Drugstores are a PAIN!

[Sabbo]

I truly miss the time when the insurance my husband had required us to use mail order for my meds/chronic conditions.
Now, even though the pharmacy gives me a 3-month supply of Zonisamide (& it's on auto refill), I can still have issues getting it. The major factor is that somebody has to go to get it. Their delivery charge is $10--I will NOT pay that when my copay for both the Zonisamide & folic acid comes to around $40!!
My neuro's office contacted the pharmacy in NOVEMBER for a new refill on the prescriptions. My folic acid prescription was filled--the AED never was, still hasn't been!! Usually, the pharmacy texts & emails me when a prescription is ready, naming which one it is, so I also may not realize that I'm almost out of my medication. Now, I'm nearly out of the AED. The last time this happened, it took 2 or 3 days for them to get it in stock--I had to take less than I normally would each day. They didn't even have enough to give me to last a week--that's just 15 pills!

 

[Heavy Kevy]

I’ve had similar issues with Zonisamide and Onfi not being in stock. I imagine they aren’t very common drugs that they would keep in stock. I try and put in the refill order in for them the first day I’m allowed. It’s a small time frame. I’ve had to get partial refills many times.

 

[Porkette]

Hi Sabbo,
Sorry to hear things are such a mess. I've had the same thing happen. My Dr. is pretty good about calling in my
med but when I call the pharmacy to see if it's ready they tell me it not and it's been 3 days that I waited if not longer.
What also bugs me is with this new law I have to have my Dr. call in my vimpat every month because they say it's a
controlled substance but I look at mysoline that has a barbituite and that's fine. I can get that for a full yr.
Its' getting more crazy out there thanks to people who abuse drugs.
Wishing you only they best and May God Bless You,

Sue

 

[Sabbo]

Hello. Thankfully, I received a message from the pharmacy saying that my prescription for Zonisamide was ready for pickup. I went to pick it up with one of my sons and immediately took (what should have been) my morning dose. The copay was $40.
My husband said that our insurance doesn't even offer mail-order service when I discussed it with him. To receive mail-order prescriptions, he would need to sign up for an insurance plan that would cost $200-$250 more per month. I said that is ridiculous--mail-order is beneficial not only to us, but to them as well! I also pointed out how pharmacy pick-up is unfair for people like me, who can't drive.

 

[C0urt]

I got lucky, according to an old prescription nurse, carbamazapine is a common for the little expensive dogs you see old ladies with, so I can visually match if CVS keeps it in stock by tax bracket. My other is a controlled and a lot less common so I have to order it early and before I need it. Or I will go a few days with out

 

[Sabbo]

Now our pharmacy has things straightened out. Insurance also causes issues with Xcopri--there's a given "coupon amount" that they use so my copay is around $20 for a 28-day supply (that in itself is a headache, since ALL other meds are given in 30-day supplies). Once that's up, (usually by May) or if there's some type of mix-up, my copay is nearly 20 times that--$400! For that reason, I always apply for the manufacturer's patient assistance.

 

[valeriedl]

Now our pharmacy has things straightened out. Insurance also causes issues with Xcopri--there's a given "coupon amount" that they use so my copay is around $20 for a 28-day supply (that in itself is a headache, since ALL other meds are given in 30-day supplies). Once that's up, (usually by May) or if there's some type of mix-up, my copay is nearly 20 times that--$400! For that reason, I always apply for the manufacturer's patient assistance.

I'm taking Xcopri too and it was costing over $400 a month. I get my prescription for free now from SK Life Science, Inc, that's the company that makes it. Go to their website and see if you might be able to get help paying for it.

 

[C0urt]

Half my day was getting a drug transfered to the right CVS they don't have systems you can just call someone. They are all understaffed and you have to wait for a call back. The poor girl was breathing hard like she was about to have a panic attack. And she caught me on a Day I don't want to be social. Hopefully they got it correct

 

[Sabbo]

I'm taking Xcopri too and it was costing over $400 a month. I get my prescription for free now from SK Life Science, Inc, that's the company that makes it. Go to their website and see if you might be able to get help paying for it.

I do use SK Life Science, Inc. patient assistance--BUT I have to wait until the coupon amount OUR insurance has given runs out. When the copay would be $400/month, that is when I can use their services. Hoping it won't be a pain now, though--I had filed the online forms recently, but now my Xcopri dose is 300MG/ night, not 250.

 

[Sabbo]

Half my day was getting a drug transferred to the right CVS they don't have systems you can just call someone. They are all understaffed and you have to wait for a call back. The poor girl was breathing hard like she was about to have a panic attack. And she caught me on a Day I don't want to be social. Hopefully they got it correct

I TOTALLY understand your frustration. CVS is a headache. I OFTEN tell my husband 2 things I hate relating to our insurance's prescription setup. One is that they don't have mail order/delivery for chronic health conditions. For people who CAN"T drive that's a BIG problem, especially since CVS charges $10 for delivery. The other is their association with CVS--most med refills can ONLY be requested when I have a 7-day supply left, but 90% of the time when I go online to refill my meds, I'll get a text saying those meds aren't in stock at the time, & a refill could take longer than expected. CVS also has very low inventory of MANY general drugstore supplies. Once, I sent my son there in an emergency to get some lens supplies, & they had nothing I could use in stock.
Most of his previous insurances have dealt with Walgreens. They sent 90 day supplies of my meds to by mail.