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Gov. Kay Ivey today issued a supplemental state of emergency to the current state of emergency in place for Hurricane Ida.

At present, there are Ida evacuees in Alabama, and Ivey said she wants to be sure that we do everything in our power to aid in their recovery.

This supplemental proclamation is geared at enabling Ida evacuees to more easily obtain emergency prescription refills, Ivey’s office said in a statement.

“We currently have Ida evacuees staying in Alabama, and I want to ensure that our state is doing our part to bring any possible relief to them,” Ivey said in a statement. “Following a tough storm, obtaining prescription refills can be problematic, and this supplemental state of emergency will enable these evacuees to safely and more easily get those refills. We will do all we can to help our friends in Louisiana and Mississippi get back on their feet, and I want to assure them that they are more than welcome to contact this office for assistance.”

A summary of the proclamation is below:

Today’s proclamation will enable Hurricane Ida evacuees to more easily obtain “emergency” prescription refills:

• Under current law, when an Alabama pharmacist cannot readily obtain formal refill authorization, he or she may give the patient an “emergency” refill of up to a 72-hour supply of the medication. Under today’s proclamation, that 72-hour limit is extended, allowing the pharmacist to dispense a 30-day emergency supply of the medicine.
• The proclamation retains existing safeguards to prevent abuse. For example:
  • Schedule II drugs (such as oxycodone and fentanyl) may not be prescribed on an emergency basis.
  • The medicine must be essential to maintain life or to continue therapy for a chronic condition.
  • The dispensing pharmacist must obtain some reasonable verification of the original prescription, such as a pill bottle.
  • The dispensing pharmacist must document the emergency refill.
• Individuals needing emergency drug refills not covered by this proclamation will need to obtain a new prescription.