Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center has a pharmacy on our South Lake Union Clinic campus. There are four ways a prescription can be filled:
- Your health care team can send in a prescription before you arrive.
- You can drop it off at the pharmacy window.
- You can refill a prescription through MyChart.
- Call the pharmacy at 206.606.6500.
Filling a prescription may involve an average wait time of 30 minutes. We take multiple checks along the way to ensure you receive the right medication and dosage. Additional pharmacy services include:
- Mail delivery within Washington state. Talk to pharmacy staff about mail delivery options. Controlled substances are excluded from mail delivery.
- Prescriptions for caregivers.
- For patients enrolled in the specialty pharmacy programs, please access the welcome packet and review the specialty medication list.
Hours of Operation
We are open 365 days a year, including holidays.
Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Weekends and Holidays: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The retail pharmacy is closed from 12 to 1 p.m. for lunch on weekends and holidays.
Location
The pharmacy is located on the 5th floor of the South Lake Union Clinic in Building 1.
Main entrance to Clinic Building 1:
1354 Aloha Street
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206.606.6500
Holidays
The pharmacy is open on the following holidays, but holidays may affect hours of operation, the availability of shipping and when the next order of medications come in.
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Presidents' Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Day
Specialty Pharmacy
The outpatient pharmacy at Fred Hutch Cancer Center – South Lake Union is accredited as a specialty pharmacy by the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC). A specialty pharmacy is a pharmacy that carries medications that are used to treat complex, chronic or rare conditions. These medications often require special care with how and when you take them or how they are stored and handled. They may have side effects that require follow-up with a trained care provider, or the medication may be costly. Your local pharmacy might not carry these medications.
Filling Your Prescriptions
You can set up home delivery for most specialty medications. For each shipment, you must confirm your address, and that the specialty pharmacy can charge the co-pay to the credit or debit card we have on file. We cannot ship your medication until you confirm this information through MyChart or by calling the pharmacy. You must be home to sign for the medication when it is delivered. Your insurance may require you to get your medication from a different pharmacy. If this occurs, we will inform your care team and have your prescription sent to that pharmacy. If you have questions about where you can get your prescription, please contact us.
Refills
Please allow seven days for specialty medication refills. To request a refill of your medication you can:
- Call 206.606.6500 and use the phone tree to refill your prescription, or ask us to refill your prescription.
- Use MyChart to request a refill. If you do not have a MyChart account, you can sign up for an account.
If you are about to run out of medicine, please call the phone number on your prescription bottle.
For questions about your prescription, call the Fred Hutch Specialty Pharmacy at 206.606.6500 or your care team.
Medication Substitution
The Fred Hutch Specialty Pharmacy follows Washington state laws regarding generic substitutions. If we need to substitute another brand for your usual medication, we will call you first.
Paying for Prescriptions
All prescriptions must be paid for at pick-up. Touchless payment is available. The pharmacy accepts cash, checks, Visa, Discover, American Express and MasterCard. Valid photo ID required to pick up controlled substance prescriptions.
If You Have Insurance
- You will be asked to present your insurance card at your first visit to the pharmacy or if there have been changes in your coverage.
- You may be asked for a co-payment, which varies based on your insurance plan.
- Your insurance company may require that it authorize certain medications before covering them. In those cases, we will coordinate with your physician and your insurance company. Preauthorization can take up to two business days to process.
To find out whether your insurance company contracts with Fred Hutch and what percentage of your medication will be covered, call your insurance company or contact a pharmacy billing coordinator at 206.606.4734.
If You Have Medicare or Medicaid
Most Medicare Part D Prescription Plans contract with the Fred Hutch pharmacy. Some medications will be covered under Medicare Part B. If you have Medicare coverage, be aware of your “Coverage Gap” (also referred to as doughnut hole). For more information, go to www.medicare.gov.
If you have Medicaid/OS HS or a Medicaid Managed care plan you will not be able to pay for prescriptions out of pocket while an authorization is pending (refill too soon, not contracted with pharmacy, prior authorizations, overrides).
Financial Assistance
Free medication or help paying for it may be available through the medication manufacturer or a charitable foundation. See our financial assistance resource list or contact a Fred Hutch pharmacy billing coordinator at 206.606.4055 for this type of assistance.
Additional Resources
Sign up or shop for a new plan on Washington Healthplanfinder.
Disposing Unused Medications
To safely discard your medications:
- Visit our medication take-back kiosk at the Specialty Pharmacy.
- If your medication requires a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program, please call us first at 206.606.6500. Some of these medications have special disposal requirements.
- Sharps containers can be returned to the Alliance Lab on Floor 1 of the Fred Hutch South Lake Union Clinic Building 1 , or you can visit safeneedledisposal.org to find a location near you.
- You can also visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration website for take-back locations near you.
Pharmacy Resources
There are several resources that our pharmacy has available for patients listed below. These can all be found through Fred Hutch's patient education resources:
Prescription Refills Available Through MyChart
You can request a refill directly through MyChart or by calling 206.606.6500.