 |
| Double Colored Rose |
Today, I called CVS, the current pharmacy which will no longer mail my prescriptions, to ask them to do a pharmacy to pharmacy transfer of my prescriptions. Supposedly, an easy thing to do as these things can be done electronically. Well, the first time I called and went through the menu options and selected "speak to pharmacy staff", I waited for over 20 minutes to be transferred. Then, I hung up, waited 10 or 15 minutes, and called back. Success! This time, I had a minimal wait to be transferred!
After I had identified myself, given my name and birthdate, etc., I explained the reason for calling. I verified, again, that they no longer mail the prescriptions and told them that I needed to switch pharmacies to one that will mail them. Could they please call the new pharmacy and transfer my prescriptions? I was informed that they will not call the new pharmacy, the new pharmacy would have to call them, instead! But, I was told by the pharmacy customer service, yesterday, to have the old pharmacy call them. Nope, they will not do that. Sigh.
So, I called the new pharmacy customer service again and told them what CVS had said and asked if they would call CVS. "No, Ma'am, we do not call them; they need to call us!" It ended up with me giving the new pharmacy customer service representative the list of my medications (and it's by no means a short list!), the dosages, the name and phone number of the prescribing doctor, etc., etc., etc. They will fax their standard prescription renewal form to the various doctors and after the doctors' offices return the filled out forms, it will take them up to 5 business days to process the information, verify with insurance when they are next due for renewal (since I receive a 3-month supply at a time), and once the order has been filled, then, it will take however long it takes the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the medications to the house!
I have upcoming appointments with both my oncologist (at the end of this month) and my primary care physician (in February), so I can explain to them what is going on with the pharmacies, if needed. I also have enough medications to last me until then, if needed. Except...
What about the prescription that has been filled recently and is waiting to be picked up, which started this whole thing about medications no longer being mailed? I am going to need that because I have come to the end of my current supply. I wasn't sure if I would have enough to wait until doctors have been faxed and faxes returned, etc.
So, in the end, I asked daughter to mask up and go into the pharmacy to pick up the medication that was ready for me. She was kind enough to do so (I went with her, but, stayed in the car, ready with my mask if the pharmacy staff insisted that I had to come in and sign for my medication; fortunately, I didn't have to go in). It was one of my blood pressure medications and my daughter said that the pharmacist had asked her if I had severe hypertension! My daughter had replied that I have hypertension. "But, is it severe?" She said she replied that this is a medication my doctor had prescribed and I had been on it for several years. Then, the pharmacist had said, "OK" and given her the medication! What was that all about? Daughter said that one of the other pharmacy staff, who has seen her before, had greeted her and said it was nice to see her again and glad she is back home, etc. I noticed that the price of the medication had gone up, too.
That was enough excitement for one day, as far as I was concerned. After we came home from the pharmacy, I brought in the trash cans, did the dishes, caught up on some blog reading, etc. I had a bowl of leftover tomato/vegetable soup for dinner while daughter had leftover quinoa and ground beef mixture.
Earlier in the afternoon, I walked around the garden, took the photo of the rose shown above, and picked two oranges which I cut up and shared with daughter. I also spotted this fellow on the side of the garage wall:
 |
| Differential Grasshopper? |
- Helpful customer service reps
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and back
- Roses in January
What a catch-22 situation with the pharmacies. Things that should be so simple are not easy at all.
ReplyDeleteI hope things get sorted out a little easier now, but I would hate to rely on the P.O. for delivery. Lately it has been a crap shoot here.
So glad your daughter was able to get the meds for you!
It was very frustrating dealing with the pharmacies to switch over, but, it seems to have worked well, so far, anyway! I've received texts and notifications from the new pharmacy that certain medications will be filled and mailed to me, giving estimated dates of mailing, etc. I had been told to call back in response to their texts and I called on the first one. I haven't called back on the rest of them! So far, the USPS has been good about delivering my meds, these past couple of years.
DeleteSuch a blessing that daughter was here to pick up my meds. If she wasn't here, I supposed I would have worn my N95 and gone in, myself!
The business with the pharmacy sounds like a lot of hard work. Some businesses go out of their way to make it hard to leave them. I hope that there are no ill effects from this.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that bug is far too big. I swear there is a dog down the street that is smaller. I don't know if I would have the courage to go out into the garden if I faced bugs like that! Great pic, though.
I hate having to talk to companies over the phone! I'd much rather go in and speak with someone in person. But, anyway, I think the switch over has happened! The new pharmacy has contacted me saying they will be processing my medications and sending them to me in the next week or so. I'm happy!
DeleteOops! Sorry about the too big bug! :D I did enlarge the photo when I posted it on the blog! Next time, I'll try to keep something next to it to show the relative size! But, it wasn't exactly small! :D
I think CVS has grown too big. They are always understaffed which can result in frustrating situations. This transfer sounds like a pain, but I tell myself in these kind of situations that at least I have insurance. We will continue to use CVS because that's where our insurance says we have to go.
ReplyDeleteThey are understaffed and while the staff they have are very friendly (I've made friends with several of them), they have to comply with the rules set for them. I can still use CVS with my insurance if I need to, but, I have to pick up my medications; they will not mail them to me. If I want things mailed, then, I have to use the mail order pharmacy. So far, the mail order pharmacy seems to be processing my medications in a very timely manner; I've been notified that they are getting my prescriptions ready for mailing! I am very, very grateful to have health insurance! That is a blessing!
DeleteOh gosh. Not fun! Why are these things so hard with one person or company telling you one thing and then getting different info from another?
ReplyDeleteWe switched prescription providers this year and my husband had medicine already filled on the old plan waiting to be picked up (CVS). It was a bit tricky but it went a bit smoother than what you've been through.
You seem to have handled it though and got things straightened out so that's good. I'm glad your daughter was able to pick up the prescription waiting.
We need to take my husband's car into the shop this morning as it's making a very loud noise - uh oh
I'm preparing Honey Sesame Chicken to go in the crockpot in a little while. We will have that tonight.
It was not fun and I hate talking to people over the phone to sort these things out (much prefer to talk to them in person), but, yes, the switch was made and it seems to be working well! I was notified by the new pharmacy that they were processing my medications. I hope future shipments will also go smoothly.
DeleteOh, I do hope that the car doesn't require major repairs! I need to take my car in for a service, but, I'm going to wait a little longer - it's not like I drive it every day, anymore, and although our new case number has come down a little bit (as of yesterday), it is still over 34,000!
Yum! Honey Sesame Chicken sounds so good! I must suggest it to daughter! :D
Sorry you had to go through that hassle for your medicine. I love the convenience and savings of having my medicines mailed to me instead of picking them up at the pharmacy. I now have a niece working as a pharmacy tech and apparently all the pharmacies are drastically understaffed and the whole health insurance industry makes it more complicated than it should be, not only for us but for the pharmacy as well. In the end I have found that having the doctor's office send things electronically is the best place to start. I don't think the pharmacies want to help the competition in any way. You are lucky that your insurance will give you pharmacy options, that is not always the case. You might want to mention the pharmacist's comment to your doctors when you see them, just to get clarity.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susanne. I used to prefer picking up my medications in person and avoided having them mailed to me, until the pandemic struck and then, I realized having them delivered by mail wasn't so bad! :D
DeleteYes, I know how understaffed the pharmacies are. One of my nieces is a pharmacist and so is a friend of mine; I'm also sure they don't want to lose their customers to another pharmacy!
I will mention the pharmacist's comment to my doctor when I see her. The thing with my blood pressure is, we've tried different medications and adjusted the doses several times. I am taking half the dosage of this one medication now than I used to and am on a "maintenance" combination that seems to work. We might have to readjust the dosages once I lose another 10 lbs., perhaps. That's the next goal! :)
Hearing your woes with your pharmacy makes be doubling glad that our little village pharmacy is owned by a neighbour - we couldn't be in better hands if & when we need a prescription filled. Let's hope that getting things switched over will prove to be less hassle in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThe switch seems to have been made without too much trouble after the initial hassle of who is to call whom! I've received notifications, today, that the new pharmacy is in the process of filling out the prescriptions! Hopefully, everything will work out well from now on!
DeleteI hate all the hoopla involved with switching pharmacies (and doctors, for that matter). I just lost my long-time primary care doctor and have to start all over again with a new one. I like her a lot so that is a bonus-but then to have to explain the WHYS of how my other doctor did things....oh well.
ReplyDeleteGlad you seem to have things sorted out now and hope the process goes smoothly. xo Diana
I, too, hate to change, especially when I am more or less comfortable with how things are! I hope your new doctor will work with you to understand why things are done the way they are!
DeleteThat is such a beautiful rose. I'm glad your daughter was able to collect your medication for you and I hope the transfer of pharmacies goes smoothly and you're back to having your medicines delivered again, what a palaver.
ReplyDeleteIt is one of my favorite roses, Eileen, no two flowers have the same colorings. So far, the transfer seems to be working well; I've received notifications from the new pharmacy saying that they are working on my prescriptions. Let's see how it all works out! :)
DeleteI feel really cross for you with the changing pharmacy fiasco. They seem to go out of their way to make it difficult. It worked the other way for me when I changed - I just has to create an account with the online pharmacy and then tell my GP surgery that I wanted to use [insert pharmacy name] for my prescriptions, so every time I request a prescription it is sent automatically to the pharmacy and they send the meds to me. It was the same process for the meds that are authorised by the hospital. I hope all that you've had to do has sorted it all out properly ... it's just another unnecessary worry, isn't. Well done to your daughter for going inside to collect your latest prescription.
ReplyDeleteI had my piano lesson today ... we spent most of the time talking about my new piano and I think C may be more excited than me!!
Thank you, Eileen; I think it all involved a bit more drama than strictly necessary, but, I think it is sorted out, now. The new pharmacy seems to have received the authorizations needed and has notified me that they are working on filling the prescriptions. Hopefully, it will work smoothly from now on. In the future, the doctor's will send the authorizations directly to the mail order pharmacy, unless I need it filled immediately, in which case, I expect to run into some confusion, because then, I might has to ask them to send it to the pharmacy where I can pick it up! Oh, well, we'll cross bridges when we come to them! :)
DeleteSounds like you and C are both excited about the new piano! It'll be a pleasure to play on it, I'm sure. :)
I think those pharmacies are playing "ping-pong" or just passing the buck. I suppose everyone is so fed up that they don't feel very helpful. At least you were able to get the current prescription picked up by your daughter. It is good that this latest issue is getting sorted out before she leaves.
ReplyDeleteI like your large grasshopper. We get some strange ones in summer, some of them seem to fly! I haven't done any research to name them.
Our possible visit from family will likely be delayed, writes DS, because DDiL has been ill now and he is not feeling right yet. Better news is that DH and I are booked for our booster shots on Friday.
The pharmacies were definitely passing the buck! But, it seems to have been ironed out now, because I've received notifications from the new pharmacy that they are working on filling my medications! I called them once, this morning (I'm supposed to call to verify when I get the notifications, at least at the beginning) and I've received another notification since then, so I guess I'll call again, this evening.
DeleteI'm not sure if I've identified the grasshopper, correctly, but, I enjoyed seeing it!
Oh, no, Bushlady, I'm so sorry to hear that the family visit might be delayed, again! I understand it is best to avoid visiting with illness going around, but, it must be so disappointing for you. Let's hope that the visit can still take place, later in the month. (((HUGS))) Glad to hear about getting your booster shots booked! Hope neither of you will have any side effects. Drink plenty of water/fluids prior to and after the booster shot; I've heard that it helps.
What a hassle! They don't seem to be very helpful at all. I'm glad you got it sorted out. It was nice of daughter to go and pick up your medication for you.
ReplyDeleteI love the rose. It is very pretty.
Thank you, Sharon; yes, it was a bit of a hassle, but, it seems to be sorted out, now. It was very good of my daughter to pick up the meds for me. She goes out of her way to keep me protected from the virus, bless her.
DeleteIt's a very pretty rose, isn't it? One of my favorite roses (although I've forgotten the name!)
Gosh, I hope they gave you some Tylenol as well. It must have given you quite a headache having to deal with all of that. I hope it is all sorted for you now and that you have one less thing to worry about. X
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, no Tylenol, but, yes, it seems to be all sorted out, now. :) Thank you, Jules.
DeletePleased you sorted your pharmacy out even it was a hassle. its done now.That's a a good shot of the grasshopper, never seen one like that before. Lovely rose, do you ever get frosts?
ReplyDeleteWe had 2 moderate (5 and a 6)earth quakes here in NZ, one in the south island this afternoon and the other not too far from me this morning. So checked my earthquake kit was up to date, I have decided to upgrade my hand crank radio and torch to a model that has solar as well and a connection for charging cell phones, every thing else was okay except some of the food was near expiry so need to sort that.
Thank you, Sharon; yes, it is all sorted out, now. We don't usually get frosts where I live, but, very occasionally, the night time temperatures can get down to around 34F.
DeleteOh, my, you had two earthquakes in one day! I'm glad you are safe and hopefully, no damage to your home. I, too, have a hand crank radio/torch! I shall look to upgrade it to solar powered! Thanks for mentioning they have them! I hope you can restock with newer food and use up the ones near expiry. :)