# Incident at the pharmacy, am I over-reacting?



## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

I've been thinking about this since it happened last night, and I need some unbiased opinions please.  Bear with me, it's sort of a long story.

My grandson has ADHD and he wears a patch on school days.  The patch is prescription called Daytrona.  I've been getting this filled at the Kroger pharmacy.  Kroger pharmacy is one who participates in the generic drug program, so they are always very busy.  I've been going there because a lot of my own medications are on the generic program so it saves me money.  Anyway, they are cheap, but they ain't quick.  It's usually best to drop off your prescriptions and come back the next day.

So I needed to get the prescription for my grandson's Daytrona patches filled.  He wore his last one on Wednesday, so I needed the refill on Wednesday.  My son dropped off the prescription on Tuesday at 2 PM.  I went back on Wednesday evening at 5:30 PM to pick it up.  When I got there, the prescription was not ready and they said they were out of it, and would I like for them to order it, that would take 2 more days.  WHAT  My question was, why didn't someone contact me that there was a problem with the prescription?  The girl who waited on me called 2 other pharmacies, none of them had the medication in stock.

So here I am at 6 PM, trying to find a pharmacy that could fill this prescription for me.  Finally found some at Walmart pharmacy so at 7 PM I'm sitting at Walmart waiting for it to be filled.  Finally get home with it at almost 8 PM.  And I'm royally pi**ed.

One of the other pharmacies I called told me that they don't fill many prescriptions for this medication so they usually don't keep it on hand.  It's also considered a controlled substance, so it takes a special order for them to get it.

So my question is, am I being unreasonable for expecting the Kroger pharmacy to notify me that they didn't have the medication on hand?  I gave them over 24 hours to fill the prescription, and I had no information that it was a problem.  I understand they can't contact all customers about problems, but couldn't they have an automated message or something that tells me there is a problem and I need to contact them?  I'm going to be looking on the internet today to try to find a corporate contact I can talk to about this.  IMO, the health care industry is non-caring and does not consider the customer  their primary concern.

Should I let this go, figuring all's well that ends well?  After all, I did get the medication, even though it wasn't easy.  What would you do??


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## Sienna_98 (Jan 26, 2009)

My sympathies on a frustrating evening.  All I can say is that our local grocery chain pharmacy operates the same way, that is you don't know until you go to pick up the medication that they are out of it.  I'm not sure why, but it only seems to happen with prescriptions for 'chronic' conditions as opposed to meds for 'acute' situations (i.e., when my doctor emails a prescription for an anitbiotic).  I no longer use that pharmacy for that very reason, even if it costs a little more for the prescriptions, at least I have them when I need them.


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

The pharmacies we use all operate the same way.  I always ask when I call or take a prescription in if they have enough in stock to fill it immediately.  By doing that, at least I'm not running around at the last minute trying to get a RX filled.  Believe me, I've learned the hard way that checking to be sure they have enough in stock to fill the prescription is  best.


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## austenfiend (Nov 17, 2009)

I understand your frustration, and unfortunately it seems that customer service, as a whole, is a thing of the past.  When I initially took my son's prescription for ADHD medication to the pharmacy, they told me up front that they would have to check to make sure that they had it.  After that, since it's a monthly medication, they always have it on hand.  However, when the dosage needed to be increased they again said they'd have to make sure they had it, and now they have it every month.

I'm sorry that it was such a stressful time, especially since it could have been avoided had the pharmacy been more proactive.


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

I think you have every right to be frustrated!  I use CVS, and they have fantastic customer service - at least mine does.  They autofill all of my prescriptions, and get an automated call when they're ready for pick up.  If there is a problem or question a pharmacist calls me.    

With that said, I went yesterday to get my thyroid med refilled (they called to tell me it was ready) and although it was a 90 day supply they only gave me 30.  I pointed it out, then had to wait for him to help everyone else before fixing it.  He was by himself and it was busy - but still - he should have fixed mine first.  Then again, they all know me by name (sad, right?!), so maybe they are used to my normal bright disposition and patience and thought I wouldn't mind.  

It's so sad to me how service has gone out the window - you should not have to sacrifice service for a good price!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Voice of dissent and experience here.  While I can understand your frustration, large/chain pharmacies cannot be expected to call you when they do not have something in stock.  In fact, they may not even be able to access your phone number to call.  Also, waiting until the day before to drop off a long term prescription is probably not the best idea. Although pharmacies try to maintain good inventory, sometimes unforeseen circumstances mean that they can't get things on short notice (snow storms in the Northeast can disrupt more than just vacation travel).  I think that the pharmacy did all they could, telling you when you came in that they could order it for you and calling around to see if anyone else had it in stock.


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## tlrowley (Oct 29, 2008)

I switched pharmacies over a similar incident (actually a string of them).  What really set me over the edge was when the original pharmacy gave me the correct medication (thankfully) but labeled for the wrong person - therefore I can only assume that the other lady got my bottle.  I assume this because the pharmacy couldn't tell me what happened and didn't seem to particularly care about the mistake.  This has to be a terrible violation if HIPAA privacy rule - I had the lady's name, birthday, address, doctor, and knew what she was being treated for (this is a pretty limited use medication)  All I really wanted was an acknowledgement of the error and a sincere apology and basically got a shoulder shrug and "it happens".

I don't always expect my pharmacy to have my prescription in stock, but I shouldn't have to wait for them every single month - they need better inventory management than that.  Surely their systems see that I fill that prescription every month and should be on top of keeping it in stock.  I can understand that sometimes they will be out of stock, but not every month - that's unacceptable IMO.

When we switched pharmacies, my husband discussed our concerns with the new pharmacy (it was a brand new store) and I think he put the fear of God into them.  He explained why we switched and that we would be filling these prescriptions regularly and they have certainly seemed more responsive and customer driven.  It's great that our end of town is finally seeing some competition.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

tlrowley said:


> I don't always expect my pharmacy to have my prescription in stock, but I shouldn't have to wait for them every single month - they need better inventory management than that. Surely their systems see that I fill that prescription every month and should be on top of keeping it in stock. I can understand that sometimes they will be out of stock, but not every month - that's unacceptable IMO.


A pharmacy can't assume that just because you've filled a prescription for x amount of months that you are going to keep filling it. Also, for chain stores, ordering may be centrally handled, and not linked into their dispensing computers.

Bottom line? Use a small mom and pop store. They are more likely to know you and make sure that your meds are stocked. But if your prescription changes, tell them, so they don't end up with stuff that just expires on their shelves. Large stores have no incentive to be nice to you, they make their money in volume and don't look at individuals.

Remember, while your meds ARE important, they are more important to you because they are yours. To someone who sees you once a month, wait, let's be realistic, here, to someone who sees YOUR prescription, not you, once a month, they want you served well, but they have 1000 other people to serve as well.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

I've fallen in love with mail order pharmacies for my long term prescriptions. Actually, let me put that on hold, we just switched health insurance and had to switch the mail order pharmacy so we'll see if I stay in love.

Anyway, our former provider used Caremark. They are run by CVS so its not one of those questionable ones in the back of a magazine. If you set your prescription up for auto refill and renew, then you'll get an email a few weeks before you run out telling you that it was about to be filled. I think I had a month's worth left when I got my last message. So, you get your next refill in plenty of time and your insurance doesn't throw up any flags about being refilled too early.

The generic drug program is nice, but check and see if your insurance uses Caremark or another mail order program. My family doesn't use anything special and most of our 90 supplies were $10. I think I had 1 that was $20. Of course, I'm lazy and like having things mailed to me rather than having to stand in line and drive around town.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't think you're over-reacting.  However, I think Scarlet makes a good point with pointing out that you took in the prescription the day before you needed it (never a good idea, and if it's something your insurance requires I apologize).  

I do think the pharmacy tried to be helpful by calling around, but I also agree that there should be some kind of notification system in place if there is a problem.  Walgreens has a text messaging service that lets me know when the prescription is filled, and I can do the refill request over the phone.  I really like their pharmacy service.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Find a pharmacy that will "auto-fill."  That way you have a better chance of finding out early.  My local grocery has an auto-fill program for prescriptions--they fill them every month and call me when it's ready.  That way it's in THEIR known "Need to have" stack.  You do have to sign up for it.  Of course, I also have to pay attention because if they "ran out" I don't think they'd tell me.

A mail pharmacy program works the same way--that way they know to have it and send it automatically.  You do have to pay close attention to when the prescription is running out and get the doctor to refill--that part is NOT automatic.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I can certainly understand your frustration. It's a pain to have the prescription and not be able to get the medecine. 
I use Walgreen's for my short-term meds and they are pretty good with their automated systems. I get a phone message, an email and a text when prescriptions are ready. I get the same notofication if there's a problem. 
For long-term or maintenance drugs, I agree with the mail-order philosophy. It's so nice to have the auto refills and the meds just show up in the mail. If this is something your grandson needs regularly, look into mail order.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

Thank you so much everybody for your responses. It sounds like my experience is pretty much standard operational procedure for the large chain pharmacies. But I can tell you it certainly has taught me a lesson. I won't let this happen again.

I do have a lot of experience with the mail order pharmacies, used them for years. But I recently switched my doctors and he changed several of my medications to generics, and I personally find it easier to pick them up locally while I'm doing my grocery shopping. I still have one medication that I still do by mail order because it's very expensive and there is no generic.

I really don't think the mail order service would work for my grandson's medication. His prescription is for 30 days, one strip per day, but we don't use it at all when he's not in school, so it lasts much longer than 30 days, but we don't run out at the same time each month. Plus, this medication must have a new written prescription every time, there are no refills allowed on it.

I now realize that I was stupid for waiting until we were totally out before getting the new prescription. I won't let that happen again either. You know, you just assume that you have a prescription, you walk in to the pharmacy, they fill it, you go home. Never had anything like this happen before.

I still maintain my opinion, I know, we are all entitled to them, that the health care industry is generally not very empathetic to their customers, the patient. I've had other bad experiences at pharmacies, even ended up crying one time (not recommended), but this is my HEALTH, my medication we are talking about!! I'm not buying a gallon of milk or a freakin' bottle of shampoo, it's *medication. * It matters!!!


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

PG4003 (Patricia) said:


> I still maintain my opinion, I know, we are all entitled to them, that the health care industry is generally not very empathetic to their customers, the patient. I've had other bad experiences at pharmacies, even ended up crying one time (not recommended), but this is my HEALTH, my medication we are talking about!! I'm not buying a gallon of milk or a freakin' bottle of shampoo, it's *medication. * It matters!!!


I totally agree with you on this one. I once had an absolutely horrid experience just trying to get into the doctor to have a pregnancy test done. I had made my appointment the way we were told, but then when I went in there they asked what it was for and the doctors refused to see me until I (with my husband's support) pitched an unholy fit. I was in tears by the end of it-- all I wanted was confirmation of pregnancy, and then to start setting everything up.

My point is that you are right, sometimes they forget that we are their customers and deserve caring service-- ESPECIALLY because it is our health.


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2011)

Not sure where you are but we get Rite-Aid automated calls here.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

foreverjuly said:


> Not sure where you are but we get Rite-Aid automated calls here.


I have a Rite-Aid about 3 blocks from my house, it was one place I checked for availability, but they didn't have it. The pharmacist there was actually very nice and explained to me that most pharmacies do not keep this medication in stock, because it's not very frequently prescribed.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Here's another bad pharmacy CS story... I had just had all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled and the dentist/oral surgeon gave me a script for that tylenol 3. The pharmacy was right next door so I walked over. And they got pretty irate when they couldn't understand what I was saying and I got pretty pissed off and until I loudly said in my best swollen mouth voice "I just had my teeth pulled out!!!!" did they apoligize and let me write down my name and address/phone number. And this was the hospital pharmacy.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

It's so odd that you are posting this issue today. The last three times I've gone to the pharmacy I've either gotten a partially filled Rx since they were almost out or told they were completely out of stock. Very strange. This was for my Rx for restless leg syndrome. 

I know the ADHD meds can't be set up on auto refill since they are a controlled substances. It adds another level of fun for those of us dealing with a hectic life already. You have to be mailed an rx slip each month, physically take it to the pharmacy, wait or come back. You also can't refill too soon, get more than one month at a time, etc...  

Ok - I'm not trying to open this up to a side discussion. Honestly. 

Maybe just call first next time. Or talk to the manager or pharmacist and let them know you'll be in each month and ask if they will carry it. Get a name and if it happens again just pull that person up by the neck hairs... just kidding... remind them they said they would keep it in stock. 

Good Luck!!

Jenna


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

MariaESchneider said:


> A mail pharmacy program works the same way--that way they know to have it and send it automatically. You do have to pay close attention to when the prescription is running out and get the doctor to refill--that part is NOT automatic.


Express Scripts at least sends me an email when a refill is due but a renewal of the prescription by the doctor is required -- I just got one today.  I'm on several maintenance meds and it's so much easier to get them by mail than to bother with the local pharmacy.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

(Haven't read the entire thread).

I have often had problems with my prescriptions at Duane Reade.  I still go there if I have short-term prescriptions, but I much preferred getting my prescriptions through mail-order for the long-term ones.

Now I'm not getting any prescriptions at all, because I haven't had health insurance since October 1st.  Have been tapering off of my anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication that I'd been taking for 9 years.  It's not easy.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Let me add that incidents and long waits in line are common at my pharmacy.


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## screwballl (Jan 4, 2011)

1) many of these pharmacies are run like the store... wait until the item is out THEN order more.

2) Since certain government programs were passed in the past 2 years, pharmacies are not allowed to carry "too much" of certain drugs which means when they run out it is usually a few more days and loads of paperwork just for them to get it back in.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

mlewis78 said:


> (Haven't read the entire thread).
> 
> I have often had problems with my prescriptions at Duane Reade. I still go there if I have short-term prescriptions, but I much preferred getting my prescriptions through mail-order for the long-term ones.
> 
> Now I'm not getting any prescriptions at all, because I haven't had health insurance since October 1st. Have been tapering off of my anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication that I'd been taking for 9 years. It's not easy.


I really understand about the anti-depressant medication, I feel for you if you are having to quit taking it after 9 years. One of my medications is an antidepressant, Effexor, and I think I would have to be hospitalized if I had to quit taking it. I tried one time and the withdrawal was horrendous. They don't tell you this when you start taking these medications, that it's usually a lifetime thing.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

I'm on an unusual medication for a condition that will  never resolve, and I've had the same problem. They have to order my meds every time, and after a couple of times when something has hosed up--they're out and I was never notified, or there was an insurance hiccup--I wound up spending a couple of very uncomfortable (and potentially life threatening if I were not able to keep up with fluids) days. I now call for the refill when I have 7 days' worth of pills left, just in case. 

It's irritating, but common...


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## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

For 13 years I have been making a monthly hour and a half round trip to the drs. office to pick up a script.  Controlled substance scripts cannot be mailed according to the dr. and have to be personally picked up every 30 days.  Then I have to deal with the pharmacy to get it filled.  Controlled substance scripts cannot be partially filled (if the pharmacy only has a few rather than the entire amount of pills needed) and then when the medication comes in the pharmacy can fill the rest of it. Therefore, the pharmacy must have the 60 pills we need each month.

With this prescription I developed a good customer relationship with the pharmacist at the grocery store pharmacy and I used to call a week before I took in the RX and tell them when I was bringing in the script and what the medication was and they would then make sure there was enough or had time to order it before I took the script in to be filled. Actually, it was the pharmacy that suggest this procedure.

Walmart, where we go now because this is no longer covered by insurance, is $200 cheaper per month than the grocery store pharmacy, but they aren't as "helpful" as the other pharmacy.  I now ask the Walmart pharmacist to check when I drop off the script and if they don't have enough (I usually have a 5 day lead time until the RX runs out) and won't get it before we run out, I have time to go to another Walmart.  I have, on one occasion, had to resort to Target who charges $55.00 more.

Dealing with doctors and pharmacies for prescriptions is a real adventure.


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## sheltiemom (Dec 28, 2008)

I totally understand the problems with the controlled substance prescriptions for ADHD.  My state requires a triplicate order and it has to be filled within 3 or 5 days - I think it started at 5 days and shortened to 3 while my son was taking it.  I tried my mail order pharmacy, but it took too long to get there.  The one time I sent it without overnight delivery, they had to mail it back and I had to take the prescription back to the physician.   His office staff was not happy with me.  I  learned to get the prescription and go directly to the pharmacy on my way home.  If they didn't have it in stock, I went to another one.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I'm in the process of switching my meds to mail-order now. Between the pharmacy not having my meds ready when I show up, overcharging me and them mixing in other pills accidentally, I'm fed up (luckily, the extra pills were only fluoride , but they didn't seem to be too concerned)


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

More least once, my pharmacy shorted me on my depression meds.  Turned out that they didn't have enough but didn't let me know.  I counted them that month because it looked like a smaller amount than usual.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

MariaESchneider said:


> Find a pharmacy that will "auto-fill." That way you have a better chance of finding out early. My local grocery has an auto-fill program for prescriptions--they fill them every month and call me when it's ready. That way it's in THEIR known "Need to have" stack. You do have to sign up for it. Of course, I also have to pay attention because if they "ran out" I don't think they'd tell me.


For this particular medication, because it's a controlled substance, it can't be put on auto-fill. A paper prescription needs to be presented to the pharmacist. It can't be called in, either. Just FYI.

Leslie, RN


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

Leslie said:


> For this particular medication, because it's a controlled substance, it can't be put on auto-fill. A paper prescription needs to be presented to the pharmacist. It can't be called in, either. Just FYI.
> 
> Leslie, RN


Leslie, you are correct. Every time we need a new prescription, we call the doctor's office and then someone has to personally pick it up. Must be someone who is approved to seek medical care for my grandson, and must show picture ID.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

I'm so glad I posted this incident here, and I really appreciate all the sharing of experiences.  Sounds like my experience was certainly not exceptional, but happens to a lot of other people.  I'm just going to have to be more proactive and responsible in getting the prescription filled in the future.  I've sure learned a lot from this, and I guess that's what matters, that we learn from our experiences, right!!


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## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

I've known pharmacies to not have stuff, but they've always told me.  I would have expected a phone call in your situation, too.  Pharmacies have always asked for my contact information before filling prescriptions, so they should have it on hand.

My pharmaceutical problems are more insurance related than pharmacy related.
    
Insurance saying that a prescription costs too much, so they will only fill the month's prescription a week at a time per co-pay, and only pay for half what the doctor prescribed for a week, to boot.

Insurance requiring a mail-order prescription for a special-order suspension for my daughter, even though they will only send pills.

Grr.


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## kdawna (Feb 16, 2009)

Recently I had in hand the prescription for my daugther's ADHD medication and I took it to the pharmacy and assumed it would be filled. It wasn't because even though the psych Dr wrote out the script, there was some kind of reauthorization that needed to be done by him through the insurance that he'd neglected to do (we found this out afterwards). The pharmacy wouldn't fill it even though she had been on the same med, the same dose for a couple years. I of course had no more ...... and she is not a fun child with out her med. I ended up making many calls to the insurance, the pharmacy, the psych Dr and and after a couple days we got her med. She was adopted so we use a medical card for her prescriptions, which is one of her adoptive subsities(sp?) Anyway.... thankfully I also have short acting doses of the similar med she is on that we can give her if we are going out in the evenings or late afternoons and want her to "behave". I had to give her that several times in a day until the long acting medication was filled. Running out of meds can be scary. They say kids are not addicted to these drugs... however... just let them not take them and they cannot function. Mabye some children can be without them but my kids problems stemmed from the biological mom's drug abuse history and it affected them and they have these problems. One is on the autism spectrum and also has ADHD and the med is what allows her to "wake up" and function. The other child has severe ADHD and other behavior issues and these meds allow her to be a nice , more pleasant child.... and she is able to do better in school.
  Brenda B.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

I've had insurance nightmares too.  I take 150 mg of Effexor every day, have for years.  I've tried to get off it several times but the withdrawal is terrible.  My doctor recently wanted me to try just taking 75 mg per day, and he gave me a new prescription for the 75 mg.  I had it filled via mail order because it's cheaper that way.  I took the 75 mg for several days and it just wasn't enough, so I just started taking 2 every day.  So of course I ran out much sooner than they expected.  When I only had a few left, I went to my doctor and he gave me a 90 day prescription for the 150 mg to mail in, and gave me a 30 day prescription to get filled locally, to hold me over until the mail order prescription was processed.  My insurance refused to pay for the 30 day locally filled prescription, even after several phone calls to them, they refused to grant an override.  I talked to them on the phone 2 times and they said they would pay for it, but then when I went back to the pharmacy and the pharmicist called, they still refused to pay for it!  I MUST have this medication every day, it's not optional.  I ended up having to pay $60 out of pocket for 10 pills to hold me over until I received the mail order prescription.

My daughter works at the hospital and she said it's a common problem for doctors, they must abide by what the insurance companies want.  If my doctor prescribes a medication for me, why does the insurance company have the right to say I can't have it??  There's something wrong with this system.  (Well, I guess the insurance company doesn't say I can't have it, but they do say that they won't cover it.)


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Any chance that your doctor has samples?


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

mom133d said:


> Any chance that your doctor has samples?


I did actually check that option, but they didn't have any at the time. Good suggestion, though.


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2011)

You guys are lucky you're even able to get prescriptions and health care. My husband and I haven't had health insurance since he was laid off almost 2 years ago. COBRA demanded $1300 a month to keep it and that was just ridiculous. I had to stop taking my asthma meds. Being without insurance is really scary. I need a mammogram and pap smear and my husband should be having the benign mass in his lower abdominal region monitored but with no insurance none of those things are possible. We are able to make ends meet but health care is just way unaffordable.


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

scarlet said:


> Voice of dissent and experience here. While I can understand your frustration, large/chain pharmacies cannot be expected to call you when they do not have something in stock. In fact, they may not even be able to access your phone number to call. Also, waiting until the day before to drop off a long term prescription is probably not the best idea. Although pharmacies try to maintain good inventory, sometimes unforeseen circumstances mean that they can't get things on short notice (snow storms in the Northeast can disrupt more than just vacation travel). I think that the pharmacy did all they could, telling you when you came in that they could order it for you and calling around to see if anyone else had it in stock.


I heartily disagree with you. That is a controlled prescription and she probably didn't have it that far ahead of time. Sometimes they won't fill it until the last day for a controlled prescription. Her grandson could have gone into withdrawal or had a serious setback of his disease. They definitely should have called and I would report them to corporate. I use CVS Pharmacy and they call me for everything. If they didn't call me to let me know they didn't have the prescription until I got there, I would be livide, controlled or not. In fact, there are some prescriptions that I have that are 90 days and are useed to treat a chronic condition. When they don't have enough to give to me for 90 days, I complain. I have been taking it for a long time, they should plan better than that. In my opinion there is no excuse for what they did and they should be held accountable.
Paula


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

mom133d said:


> Any chance that your doctor has samples?


In my state, NY, they cannot give out samples of controlled medications.


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## corkyb (Apr 25, 2009)

NYCKindleFan said:


> You guys are lucky you're even able to get prescriptions and health care. My husband and I haven't had health insurance since he was laid off almost 2 years ago. COBRA demanded $1300 a month to keep it and that was just ridiculous. I had to stop taking my asthma meds. Being without insurance is really scary. I need a mammogram and pap smear and my husband should be having the benign mass in his lower abdominal region monitored but with no insurance none of those things are possible. We are able to make ends meet but health care is just way unaffordable.


NYC Kindlefan: I live in Albany, NY and the American Cancer Society provides free mammograms and other cancer screenings around here for those without insurance. It may be limited by income; I am not sure of the particulars as I don't use it. There are other programs that do similar things. Please look into that for your mammogram and possible pap smear.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

NYCKindleFan said:


> You guys are lucky you're even able to get prescriptions and health care. My husband and I haven't had health insurance since he was laid off almost 2 years ago. COBRA demanded $1300 a month to keep it and that was just ridiculous. I had to stop taking my asthma meds. Being without insurance is really scary. I need a mammogram and pap smear and my husband should be having the benign mass in his lower abdominal region monitored but with no insurance none of those things are possible. We are able to make ends meet but health care is just way unaffordable.


I'm so sorry and I completely understand! I was without health care for the past couple years until the health care bill that passed recently went into effect a few days ago and I'm covered under my mom's insurance for another few months until I turn 26. I had to stop taking my asthma meds and paid almost $500 out of pocket to find out that I'm BRCA2+, but then didn't have enough money for a mammogram or pap smear. I am so thankful I have this small period of time to finally get all checked out while I'm covered again. I'm fortunate that I'm young and still relatively healthy and didn't have any huge health calamities. Good luck.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The federal stimulus package of 2009 paid 65% of my COBRA insurance for 15 months.  I paid the full amount (for single) the last three months, which was awful and then when that was over I stopped buying health insurance.  The only plans I could possibly buy are under HealthyNY and they don't cover everything (no mental health meds or doctor visits for same)

One of the lowest price places in NYC for mammogram is the Guttman Institute, but I used to go there and it's a very stressful place.  They are like a factory with so many patients waiting at the same time (in paper gowns).  They've called me back when their pictures didn't turn out well, and they have scared the hell out of me.  Once they said I needed a biopsy, but the doctor I went to for it wanted to see new films and they were fine, and he didn't find anything in the manual exam.   

My internist suggested Planned Parenthood for mammograms and pap smears.  I'm not sure that they do both, but you might call them.  She made some suggestions to me about low-cost alternatives because I was out of work, although when I saw her I still had insurance.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I've never had genetic tests.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

NYCKindleFan said:


> You guys are lucky you're even able to get prescriptions and health care. My husband and I haven't had health insurance since he was laid off almost 2 years ago. COBRA demanded $1300 a month to keep it and that was just ridiculous. I had to stop taking my asthma meds. Being without insurance is really scary. I need a mammogram and pap smear and my husband should be having the benign mass in his lower abdominal region monitored but with no insurance none of those things are possible. We are able to make ends meet but health care is just way unaffordable.


I'm so sorry to hear that, and I know there are many, many Americans who are in your same situation. Health care is so outrageously expensive, people just cannot afford it. I am very fortunate to have medical insurance provided as part of my retirement package, even though the cost keeps going up. The company I retired from no longer offers health care coverage for any employees who retire, no matter their years of service. It still scares me to think that they could possibly discontinue providing this coverage at their own whim, and then what would I do, just die I guess, because I'm not eligible yet for Medicare. Obama is right, something needs to be done about health care in America, but I sure don't know what the answer is.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

This thread has been so informative, and quite scary too.  It reminds me how incredibly fortunate we are in Australia when it comes to Health Care.  

Prescriptions are not part of the Health Insurance system.  We have the National Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.  Most drugs fall under this, so all prescriptions cost the same amount -  $34.20 ea.  If you are a low income earner, pensioner or unemployed, the cost for each script is $5.60.  There's also the 'safety net'.  Once you have spent more than $1300 on scripts in a calendar year, any remaining scripts you fill for that year cost $5.60.    My husband has two chronic conditions and  requires several medications, we usually reach the safety net around September or October.  Unfortunately, we cant "stock up" then because most of his scripts are controlled and are not allowed to be filled too early.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

NYCKindleFan said:


> You guys are lucky you're even able to get prescriptions and health care. My husband and I haven't had health insurance since he was laid off almost 2 years ago. COBRA demanded $1300 a month to keep it and that was just ridiculous. I had to stop taking my asthma meds. Being without insurance is really scary. I need a mammogram and pap smear and my husband should be having the benign mass in his lower abdominal region monitored but with no insurance none of those things are possible. We are able to make ends meet but health care is just way unaffordable.


I am the Coordinator of the Portland Community Free Clinic and you are the type of person who would qualify as one of our patients. Last year we provided primary care at no cost to over 600 men and women in Cumberland County, Maine. This includes mammograms and pap smears as well as many other services.

There's a Free Clinic in New York City. To learn more, go here:

http://nycfreeclinic.med.nyu.edu/

Yes, health care insurance is ridiculously expensive and many people can't afford it. Fortunately, we have safety net programs like Free Clinics to help people get the health care they need.

Leslie, RN


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Bah! The mail order place is saying the my prescription is "discontinued" which is BS because a) I have some in my hands that was filled last month and b) the manufacturer has a section on their site on how they have NOT discontinued the product. I finally corrected her and said so, you don't carry it is what you're saying, because the manufacturer has not stopped making it. The product in question was Midrin, for migraines.

So...now do I make do with what I have on hand until I see my dr in early Feb and get a new script? I was going to talk to her about a different migraine med that I read about and see if she thought I'd benefit from it. Or do I call her office again and try to explain why I am once again calling for a refill but to the local CVS who I know will fill it.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

mom133d said:


> Bah! The mail order place is saying the my prescription is "discontinued" which is BS because a) I have some in my hands that was filled last month and b) the manufacturer has a section on their site on how they have NOT discontinued the product. I finally corrected her and said so, you don't carry it is what you're saying, because the manufacturer has not stopped making it. The product in question was Midrin, for migraines.
> 
> So...now do I make do with what I have on hand until I see my dr in early Feb and get a new script? I was going to talk to her about a different migraine med that I read about and see if she thought I'd benefit from it. Or do I call her office again and try to explain why I am once again calling for a refill but to the local CVS who I know will fill it.


I think I would call the doctor's office and get a new prescription and take it to the local pharmacy. They should understand.


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