I got my pump and Dex prescriptions from a general practitioner about 2 years ago. He had never done those scripts before, so I did all the paperwork for him ahead of time, printed out the forms (got them from the Insulet and Dexcom websites), filled them out, etc. I made an appointment with him, brought the paperwork and told him what I needed and gave him the forms.
Last week I called the supplier and put in a request for my next 3 months of Dexcom. They said they would submit it, etc.
I called the supplier yesterday to get the status. I was wondering if I needed to go back to the general practitioner to get the prescription renewed, since it had been a few years. My supplier told me no, everything was processed and they were shipping it.
So I asked them about the prescription I had, like how long it was for. And they told me it was written for… 99 years!
How’s that for awesome? Like you know how some endo’s make you go every few months and do all the BS stuff? This GP I went to, only 1 visit and I am done!
As long as the insurance company does not balk at it and tell me I need to go back, I don’t need another prescription for either the omnipod or Dexcom. I had no idea he had written it for 99 years.
Wow, that is incredible and wish that was standard care! My Dr finally stopped renewing my prescriptions after a couple year hiatus until I promised to make an appt which I did. My guess is that your Dr realized that both insulin and pump were critical for life so he did the common sense thing and wrote them for life enduring expiration!
The more I learn about the US health system, the more grateful I am for what I have here in Australia. My insulin prescription is for 2 repeats (I think), but you have to fill both scripts within 12 months as they expire. Each prescription is for 5x boxes of penfills which is 25 vials.
Thankfully, I don’t have to concern myself with insurance companies. As long as I have my prescription with me, I can walk into any chemist in the country and walk out with insulin. And because I’m a disability pensioner, my prescriptions cost is capped at $6.80 AUD for each script. When I need dexcom sensors, I have to just call the chemist I use all the time, and put in an NDSS order, and it will arrive the following day. I also get all my sensors for free (because I’m a pensioner and a type 1).
That’s amazing! I’m so glad you have those resources at your disposal. I pay 80(USD) for my bolus and 40(USD) for my basal. Currently volleying between RX and medical insurance to see if I can get my Dexcom supplies covered.
I went to create a new topic and found this one… I am wondering if Dexcom users’ doctors write refills for their dexcoms so that they can consistently refill theirs without having to request every 3 months? I just returned to seeing an endo after … 20+ years of having my PCP write all diabetes prescriptions (she easily wrote refills for me) and I have sent in a request to have refills attached to Dexcom prescriptions, but I am wondering what’s standard? My Dexcom alarmed in the middle of the night (!!) that it will die in two weeks and now I’m scrambling a bit to get a new transmitter in-house (I also just switched mail order to CVS Caremark, which seems much more reliable billing-wise than crummy NE Home Medical, but I’m not sure of timing) (NEHM would also send two transmitters at a time while CVS seems to only send one). Any tricks I need to know? Thanks! Jessica
@JessicaD,
I get mine done automatically at 3 month intervals. Only 1 transmitter at a time, and 9 sensors at at time.
So a 3 month interval and a 3 month supply.
But it is automatic. I **don’**t need to get a new script every 3 months! Your doctor should be able to write a script in that way. Ask them to do that. (You will probably need to see the doctor once a year to get all of that done. They can’t do scripts after 1 year, I think is the rule they follow.)
And with CVS, just tell them to do auto-refill and you don’t have to do anything else.
In the meantime, I can send you a transmitter and sensors if you need anything while you are getting it sorted out.
Thanks so much @Eric. I think I will be ok on timing with CVS – endo has already sent in the refill so it should process quickly and I have 14 days left on the transmitter (and of course it alarmed in the middle of the night given my midnight sensor starts!!). I do think I need to call CVS Caremark and go through customer service hell to find someone in the know on how to get this set up for delivery in a way that isn’t re-creating the wheel every three months. I can’t see Dexcom sensors or transmitters as a “prescription” in my record, only as a past “order,” even though they seem to have processed as a prescription, not DME. Also, I don’t order sensors and transmitters at the same time b/c I often restart sensors so don’t need them as frequently. Phew! Will get it squared. Thank you again!
Mine is same as Eric, except the shipping isn’t automatic. Every 2.5 months or so I request a refill of the sensors and transmitter via the ExpressScript website. If there are 0 refills then ExpressScripts requests a prescription renewal from my Dr. It would be great if this could be automatic like it is for my insulin.
