Aa
Just can't understand.
So, I was waiting for DH to get paid to make an appt with the doctor. Eventually he was paid on Thursday, but it still wasn't enough and we had to pawn some things and saw the doctor on Friday. I told him that this month, at least, I would have to have my prescriptions filled at a local pharmacy with my insurance. I just can't afford $377 in meds this month after a $200 doctor's visit. I called a pharmacy before we went the 2 hours over to the doctor's office and they said it should be no problem with my insurance and living here with my doctor 2 hours away.
After the doctor I went straight to the pharmacy. They said it would be 45 mins. Well, about 45 mins later they came and said that they couldn't fill my prescription until Saturday, today, the day I am supposed to run out. Then they gave me the 5th degree about my pregnancy and the doctors I see. As if I was trying to do something wrong. Finally they came back and said (after 45 mins of having my prescriptions), that they didn't feel comfortable filling ANY of them and handed them back to me. I quietly informed them that there are published reports by doctors available to everyone on the internet if they ever care to look it up and left almost in tears.
I went to the next pharmacy that said they would fill it on Monday after talking to my doctor. I would have been there before the doctor's office closed if it wasnt' for the problem with the first pharmacy. The only problem is that I only had one day's worth of medication. So that means 2 pills a day when I am used to taking 4. I told them I may have to come back, but for now I needed to see if I could find someone who could fill my prescription on Saturday, now today.
We went to at least 10 pharmacies, big chain and not. Either no one had it or wouldn't fill it with my doctor being from out of town. Finally at about 8pm I had had enough. After being referred to another Walgreens from the Walgreens that filled it last week, I was told they only had 46 pills left. I cannot get a partial refill as I will lose the rest of my prescription. They were very kind and sympathetic there, though, so I decided to have the flexeril and phenergen filled and try to tough it out until Monday.
To add insult to injury.. When they went to fill the flexeril and phenergen they found that the original pharmacy that made me wait for 45 minutes billed my insurance for medications they didn't even give me! I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they didn't realize they had to reverse the charges since they handed the paper slips back to me. We did realize, though, that they probably couldn't do this on the oxycodone because it wasn't allowed to be billed until today.
So I am limping by on half a pill every 4 hours instead of one. I was able to get a 72 hour supply of phenergen and flexeril from the kind Walgreens pharmacy, but since my doctor only wrote the script for one flexeril a day (I didn't even notice until I went to have it filled), that was only 3 pills.
I have been bawling my eyes out all morning. The pain is not unbearable, I just don't understnad why these pharmacies can't see "This woman has a paper prescription signed by a doctor who may not be in this county, but is the only one who will see her for PM while pregnant." I have given them all the info and papers I can to prove that the doctor is legit, I am legit, and in pain. It's just so upsetting that they would rather make me struggle through the weekend, pregnant, than fill a paper prescription from a doctor with an office number, answering service and a website.
So the question is: Has anyone else had to get along with only half your medication? I know I can't go to the emergency room again, but if my heart won't stop racing and I can't stop sobbing, I may have to.
After the doctor I went straight to the pharmacy. They said it would be 45 mins. Well, about 45 mins later they came and said that they couldn't fill my prescription until Saturday, today, the day I am supposed to run out. Then they gave me the 5th degree about my pregnancy and the doctors I see. As if I was trying to do something wrong. Finally they came back and said (after 45 mins of having my prescriptions), that they didn't feel comfortable filling ANY of them and handed them back to me. I quietly informed them that there are published reports by doctors available to everyone on the internet if they ever care to look it up and left almost in tears.
I went to the next pharmacy that said they would fill it on Monday after talking to my doctor. I would have been there before the doctor's office closed if it wasnt' for the problem with the first pharmacy. The only problem is that I only had one day's worth of medication. So that means 2 pills a day when I am used to taking 4. I told them I may have to come back, but for now I needed to see if I could find someone who could fill my prescription on Saturday, now today.
We went to at least 10 pharmacies, big chain and not. Either no one had it or wouldn't fill it with my doctor being from out of town. Finally at about 8pm I had had enough. After being referred to another Walgreens from the Walgreens that filled it last week, I was told they only had 46 pills left. I cannot get a partial refill as I will lose the rest of my prescription. They were very kind and sympathetic there, though, so I decided to have the flexeril and phenergen filled and try to tough it out until Monday.
To add insult to injury.. When they went to fill the flexeril and phenergen they found that the original pharmacy that made me wait for 45 minutes billed my insurance for medications they didn't even give me! I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they didn't realize they had to reverse the charges since they handed the paper slips back to me. We did realize, though, that they probably couldn't do this on the oxycodone because it wasn't allowed to be billed until today.
So I am limping by on half a pill every 4 hours instead of one. I was able to get a 72 hour supply of phenergen and flexeril from the kind Walgreens pharmacy, but since my doctor only wrote the script for one flexeril a day (I didn't even notice until I went to have it filled), that was only 3 pills.
I have been bawling my eyes out all morning. The pain is not unbearable, I just don't understnad why these pharmacies can't see "This woman has a paper prescription signed by a doctor who may not be in this county, but is the only one who will see her for PM while pregnant." I have given them all the info and papers I can to prove that the doctor is legit, I am legit, and in pain. It's just so upsetting that they would rather make me struggle through the weekend, pregnant, than fill a paper prescription from a doctor with an office number, answering service and a website.
So the question is: Has anyone else had to get along with only half your medication? I know I can't go to the emergency room again, but if my heart won't stop racing and I can't stop sobbing, I may have to.
Wow. You have had a rough time. I am sorry to hear you had to fight with the pharmacy. It ***** when things like this happen. The stress it adds makes you hurt worse too I am sure. I have had to make it on WAY less medicine before. I am prescribed 90mgs of oxycodone a day for breakthrough pain (that's 6 of the 15s a day, two at a time) and have had to make it on 20mgs or less. It was rough pain wise but I didn't really have the withdrawals I was expecting...it wasn't the best week or two but I made it... you will too... hang in there... keep on keeping up. Good luck and write if you want to talk I am here!
I like the idea that Jaybay offered about the letter to the pharmacist. Great idea.
However it is my understanding that a pharmacist may refuse to fill any prescription by simply saying he's uncomfortable doing so. ....Except Contraceptives. This holds true for a physician or any health provider. They do not have to treat anyone, as long as they are not discriminatory.
I copied this right from the ....
"The Texas State Board of Pharmacy" website:
BEGIN
"Occasionally, pharmacists may refuse to fill a prescription if they believe that filling the prescription is not in the best interest of your health. Some of the reasons a pharmacist may refuse to fill a prescription include:
the pharmacist is concerned that the medication will interact badly with another drug you are taking;
the pharmacist believes that an excessive quantity has been prescribed; or
the pharmacist has an indication that the prescription wasn't issued by the doctor whose name appears on the prescription.
It is the responsibility of the pharmacist to contact the doctor for clarification if they have any questions about the medical correctness or legality of a prescription. By doing this, pharmacists perform a vital, final check prior to your taking the medication." END
I certainly don't agree with the pharmacist but I really do think he was within his legal rights....sorry to say!!
~Tuck
However it is my understanding that a pharmacist may refuse to fill any prescription by simply saying he's uncomfortable doing so. ....Except Contraceptives. This holds true for a physician or any health provider. They do not have to treat anyone, as long as they are not discriminatory.
I copied this right from the ....
"The Texas State Board of Pharmacy" website:
BEGIN
"Occasionally, pharmacists may refuse to fill a prescription if they believe that filling the prescription is not in the best interest of your health. Some of the reasons a pharmacist may refuse to fill a prescription include:
the pharmacist is concerned that the medication will interact badly with another drug you are taking;
the pharmacist believes that an excessive quantity has been prescribed; or
the pharmacist has an indication that the prescription wasn't issued by the doctor whose name appears on the prescription.
It is the responsibility of the pharmacist to contact the doctor for clarification if they have any questions about the medical correctness or legality of a prescription. By doing this, pharmacists perform a vital, final check prior to your taking the medication." END
I certainly don't agree with the pharmacist but I really do think he was within his legal rights....sorry to say!!
~Tuck
Wow, I'm just shocked in how you are being treated. This is unbelievable! I pray that you are okay and have all of this sorted out soon. I feel so bad for you going through all of this grief.
Thank you everyone! I was able to take some melatonin and get some sleep last night. I did wake up in the middle of the night for what seemed like a while, but I did get back to sleep which is huge to me.
I woke up this morning feeling a little better than I did last night. At least feeling like I'll make it through this.
Tuck, I may call the ER, that's a good idea. Jaybay, I will look up what the pharmacy laws in the State of FL. I am definetly going to have to deal with the pharmacy on the billing issue which alone could get them into a world of trouble. Skmedlin, it helps to know that others have been through it, thank you!
DH is off work today and will check with the major pharmacies to see if they have the medication, etc. I'm not sure if I'll be feeling up to going anywhere. Hopefully tomorrow I can bring the script to the second pharmacy and they can call the doc to verify. There is also the Walgreens that filled it last time who said they should be getting more in tomorrow, but they weren't sure. I'd rather go there if I can, but I have no idea what time, if at all they are getting it in.
I appreciate all the sympathy and empathy. You are the best group of online friends a girl could ask for!
I woke up this morning feeling a little better than I did last night. At least feeling like I'll make it through this.
Tuck, I may call the ER, that's a good idea. Jaybay, I will look up what the pharmacy laws in the State of FL. I am definetly going to have to deal with the pharmacy on the billing issue which alone could get them into a world of trouble. Skmedlin, it helps to know that others have been through it, thank you!
DH is off work today and will check with the major pharmacies to see if they have the medication, etc. I'm not sure if I'll be feeling up to going anywhere. Hopefully tomorrow I can bring the script to the second pharmacy and they can call the doc to verify. There is also the Walgreens that filled it last time who said they should be getting more in tomorrow, but they weren't sure. I'd rather go there if I can, but I have no idea what time, if at all they are getting it in.
I appreciate all the sympathy and empathy. You are the best group of online friends a girl could ask for!
In Florida the Pharmacist also has the right to refuse any prescription they are not comfortable filling. You can write the Pharmacy Board a letter and complain to their boss but it will not get you anywhere. I have been there.
I had dropped off a prescription at Publix and waited and hour only to find it wasn't filled because the Pharmacist said my ID was expired so I went to the DMV and updated it and went back and she still refused to fill it.
I spoke with her boss the head Pharmacist and he told me that she can indeed refuse to fill it based on her own opinion but he would fill it. I of course went elsewhere.
I wrote to the Pharmacy board and also to the CEO of Publix.
I have always said it is best to use one pharmacy and build a relationship with the pharmacist so he/she knows you and your condition but after my recent experience I even question that.
it is very difficult for people who do not understand what it is like to live in pain to grasp what we go thru each day.
I do realize that pharmacist everywhere deal with those trying to forge narcotics and get early refills by lying but you cant treat every patient the same.
We as legitimate CP Pt's deal with much more than we should have to. It is really sad that we have to look sometimes for years for the right Doctor but then to have to search out a pharmacist that does not view us as just looking for a high is really too much!
We need to do more, I know it is hard with all we have to do but nothing will be done unless we do complain and write our state representatives and government reps too!
I had dropped off a prescription at Publix and waited and hour only to find it wasn't filled because the Pharmacist said my ID was expired so I went to the DMV and updated it and went back and she still refused to fill it.
I spoke with her boss the head Pharmacist and he told me that she can indeed refuse to fill it based on her own opinion but he would fill it. I of course went elsewhere.
I wrote to the Pharmacy board and also to the CEO of Publix.
I have always said it is best to use one pharmacy and build a relationship with the pharmacist so he/she knows you and your condition but after my recent experience I even question that.
it is very difficult for people who do not understand what it is like to live in pain to grasp what we go thru each day.
I do realize that pharmacist everywhere deal with those trying to forge narcotics and get early refills by lying but you cant treat every patient the same.
We as legitimate CP Pt's deal with much more than we should have to. It is really sad that we have to look sometimes for years for the right Doctor but then to have to search out a pharmacist that does not view us as just looking for a high is really too much!
We need to do more, I know it is hard with all we have to do but nothing will be done unless we do complain and write our state representatives and government reps too!
I was just talking to my husband about your post, and told him that from now on I am always sending him to get my scripts jic. He said "Oh, but they know all about your condition in their computer. Last time I was there they said 'I see she just came out of surgery, how is she?' So they probably have that you're pregnant in there, too." WHAT? I did not know my information was so "out there" for any eighteen year old kid behind a pharmacist's counter to read?! And also, I think that bit they gave you about not being able to fill the partial prescription is total BS! Last time they only had so much of one of my medicatons they gave me what they had, ordered the rest, and gave that to me when it came in. I can't believe they did that to you!
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