If your pharmacy is out of your medication, ask when the next delivery is due, then call other pharmacies for the exact strength and form. If no one has it, call your prescriber's office the same day. Check FDA's drug shortage database to see if the shortage is wider, and do not skip, split, or stretch doses without medical advice.

Key takeaways

  • When a drug is out of stock at one pharmacy, it is often a local, short-term problem. FDA says more product is usually on the way.
  • Ask two questions first: "Is it on order?" and "When is the next delivery?"
  • Call more than one pharmacy, and give the exact drug, strength, and form.
  • If you are about to run out, call your prescriber the same day. Changing strength, form, or medicine is a prescriber decision.
  • Controlled substances have extra rules, including a one-time limit on transfers between pharmacies.

Why is my pharmacy out of my medication?

There are many reasons. A manufacturer may have a production problem. A pharmacy's wholesaler may be out of one strength. Demand may be higher than expected. Sometimes the problem is just timing, and the order arrives tomorrow. FDA says that when a drug is out of stock, it is usually a temporary, local issue, though local gaps can sometimes be an early sign of a wider shortage.

Some shortages are national and long-lasting. FDA keeps a public Drug Shortages database for these. It lists each product's status, when it was first posted, and each manufacturer's availability by strength.

What should I do first?

Start with the pharmacy that told you it is out. Ask:

  • "Is it on order?"
  • "When is your next delivery?"
  • "Is this a problem with the whole product, or just my strength?"
  • "Can you give me part of the prescription now and the rest later?" Rules for partial fills vary by drug type, state, and insurance plan.
  • "Do you know if another store nearby has it?"

Write down what the pharmacist says. It helps when you call your prescriber.

Step 2: Call other pharmacies

Call your pharmacy's other locations and also a few different pharmacies. Different pharmacies buy from different manufacturers and wholesalers, so one may have what another does not. Use this order:

  1. Other branches of your own pharmacy chain.
  2. A different chain.
  3. An independent pharmacy.
  4. A pharmacy at a grocery or big-box store.

Have these ready: the drug name, strength, form (for example tablet, capsule, or pen), quantity, and whether a generic is okay. For a ready-to-use script, see how to ask a pharmacy if a medication is in stock.

Step 3: Ask about the same medicine from a different manufacturer

Many generic medicines are made by more than one company. A pharmacy may be out of one company's version and have another's. FDA says approved generics have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form, and route as the brand, and must be bioequivalent. Your pharmacist can tell you whether a different manufacturer's product can be used for your prescription, based on your state's rules and what your prescriber wrote. Our post on brand vs generic when your medication is out of stock goes into detail.

Step 4: Check FDA's drug shortage database

Search by the generic name of your medicine. If it is listed, you will see which manufacturers have product, which are limited, and any estimated recovery dates. If it is not listed, the shortage may be local. FDA's shortage page says you can send a report through its public portal if you think a shortage is not yet listed. If it is listed, FDA suggests talking with your health care provider or pharmacist about treatment options during the shortage.

Step 5: Move the prescription or send a new one

If another pharmacy has your medicine, ask your first pharmacy to transfer the prescription, or ask your prescriber to send a new one.

  • Most non-controlled medicines. Pharmacies often transfer these when you ask. Policies and state rules vary.
  • Controlled substances. A DEA rule allows a one-time electronic transfer of a Schedule II to V prescription for its first fill, at the patient's request, if state law allows. Pharmacies are not required to participate. Paper prescriptions are not covered. Refills of Schedule II drugs are not allowed at all. Read the details in our transfer guide.

Step 6: Call your prescriber

If you cannot find your medicine, call your prescriber's office. Tell them:

  • The drug, strength, and form you were prescribed.
  • Which pharmacies you checked, and what they said.
  • When you will run out.
  • Which pharmacy you would like the prescription sent to, if you found one with stock.

Your prescriber may send the prescription to a pharmacy that has it, or may talk with you about another option. That decision is theirs and yours together. Please do not switch strengths, forms, or medicines on your own, and do not cut or combine tablets to make a supply last unless your prescriber says it is okay.

What if I'm about to run out of a medicine I can't skip?

Call your prescriber's office the same day. Say clearly that you are about to run out and cannot find the medicine. Ask whether there is a plan for the gap. If you feel unwell, or your medicine treats a condition where missing doses is risky, ask your pharmacist or prescriber what to do, and seek urgent care if you need it.

Is it safe to order from a website that has it?

Be careful. FDA's BeSafeRx guidance says a safe online pharmacy always requires a valid prescription, lists a physical U.S. address and phone number, has a licensed pharmacist available, and holds a license from a state board of pharmacy. Warning signs include no prescription requirement, no U.S. license, and prices that look too good to be true. A shortage is exactly when unsafe sellers appear.

Can Needle do the calling for me?

Needle phones pharmacies on your behalf, using AI voice agents and human callers, and asks for your exact drug, strength, and form. It reports back which pharmacies said they have it. Its database covers 60,000+ US pharmacies, chains and independents, and Needle has placed more than one million pharmacy calls. Pricing is $1.00 per pharmacy call, pay as you go, and you can see how it works. When you are ready, start a search at app.findneedle.co.

Frequently asked questions

How long until my pharmacy gets my medication back in stock?

There is no way to know without asking. Some out-of-stock drugs are restocked within days. Others are in a longer shortage. Ask the pharmacy whether it is on order and when the next delivery is due, and check FDA's shortage database for estimated recovery dates.

Can another pharmacy fill my prescription?

Usually yes for non-controlled medicines, if you ask your pharmacy to transfer it or your prescriber sends a new prescription. For controlled substances, federal rules allow one transfer of an electronic prescription for its first fill, and state law may be stricter. Each pharmacy decides whether to participate.

Should I split pills or skip doses to make my medicine last?

No, not unless your prescriber tells you to. Stretching a supply can be unsafe for some medicines. Call your prescriber's office and tell them you are running low.

Does a shortage on FDA's list mean no pharmacy has my medicine?

No. FDA lists each manufacturer's status separately. A product can be "in shortage" overall while some manufacturers still have supply. Your pharmacy's stock depends on its wholesaler and its manufacturers.

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