Not Your Mom

[Boomslang]

Okay, seriously.
You're big boys and girls now.
they are YOUR medications.
It is YOUR doctor.
It is YOUR insurance plan.
YOU call them!

Because really, coming in at 5pm two days before a major holiday and getting pissed at ME because your doctor hasn't refilled your meds yet and you're catching a plane in two hours is NOT MY PROBLEM. And no, I cannot just drop everything and call your doctor for you to expedite the process because there are 147 people in line behind you, the phone is ringing off the hook and my queue is exploding and every other person wants the same thing you do.

Also, YOU CAN REQUEST YOUR OWN VACATION OVERRIDES! Did you know? Yeah, there's a little 1-800 number on the back of your insurance card that you can call and say: "Excuse me mater but I would greatly appreciate an extra months worth of medication because I am leaving for Parts Unknown in precisely 36 minutes, ay wot?"

Pharmacy staff do NOT have a magic phone number that reaches your doctor or insurance company any faster than you can. And oftentimes, they will want to speak with you directly anyway. I cannot TELL you the number of times that I have had an insurance rep tell me: "Sorry but the patient needs to call us personally". And the number of times I have been told by patients: "I'M not doing that! That's NOT gonna happen! That's YOUR job!"

NO IT ISN'T!!!
You're big boys and girls now.
They are YOUR medications.
It is YOUR doctor.
It is YOUR insurance plan.
YOU call them!

Yeesh.

[Minflick]

A Failure to Plan On YOUR Part Is Not An Emergency On MY Part!

To Quote some lippy person pushed just a hair too far by some jerk.

[MoonCat]

This made me laugh, and I do sympathize. But in fact, my healthcare place has actually told me that my pharmacy needs to contact them to get a renewal on a scrip with I run out of refills. And the pharm's website even states that they will do it.

However, I am 100% aware that if I wait too long and run out of something and have to wait even longer while a new scrip it prepared, it's ENTIRELY my own fault.

[eltf177]

However, I am 100% aware that if I wait too long and run out of something and have to wait even longer while a new scrip it prepared, it's ENTIRELY my own fault.

This exactly! The pharmacy might need to do it, but can't on a moment's notice.

Look stupid, you didn't plan this vacation last night. So waiting until now to fill your prescription is just dumb and, guess what, NOT MY PROBLEM!

[Boomslang]

This made me laugh, and I do sympathize. But in fact, my healthcare place has actually told me that my pharmacy needs to contact them to get a renewal on a scrip with I run out of refills. And the pharm's website even states that they will do it.

100% correct and not a problem at all!
However, once we send those requests, we can't force the doctor to fill them, which is why we try to tell our patients: "Might be a good idea if you reached out as well, sometimes it expedites the process."

[taxguykarl]

Brings to mind a time that Mrs. TGK went on vacay with her niece, B. B had to refill a scrip but it would have been too past her flight time, she managed to arrange for a pick up of the refill at the mega-chain's Key West store.

[cindybubbles]

You're big boys and girls now.
They are YOUR medications.
It is YOUR doctor.
It is YOUR insurance plan.
YOU call them!

And if they are little boys and girls?

Still isn't your job; that's the job of their parents.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

100% correct and not a problem at all!
However, once we send those requests, we can't force the doctor to fill them, which is why we try to tell our patients: "Might be a good idea if you reached out as well, sometimes it expedites the process."

That's what I did recently when I switched my meds to mail order . . . I contacted the Dr's office to let them know to expect the fax to arrive within a day or two at the most so they could set me up w/90 day supplys on both my meds.

Of course it took THREE times to get the doctor to write the script for 90 days but I felt like if I didn't, the request might get lost in the shuffle.

[mathnerd]

And then there's the issue I had a few weeks ago.

My insurance company will only pay for three Epi-Pens per year. Not three prescriptions, but three pens. They come in two packs, and they can't be split, which effectively means they'll pay for one prescription a year. Now there's a relatively simple override for this limit for people like me, who wind up getting to know the local EMT's and ER staff quite well because avoiding my allergen is extremely difficult (I've had 4 reactions requiring a "lights and sirens" ride to the ER this year, and two others that weren't as severe, but all requiring epinephrine.) The override is pretty simple: the pharmacy staff has to call in and verify that the prescription came from an ER or hospital.

So the last time I went to fill the prescription, the very nice tech lady did exactly what she was supposed to do, and had done on multiple occasions in the past, only to be told that I had to call them. So I called them and they told me that she had to call them. So I handed the phone to her (as we were both frustrated at this point), and they argued a little bit. It ended with the pharmacy giving me my Epi-Pens and telling me they'd hash it out with my insurance company later (have I mentioned I love my pharmacy?). Last week when I was shopping, the tech waved me over to tell me the rest of the story, and it wasn't pretty, but they eventually got it worked out.

[justhere]

My insurance company will only pay for three Epi-Pens per year. Not three prescriptions, but three pens.

Won't go into fratching territory here (though that is taking some major restraint) but epi-pen does have coupons on their website to help with situations like yours.

[earl colby pottinger]

Trip plans

I am in Las Vegas right now. I checked my pills and knew I would have enough for the trip but when I return I will be very low in my pill count.

Will I wait until I return to Canada to order pills and then find out that my doctor had not renewed my prescription so by the time I get it sorted out I would have run out?

Of-course not, I am not a SC. Instead I went to drug store, explained my count and when I need the refills. Had they check my prescriptions (all were up to date) and ordered refills to be ready on the day I return from my trip.

This costed me about 30 minutes of my time max, and I don't need to worry about my meds.

What is wrong with SCs? They waste so much time fighting to get what they could have gotten if they just follow procedures.

[wolfie]

Brings to mind a time that Mrs. TGK went on vacay with her niece, B. B had to refill a scrip but it would have been too past her flight time, she managed to arrange for a pick up of the refill at the mega-chain's Key West store.

Assuming B is at least 21 years old, did she also get her prescription for EtOH filled at Jester's bar?

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I

Of-course not, I am not a SC. Instead I went to drug store, explained my count and when I need the refills. Had they check my prescriptions (all were up to date) and ordered refills to be ready on the day I return from my trip.

This costed me about 30 minutes of my time max, and I don't need to worry about my meds.

What is wrong with SCs? They waste so much time fighting to get what they could have gotten if they just follow procedures.

I suspect it's the same reasoning: if they piss and moan enough, someone will give in to them.

And with every SC I have encountered over the years: simple logic is lost on them.

[earl colby pottinger]

The thing is

I suspect it's the same reasoning: if they piss and moan enough, someone will give in to them.

And with every SC I have encountered over the years: simple logic is lost on them.

This could well be their very life they are paying games with. And for the more serious and rarer meds the store may not keep the needed stuff in stock, it needs to be ordered and delivered.

For example, I can live without my blood pressure meds for a few days, but I will notice the increase within 24 hours and in three days time it will get dangerously high. (This happened to me once, that why I take such care). But I am losing weight, watching my salt intake and still have these problems. A person with worse problems than I would be in the danger zone within 24 hours without their meds.

Why risk it?

[Slave to the Phone]

While I agree with everyone about taking responsibility for their own medical care, I just wanted to tick earl colby pottinger off. I also have high blood pressure, but my Doctor does blood work every 3 months and scolds me because my sodium levels are too low. I love salt. I salt everything I eat. I have been known to salt bacon.

My sweetie hates me. My friends hate me. My coworkers hate me. Now earl hates me as well.

No clue why this is happening, but I have a script for salt pills now. I'll bet the pharm techs hate me as well.