team your temporary street address, apartment or unit number, arrival and departure dates, and a phone number where you can be reached. Ask the facility to confirm the address used for prescription shipments. If an order is already in transit, tell the pharmacy before changing anything. Check who can accept a package at your destination, especially if you’re staying at a hotel or with someone else. Before returning home, confirm where your next refill will go.
If you need follow-up care during an extended stay, ask your home team about its Traveling Veteran Coordinator. For a stay in northwest Florida, our Pensacola and Milton resource guide identifies the local VA clinic. If you’re still working on enrollment, start with how to apply for VA health care.
Freedom Through Veteran Assistance checked the linked VA instructions on November 12, 2026.