Anybody else had this problem with routine meds?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

I have called in routine monthly refills for things like Armour thyroid, decongestants, blood pressure medicine and such.

The pharmacy calls the doctor over and over. I did not know who was lying, because I got BS answers from both the doctor's office and the pharmacy.

However, the pharmacy keeps a database and I talked to the pharmacy techs. I have had to make ten phone calls over several days to make sure they are filled before I go to the store to get them.

The techs say that many doctors hate to refill routine meds and that they have to call numerous times to get them. They say that the doctor's office is doing this to get the patient to come in more often, while lying to the pharmacy.

This started last summer. I have gone to the same internist for over twenty years. This used to not happen. I have been taking three BP meds since 1990, and I have been taking Armour thyroid since 1966. I have no insurance.

Anybody else had to deal with these hassles? I have written letters to the doctor asking them who is holding up the refills, and I can only get information from the pharmacy techs.


:wtf: :shrug: :banghead: :grr:

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Maybe you have to see the dr in person to get an answer.

But I have have heard stories of doctors not filling prescriptions because they want you to come into the office.
It may not be the dr himself, but one of his office staff that is doing this.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. I am not having this problem with my routine meds...

Sounds like your doctor is not on the ball, sad to say...

My doctor is very good about refills...

He gives me enough refills to last about a year.

Maybe you should talk to your doctor the next time you have a checkup...

I'm really sorry to hear you have no insurance too...

What a hassle!


:hug:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

3. I think it's someone on his staff.

I do not understand why there is a major hassle. The pharmacy has told the dr's office that I am calling the pharmacy every day and telling them I need my meds.

I have talked to his nurse practitioner about this, that I see now. I told her I think the office girls are overworked, because I don't know why they are doing this.

This is a big hassle because I go to Houston to get my stuff at Costco, and have to drive 140 miles once every month to do this. I don't want to go back to Walgreen's which is the closest chain pharmacy to where I live now.

[sandnsea]

7. Yes it's the staff

Is there a medical director at the clinic?

Do you ever say you hope you don't die? Do you say you get a little nutso without your thyroid medication? You have to make them nervous to get them to take care of you.

[KT2000]

4. Thought that there was a law

that you had to see the dr in person once a year to get the prescriptions filled for the next year.
If I go over a year they will give me a week or two of the meds while I make the appt with the dr but no more after that.
Don't know if this is state law or what.

[Sanity Claws]

17. That's how I thought it worked too

I don't know whether it is by law or just considered good medical practice. You mentioned a thyroid medication; I know my doctor likes to retest my levels to see whehter the dose should be changed. It is not uncommon for Armour or Synthroid to be adjusted every once in a while.

[glowing]

5. I wouldn't be surprised.. If you are one with insurance, then the Doc office

wants you to come in.. they need to get paid. With the economy like it is, many are losing their insurance and many are not going to the doctor for anything. Many are using those little CVS clinics to treat their cold or flu and skipping the more important routine check-up... Ours healthcare system is a joke. It doesn't work for people.. it works for money.

[sandnsea]

6. My husband does, I don't

Same clinic, different doctors and staff. I pitch a fit regularly, he doesn't want to rock the boat and is sure everybody is working as hard as they can. Go figure why he gets put on the back burner.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. This is ONE MONTH after I have seen the doctor.

I have had to go in for blood tests on my thyroid. I understand that. I did that like they wanted me to. I have been cooperative when they want me to see them for blood work.

I am talking about EVERY SINGLE MONTH having to call them and hassle them.

I have no insurance.

[murielm99]

9. They only make me go in about once a year.

I haven't had any hassles with them. In fact, when I have an appointment pending and the time on the prescription is expired, they fill it for me anyway. They do call the doctor's office to be sure I am seeing the doc once a year, but that is about all.

Maybe it is because you don't have insurance. I think people without insurance get hassled more.

How do you like Armour Thyroid? I take synthroid. I would love to switch to Armour. I have heard many people say it is more effective for them.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

10. Yes, it has worked well for me for four decades.

My thyroid died when I was 11 years old.
I have taken Armour ever since then.
Most doctors don't like Armour and try to get everybody to take Synthroid.
It is not as effective and is NOT equivalent to Armour.

Read up on other peoples' experiences here: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

[uppityperson]

13. another Armour lover here and an idea about getting meds

I get my refills in 3 month batches. Since my thyroid is dead, I like to keep ahead on the supply just in case. My pharmacy sells me 100 days worth at a time, so I don't have to do the refill dance so often.

I got my throid nuked yrs back, and tried about 5 different brands of synthetics. I felt like crap, reacted differently to different fillers, one brand wasn't absorbed (or else it was a bad batch since I got severely hypothyroid in 1 month, guess the tm brand name). I met a NP who rx'd me armour, was on generic for several yrs until this last yr when availability dropped. Now I am on Armour Brand and feel better than I did on generics, and I felt better on generic natural thyroid than on synthetic.

I go in annually for blood tests, making sure to tell them to not just check TSH but free t3/t4 and whatever else I feel like. Blood work comes back with TSH too low, but free t3&t4 are usually too low also, so on we go with maintaining.

[Sanity Claws]

18. Ask the doctor to give a prescription for a year.

There is no way you should have to see a doctor every month for a thyroid medication, assuming you have been on it a while and it is not a new prescription.

[Hekate]

11. Hope it all works out for the best. You may have to find a new doc, ultimately.

:hug:

[D-Lee]

12. Get three month refill prescriptions -- and scrips at the time of your visit

Sounds as if you will have to pick up your prescriptions physically. Ask for 3 month refills, which are usually cheaper to fill.

You seem to have had blood tests and a doctor's visit recently.

Not only the drugs, but the underlying conditions, require medical monitoring. Just because your conditions have remained steady in the past does not mean that they continue to remain the same -- especially in times of stress. And new information does come out over the course of time in relation to the drugs themselves, which bears upon prescribing.

Make sure you read the package inserts periodically, including checking on side effects. The inserts can be read online here: http://www.pdrhealth.com/home/home.aspx

A good article on medical care in hard times and no insurance can be found here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/2/2/142540/4435/498/692073

Good luck!

[uppityperson]

14. Those are 2 really good ideas. Get written Rx and get 3 month refills.

Having worked in med clinics, and being a person who is on meds, it can be a pain all the way around to do call in refills. Ifyou go by the clinic, they can give you a written Rx to take to the pharmacy, and pharmacies will usually give you 3 months worth at a time since that saves them time also.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. I can't take ANY refills for granted.

They hassle me over just about everything.

The last thing that took me a week to get was one of my BP meds.

Calling in refills used to be routine. Now every month I have a major hassle, and I don't know why. This is worse because I moved 140 miles away and I don't know any of the doctors up here to go to.

The one in my little town is incompetent; I have dealt with him before, in trying to take care of my mother when she was alive. :grr:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. Can you get 90 day scripts?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. I used to when I had insurance.

I would do the three month mail order thing to Caremark.

I don't see any reason why I couldn't. But that will require yet another trip to Houston. Aggh!

[MrMonk]

20. Medications should be tested periodically to make sure there effective.

My primary care physician is adamant. He withholds prescriptions to make sure that you come in to get checked.

Go in four times a year, get a brief check-up and blood work-up, and 90 days Rx. If medication is changed, or there is some worrying change in your symptoms, get 2-4 weeks worth until he's sure things are as they should be, then back to the 90-day schedule. Very few exceptions.

If you have a condition that's serious enough to require long-term maintenance, is it really such an imposition to see the doctor four times a year?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. I DO SEE HIM Four times a year. Reading Comprehension please.

Start with a visit.
I'm talking about seeing the doctor for a visit. Say on January 1st.

February 1st: Thirty days later, I call in refills on all my scrips. I have to make between five and ten phone calls to the doctor and the pharmacy to get them done, and it takes probably a week to get them all.

I have to drive 140 miles to pick them up anyway,because I refuse to do mail order at the Costco website because of the chance of mistakes. And I refuse to use the nearest Walgreens, 20 miles away.

I have spoken to the pharmacy and they are NOT the ones lying to me.

Then, on March 1st, I go thru all this hassle again. It's like they can't give me any refills and I used to get them with no problem.

I have seen this doctor as my primary M.D. since 1986, approximately. My file is quite thick.

I was taking all the same meds I am now. This crap started last summer.

I see the doctor every 3 months for blood work on my thyroid. I've taken that since 1966.

I take three hypertensive meds. I have taken 3 hypertensive meds per day since 1990, when I was diagnosed with hypertension.

I take antihistamines/decongestants. I've taken those for probably close to 40 years as well.

I am not talking about acute diseases that require meds. I'm talking about long-term chronic conditions where the medications and dosages will change very rarely, if ever.


Please reread what I have said.

I am NOT talking about going for long periods without seeing him. I am talking about major hassles EVERY SINGLE MONTH I try to get my maintenance meds.

This is a bunch of crap. If I knew another competent doctor that was closer, I would go to them.

[Celebration]

22. next time, get longer prescriptions

It sounds like Costco is acting normally. Here is what I would do--get the exact records from Costco on when they talked to the doctor's office and who they talked to........

Also, keep a record of who you talked to at Costco and what their response was.

So, you should have a log of something like this.


January 18, 8:45 am Costco called Dr.'s office and talked to Kendra re: Armour presription

January 20, 10:15 am I called Costco and talked to Judy, who said they are awaiting a return call from Kendra, and will call again if they don't get a response in 24 hours

January 21 11:50 am Judy at Costco called Dr.'s office and spoke to Eloise about my Armour thyroid prescription.


etc., etc.

I am sure Costco is as sick of this as you are, almost. Keep the entire stupid thing, and send it to your doctor. Actually, you need to fax it to them every day until they give you an answer as to what you should do to correct this. Then, when you do go back to the doctor, give them a copy.

This is completely and utterly ridiculous. Unless your thyroid needs go up and down (unlikely) then they should give you a much longer prescription--three or six months. JMHO. But at the least they should give you a large enough prescription to last you until your next appointment.



January 21

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. I am keeping track of my phone calls. Good advice. n/t