CVS Prescription On Hold – What It Means & How To Fix It

Dealing with prescriptions can sometimes be a hassle, and finding out your CVS prescription is on hold might leave you wondering what to do next.

CVS prescriptions are typically on hold due to verification issues which can take up to two days to resolve. Factors such as insurance coverage issues, the need for prior authorization from your healthcare provider, or even a temporary medication shortage can all cause a CVS prescription to be put on hold.

Thankfully, much of this can be fixed with a phone call to your insurance company or health provider. I’ll get more into the steps you can take, how long the prescriptions could be put on hold, and what else you can do to fix the problem.

How Long Can Prescriptions Be On Hold

When your prescription is marked as “on hold” at CVS, it means that the pharmacy cannot fill it at that time. There are several reasons why this may happen:

1. The medication is not in stock. New or high-demand medications may experience this issue.
2. The pharmacist may need to verify the prescription, especially if it is a new prescription that still needs to be confirmed or processed.
3. There is a delay or error in communication between your healthcare provider and CVS.
4. Insurance-related issues may arise.

Having had prescriptions filled many times at CVS myself, I wanted to point out that prescriptions can only be on hold for a certain period, typically a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the situation.

This is of course, problematic if you need the medications quickly. After the authorized hold period, your healthcare provider may need to re-issue or update the prescription to avoid further delays.

Checking Your Prescription Status

Holds can come as a surprise to many who don’t properly monitor their prescription status. I can’t stress enough that monitoring your prescription status at CVS is crucial for timely medication refills and addressing any issues so they don’t linger on.

Thankfully checking on your prescription is easy thanks to all the methods CVS makes available to you. You can check your prescription status in several ways:

1. Online: Access your CVS pharmacy account on the CVS website and navigate to the “Rx status” section, where you can view your prescriptions, their status, and refill options.
2. Mobile App: Download the CVS pharmacy app and log in to your account to check your prescription status on the go.
3. In-person or over the phone: You can always visit your local CVS pharmacy or call them and provide your prescription details to request an update on your prescription status.

Resolving Hold Status

Now comes the part you’ve been waiting for, actually resolving the hold so you can get your prescription and move forward.

So, a prescription is typically put on hold when the pharmacist must verify it before dispensing it. This process can take up to two days, but it ensures that your medication is safe and accurate. Unforuntately, there’s not much you can do to get past that two day window.

With that in mind, what happens next with resolving the hold status:

1. Wait for the verification process to be completed.
2. Contact your doctor if the pharmacist requests additional information or clarification.
3. Confirm with the pharmacy that they have received the necessary information and the hold has been lifted.

Where things can get held up longer is with the customer usually. You have to make the contact with your doctor in case more information is needed.

This is why monitoring your prescription regularly is an crucial step in this entire process. While CVS will keep you in the loop on the verification process, they are not going to chase you down to get your medications moving, thats entirely on you.

If you need assistance with your on hold prescription or have concerns about the process, CVS customer service is available to help. You can:

• Call the main customer service phone number: 1-800-SHOP-CVS (1-800-746-7287)
• Reach out to your local CVS pharmacy directly.
• Visit the CVS website and use their “help” or “contact us” features for additional support..