What Are Your TRICARE Pharmacy Options Overseas?

Falls Church, VA, August 13, 2020 - Do you live overseas? Got questions about how to fill your prescriptions? If you’re enrolled in a TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) plan, you have access to the same TRICARE Pharmacy Program as stateside. This means you can fill your prescriptions through military pharmacies, TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery, TRICARE retail network pharmacies, and non-network pharmacies. But there are some limits for filling prescriptions overseas. As described in the TRICARE Overseas Program Handbook, in some locations, you may have to pay up front and file claims to get money back on covered drugs.

Here’s a look at the different pharmacy options that may fit your needs and how they work overseas.

Military Pharmacies

Military pharmacies offer the lowest cost option when compared to the other ways you could get your drugs. Here are some of the benefits:

  • You get up to a 90-day supply of most covered drugs at no cost.

  • Most accept prescriptions from both civilian and military providers, regardless of whether you’re enrolled at a military hospital or clinic. You should call your local military pharmacy to ensure it carries your drugs.

TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery

In most cases, home delivery is your least expensive option when not using a military pharmacy. Home delivery is only available overseas if you have an APO or FPO address, or are assigned to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The following also applies:

  • There’s no cost for active duty service members. For all other beneficiaries, copayments apply for up to a 90-day supply of drugs.

  • You don’t need to file claims.

  • You must have a prescription from a U.S.-licensed provider.

  • Some drugs (for example, refrigerated drugs) can’t be shipped to APO and FPO addresses.

If you live in Germany, home delivery isn’t an option. As stated in the TRICARE Pharmacy Program Overview, you should fill your prescriptions at military pharmacies or overseas civilian pharmacies.

TRICARE retail network pharmacies

Network pharmacies are only located in the U.S. and the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. At these pharmacies:

  • You pay one copayment

  • A fixed dollar amount you may pay for a covered health care service or drug. for each 30-day supply of covered drugs.

  • You don’t need to file a claim for covered drugs.

  • Some maintenance drugs may be restricted to home delivery after two refills at a retail network pharmacy.

Non-network (Overseas) Pharmacies

In some cases, overseas pharmacies may be your only option. If you use an overseas pharmacy, you’ll have to pay the full price for your covered drugs, and file a claim with the TOP contractor to get your money back. 

  • With TOP Prime and TOP Prime Remote, you get 100% of your money back when you use an overseas pharmacy to fill your covered prescriptions.

  • With TOP Select, you pay a deductible and cost-shares.

What if you live or travel in the Philippines? If you need to fill a prescription in the Philippines, you must use a certified pharmacy. 

Getting your prescription drugs should be easy and the TRICARE Pharmacy Program ensures you have several options. Take command of your health and learn more about your pharmacy coverage overseas.