Will South Carolina residents be able to get emergency medication refills before Hurricane Irma?

South Carolina residents worried about having enough medication to last Hurricane Irma may not be able to get emergency refills before the storm. That may change, however, depending on the trajectory of the storm.

Hurricane Irma is on track to crash into Florida before it does Georgia or South Carolina, and Florida residents are able to grab medication refills that would last the duration of Irma and its aftermath. That’s because Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation told health care providers to waive time restrictions on prescription refills after the state went into a state of emergency Wednesday.

In South Carolina, based on the National Weather Service forecast at 11 a.m. Friday that shows Irma shifting to the west, the state’s Department of Insurance decided against issuing a similar order Friday, said Ann Roberson, public information officer for the department. But nothing is set in stone.

“We will however continue to monitor the storm’s track and determine what plans are needed going forward,” Roberson said.

The state insurance department published a press release Wednesday encouraging South Carolinians in the path of the hurricane to review their insurance policies, prepare an inventory of their belongings and make their homes as safe as possible. In addition, In the days leading up to Irma’s possible landfall in South Carolina, law enforcement officers have emphasized to residents the importance of packing up their medication before evacuating.

Down in Florida, because of the waived regulations, insurance provider Florida Blue announced it would allow members to get temporary 30-day emergency supplies of medication. Other third-party plans are allowing their members to take advantage of expedited 30-day refills too.

If readers have further questions, they can call the South Carolina Department of Insurance at 800-768-3467 and speak with a consumer anlayst.

This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Will South Carolina residents be able to get emergency medication refills before Hurricane Irma?."