WACH Pharmacy "Self-Care Program" Available to Beneficiaries

By Ms. Kristen R Schabert (Army Medicine)September 21, 2016

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Feeling achy, sniffly or sneezy? You could purchase cold or pain medications over-the-counter from the exchange, commissary or a local retail store… but did you know, you can also visit your local Army Medicine Pharmacy and pick up these items at no cost to you, without an appointment to see your provider?

Weed Army Community Hospital and the Pharmacy located inside the Dr. Mary E. Walker Center participate in the Army Medicine Self-Care program. This program allows beneficiaries to request up to five over-the-counter medicine items per family, per month.

Some of these include medications such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Mucinex, Ibuprofen, Loratadine (Claritin), Refresh eye saline bottle, Robitussen, and Saline nasal spray, among others. Stop by the pharmacy to obtain the full list and speak to a pharmacist about the program.

It's important to note that Pharmacy staff still has the right to deny the medications and advise individuals to schedule an appointment if they deem it in the best interest of the patient. Additionally, certain medications have an age limit, and if children are under the age restriction, they must see a provider to obtain the medication and ensure proper dosing.

"This program is an especially useful benefit to the families of the Fort Irwin community, since the proximity of retail stores off-post can be a daunting drive for some families," said CPT Jonathan Courage, Assistant Chief of Pharmacy for WACH. "The Pharmacy Self-Care program is just another benefit provided to you by Army Medicine. What we do is provide the medications to you through the Pharmacy so the bill is sent to TRICARE, and not the patient."

You can reach the WACH Pharmacy through the hospital's main phone line of 1-866-957-9224. Choose option 3 for a list of clinics; then option 4 for Pharmacy/Laboratory/Radiology; then Option 1 for Pharmacy.