Have you ever found yourself in a situation like I just described above?

I have! It was that EXACT situation, and it was terrible. So I can tell you I never want it to happen again. Maybe you haven’t dealt with anything similar, so this whole “emergency antibiotics” thing seems like some distantly removed issue you’ll never have to deal with.

You may be surprised why you might need emergency antibiotics - so stay with me!

A few months ago, the folks at Contingency Medical reached out to see if we may be interested in testing out their process. At first I wasn’t sold on the idea. I had conveniently put that traumatic experience to the very back of my mind, so it was easy to think, “WHY would I just randomly need antibiotics?”

But, then after some thought, that memory, as well as several other reasons I might need emergency antibiotics, came to mind.

The first situation I thought of when having emergency medication on hand would have been ideal is one we are ALL familiar with. 

Let’s think back to just a couple of years ago (I know we have all tried to forget).

Pharmacies and medical offices were short-staffed, and supplies were low. Because of that, people everywhere were having a hard time getting the medicines they needed. There was no guarantee that you would have been able to quickly get an antibiotic if you had needed it. 

I know this may sound extreme, but another national state of emergency is not out of the question.

And, what if next time that emergency involves widespread power outages and computer system crashes? Doctors’ offices and pharmacies will likely find themselves severely limited in prescribing and dispensing medications. 

In that scenario, having emergency prescriptions on hand sounds like a pretty good idea right?

Then Robbie reminded me of a situation a few years ago when he cut his finger while on a week-long hunting trip. At first he just cleaned it up and kept triple antibiotic ointment on it, and it was fine. But, as the days wore on, he developed something like a cellulitis in his hand and wasn’t able to get an oral antibiotic until he got back home.

Thankfully that was just a few days, but imagine if it had been a two-week trip! Or a month-long overseas mission trip.

Before I share the other reasons I thought of that you might need Contingency Medical, let’s talk about what it is exactly.

Contingency Medical has three different emergency antibiotic kit options to choose from: The Go Pack that they say is ideal for travel, the Ready Pack which is their more budget friendly option, and the Ready Plus Pack that covers it all. 

We got the Ready Pack to have at home and to take with us traveling on occasion.

This kit can treat ear infections, cellulitis, diarrhea, respiratory infections, strep, urinary tract infections, vomiting, and more. 

Once I learned more about the conditions that could be treated with this kit, even more reasons to have one came to mind.

What if you are backcountry hunting in the mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, or Montana and find yourself on day two or three with a pretty horrible sinus infection and a sore throat reminiscent of strep throat?

You could cut your trip short and find the nearest urgent care that might be hours away. Or, you could already have the medication on hand to treat it. Don’t you think that sounds better?

Hopefully you would never need it, but having emergency antibiotics immediately when you need them could be a lifesaver. 

And, the final reason that made us decide to try Contingency Medical is just emergency preparedness, in general. 

We live in North Carolina where the weather has a mind of its own. One year everything could be shut down for a week because of an ice storm, and the next year we could lose power for a few days because of a hurricane.

Just a few years ago, my sister and her husband were stuck at home for almost a week with no power and only the water they had gotten in preparation for the storm. They weren’t able to leave their house for days because flooding had washed out some roads and still had the others covered. 

Thank the Lord nothing happened and neither of them needed medication at that time, but what if they had?

Suffering through a UTI for 4-5 days would not have been very fun. 

Once I thought through all those worse case scenarios, I decided to give Contingency Medical a try. 

I know most of us like to avoid thinking about the worst, but unfortunately those things do happen. And not thinking about them doesn’t stop them. So, why not be as prepared as possible if they do. 

Now we can’t really “review” the whole product, because, thankfully, we haven’t needed the medication, but I do want to tell you a little about the process. 

One important thing for me to tell you here is that these antibiotics are prescribed by a physician. 

When you order the pack that best fits your needs, you start by completing an online medical questionnaire. Then it is reviewed by a physician to make sure they aren’t prescribing anything you shouldn’t take. Then within about a week, the kit is shipped directly to your house from a pharmacy. 

Each kit comes in a firm-sided, zippered case, making it easy to take with you traveling or to store all together at home. 

The other important thing to note is that you get this prescription medication with expert guidance. 

First of all, each kit comes with a very in-depth description of each medication - what it treats, how to take it, contraindications, and possible side effects. But, more importantly, it also comes with access to a physician, similar to telehealth. That way if you do have cell service or internet access, you can have the added peace of mind of speaking to an actual physician prior to starting the antibiotics. 

According to the paperwork, the medication in the kit is good for a year. So for that year you can rest easy knowing that if you or someone in your family needs treatment in an emergency situation, you’re covered.

Q: Can I use my HSA/FSA to purchase the pack?

A: While each policy has the potential to be different, YES you can use your HSA to pay for antibiotics that come with a prescription from a doctor.  This is the process followed when their packs are prescribed so it should be covered.

Q: Do you take Insurance?

A: They currently do not take insurance.

Q: How long will the antibiotics in my pack last?

A: The antibiotics in the pack expire one year from the issue date, as do the symptom management medicines. There are ways to prolong shelf life, such as keeping the antibiotics away from heat and sunlight; however, once they hit the year mark the best way to ensure they are effective as possible is to get them replaced.

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I am grateful that thus far we haven’t needed to use the medications in our Ready Pack, and that it has sat on a shelf in our house.

I hope the year passes, no pills are missing, and we have to order a new pack. 

But, I am equally grateful that should we find ourselves in a less-than-desirable situation, we can take some comfort in knowing there is one less thing to worry about. 

If this sounds like something you would like to get for yourself and your family, you can use the code RTT to get $10 off when you use the links we’ve included throughout the article.