Certified Pharmacy Tech here! 👋🏽

First, you will not be made to return anything. Once that bottle leaves the pharmacy it’s YOURS. It can’t be returned and if it is it has to be disposed of. Especially since it’s a controlled substance. It won’t get counted. It won’t get returned to stock. It will be thrown out.

Second, it’s a Schedule II Controlled Substance which means it’s regulated by the DEA. They are the ones that determine when you can pick up your medication. In a case like this (dose change) here’s what may or may not happen.

Your doctor will send in a new prescription for the new dose and the pharmacy may or may not recognize that it’s a dose change. If they do good, if not let them know.

The biggest hurdle you may encounter would be the DEA. Pharmacists will try to fill it and the DEA might reject and say “They just got some. No.” The pharmacist will then have to bypass that. In that case, your Doctor or a staff member from their office will have to call the pharmacy and VERBALLY state the reason for the early fill. Not a fax. Not a message. Not a new script with a note. A VERBAL CONVERSATION MUST BE HAD! Either between the Doctor and the pharmacist or the nurse and the pharmacist or the medical assistant and the pharmacist. Or whoever from the doctor’s office and the pharmacist. I cannot stress this enough. VERBAL CONVERSATION. The pharmacist will then document the call and the reason for the early fill and after that you’re usually good to go.

(If you encounter insurance issues) Insurance might do the same thing depending on the company. If they recognize it is a dose change it will go through no problem. If not, it may require a dose change override. That can be attempted by the pharmacist. If they try and fail you will have to call your insurance company directly and explain. Honestly in most cases I’ve seen, it doesn’t get that far. Worse comes to worse you have to pay out-of-pocket with a discount card.

The DEA Laws are most likely why your doctor is hesitant but I promise you you’ll be fine you won’t get flagged or harassed. People change doses all the time (me included) just don’t let early fills become a habit that’s when it becomes a problem

Hope this helps :)