Can pharmacies refuse to fill prescriptions for over the counter medicines?

Our local pharmacy recently refused to fill a prescription for an over the counter allergy medicine. They told me that the Medicade insurance I have would not pay for it because it is over the counter. I am not sure they are allowed to do that- I have gotten over the counter meds at other pharmacies before. I would go to another but can't because it is a 45 minute drive to another one. Are they legally allowed to refuse to fill a prescription for an over the counter medicine because it is over the counter?
The only reason I am aggravated about it is because we don't have the money to pay for the over the counter meds- that is why we have medicade in the first place.
If anyone knows anything about this, please help. A good reputable source would also be nice so that if they are indeed doing something they are not supposed to I am going to report them.

i think medicare will not allow them to fill those over the counter prescriptions. they will probably fill the prescription if you want to pay for it out of pocket. i always see a sign at my pharmacy that says for medicare patients, the cheapest generic drug will be replaced instead of name brands, unless otherwise stated by your doctor. i think the pharmacy is in the right.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Medicaid routinely pays for certain OTC medications. Children's pain/fever relievers, cough and cold preps, certain vitamin supplements. The questions was about Medicaid, not Medicare. Each state has its own policies and drug formularies. Report It

yes they can, it's an over the counter med, that means no prescription needed

Have you tried to get this medication in the past? It's true that many insurance companies won't cover some over the counter products despite them being prescribed. Your best bet is to try and contact your insurance company to verify their policy on that specific medication. I doubt the pharmacy is trying to give you a hard time - they usually get paid about the same regardless of who pays for the medication.

Are you sure they refused to fill it or did they refuse to fill it for free? There is a difference. Do you know for certain that the medicine is covered by Medicaid in your state. Not every OTC medicine is. Just because it is written on a prescription form does not mean it is covered by Medicaid. They have very strict rules regarding what is and what is not covered.

I would check with another pharmacy or your Medicaid case manager to see if the medicine is actually covered first before blaming the 1st pharmacy. If it is covered then the 1st pharmacy may have been misinformed and the pharmacist working didn't completely understand Medicaid policies. Believe me, Medicaid is a mess of complicated rules and regulations, outdated technology, a jungle of red tape, policies that change with no notice or explanation, and most states do not have an easy or reliable way for pharmacists to access current lists of approved drugs and/or any restrictions on their use. And they continually cut payments to hospitals, doctors, and pharmacists year after year.