Anyone else having pharmacy issues? Our pharmacy has closed the drive-through window, won’t answer their phone, their voice mailbox is always full etc. I have to call in refills at least a week in advance and even then when I call to check on status I’m always told it’s “in process.” When I go to pick it up, it’s never ready. So, now I have to stand in a long crowded line, when our county has a horribly high Covid rate and I’d just as soon spend as little time in the grocery store (pharmacy location) as possible.
Then there’s the poor communication between Dr and pharmacy. I have 2 drugs that require a Dr’s approval for every monthly refill. I end up moderating a back and forth between the Dr and pharmacy as to who has or hasn’t sent/received approval. My refills are often late and this happens every month! I’m dealing with anxiety, and am currently tapering off one med and this added stress is not helping! Uggh!
Plus my 30 year PCP, who I loved, retired! Medical stress is a large part of my anxiety.
Are there any home delivery services available in your area? In some areas pharmacies without a storefront are making home deliveries at the same price as you would pay if you went to pick up at your local pharmacy.
I found a small business type pharmacy years ago and stuck with them. The relationship with the pharmacist has worked well, he seems to go the extra mile to get refills processed etc. They actually say hi when I walk in. Maybe there’s somebody like that you can get started with? I have always had a problem with the chain drugstores where they stare at their computer screen as they tell you what they can’t do,
@John58
Yes, we have one of those in town, but unfortunately they won’t deal with Medicare. So, I don’t really have much choice but the chain pharmacies.
Totally out of 2 meds today and just called the Dr’s office, the approval is still sitting on her desk. Uggh! I originally called it in last Tuesday and today is Monday! I’ve been with this practice for 29 years, and my original PCP retired in January. Double uggh!!
In the past when I had problems getting some mail-order pump or CGM supplies (I can’t remember which) approved and sent out, I called them every day to push it through their broken system. It was annoying and time-consuming but effective. Luckily they fixed their process at some point so I don’t have to do that anymore. (Maybe they got tired of me calling )
I think part of the issue is the labor shortage. The pharmacy closed it’s drive-through window, won’t answer the phone (just leave a message), and their voicemail is always full. I’m assuming due to lack of help. I brought in my new Medicare pharmacy card and no one knew what to do with it.
I had this issue with the local Walgreens in California years ago. Walgreens would say they never got the fax, the doctors would say they faxed it…back and forth calls. Constantly for prescriptions. I had never had that issue with Sav-on where I had previously lived. So I switched to the CVS in town and no more problems.
What really set me over the brink was Walgreens put me on automatic refill … but not just the prescription I was getting monthly. They put everything I had ever gotten a prescription for on auto refill status and filled everything I had ever ordered from them…luckily that was only for 2-4 years worth because of moving. And how I found out? I had sent my husband to get my prescription and he came home with about 8 prescription refills. I wondered what the doctors office thought when they okayed those various refill prescriptions. It was a mess to straighten it out.
Have no idea what the hold up is, but it would be worth mentioning it directly to the Dr. during your next visit/teleconference! I’ve found the office staff at some Dr offices seem to be either overly active (like setting me up for pods before the Dr and I discussed it) or overly lax like you’re experiencing now. Either way, a word to the Dr should help clear it up and put them on notice that you’re not enamored with them.
I recently had long wait at cvs drive thru. When it was my turn I asked the employee, who said they have several job openings, but no one applying. That was several months ago, and today I did a window pickup in less than 5 minutes.
Finally got my 2 refills today. I called the Dr’s office promptly at 8 am and was able to get a real person for a change, asked for the status of the refills, and was told they were waiting to be approved by the Dr. I had called them in exactly a week ago, which I told her. She asked how many I had left, and I said zero. Then I was told she would take it to the Dr herself and have them to the pharmacy today. Apparently you have to actually run out of your meds before they start taking it seriously.
@TomH
I’m planning on having a chat with the Dr about this next time. So I’m good… until next month when it happens all over again!
(It may be time for a different Dr, especially since the irony is that I’m on a taper off of an anti-anxiety med, and this just adds to the anxiety.)
Getting controlled substances is often a challenge as you usually can only get one month’s supply in many places and can’t get them through mail order. In our area ¶ the prescription needs to be printed on special paper and while the medical office I worked at was able to manually fax it to the pharmacy, we also needed to mail the original if we couldn’t get the paper prescription to the patient in a timely fashion. Also many pharmacies around here are no longer carrying controlled drugs.
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