If you want to transfer your prescription to a new pharmacy, it’s easy to do so in most cases. But certain types of medications, such as controlled substances, have limitations in place.

To transfer a prescription, you’ll need to provide the following details to the new pharmacy:
- your full name and date of birth
- your phone number and address
- full list of your allergies
- names of all prescriptions you want transferred, along with strengths and dosages
- contact information for the doctor or other healthcare professional who prescribed the drug
- phone number and address of your current pharmacy
- Rx number for each medication (a 7-digit number found on the top left of the label)
If you need help gathering any of this information, contact your current pharmacy or your doctor’s office.
First, contact the new pharmacy to let them know you want to transfer your prescription there. You can call or go in person. And with some larger pharmacies, such as CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens, you can request the transfer online.
Once the new pharmacy has all of your necessary information, they’ll contact your old pharmacy and request the transfer. The new pharmacy may call you once the transfer is complete or if they need any additional information.
How long it takes for the transfer to be completed can depend on how many prescriptions you have and other factors, such as how busy both pharmacies are. In general, it may take 2 to 3 business days before any prescriptions are ready for pickup at the new pharmacy.
With many pharmacies, you can sign up for text updates for your prescriptions so you’ll know when they’re ready. You can also ask your new pharmacy how long they expect the transfer process to take.
For safety reasons, prescriptions for certain types of drugs (such as controlled substances) can only be transferred one time between pharmacies, regardless of how many refills you have left. You’ll need a new prescription from your doctor before you can change pharmacies again.
Drugs with transfer limitations include Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances. Examples of these drugs include:
- alprazolam (Xanax)
- codeine/acetaminophen (Tylenol with codeine)
- diphenoxylate/atropine (Lomotil)
- oxycodone (OxyContin)
- methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, others)
- hydrocodone (Hysingla ER)
- amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall XR, Mydayis)
If you have questions about transferring a prescription for a drug with limitations, talk with your current pharmacy or the one you’re switching to. They can explain the limitations and how to proceed.
Note: Some states may have laws about transferring prescriptions for certain controlled substances that are stricter than the federal regulations. In that case, your local pharmacy must follow the state law. To learn more, talk with your pharmacist.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.