Oh for the love of Pete I've been on hold for 15 minutes while they (for the second time) try to figure out what happened to my Humira prescription. My doctor switched me from the auto-injector to the pre-filled syringe and you would think I was asking for moon rock the way they are carrying on. On Friday they swore that the prescription from the doctor (which I can see) is making its way through the system and they cancelled the auto-inject script to avoid confusion. Today they tell me the opposite. They canceled the auto-inject prescription.
And while I'm sitting here typing to you the "patient care assistant" tried to connect the call to either her supervisor or a pharmacist and what do you think happened... YES SHE HUNG UP ON ME. Only to call me back and tell me my doc ordered the auto-inject pen again--which I know is a lie as I can see an electronic copy of the script he filed.
Before she hung up this time I asked her to CANCEL the auto-inject prescription so they would stop calling me every day. Ugh--this should be an easy process, right?
Sorry for not being sunshine and lollipops today but it took 25 minutes for me to be back to where I was on March 11th and they now are requiring my doctor to resend the script and HE didn't make a mistake, THEY did.
Nope. I struggled for SIX WEEKS to get my Stelara. And then when I got it they had messed up the prescription (left off one of the loading doses from my prescription). My husband and I both spent an hour a day on the phone, 3 days a week, for 6 weeks. It was absolutely crazy.
It generally takes then 2 week MINIMUM when I get a new med. Ridiculous. They lose my prescriptions, void them, say they need to confirm them with the dr, then never call the dr, say my billing isn't corrent, and on and on.
That’s just so frustrating…its one of those times you want to call them all out for the idiots they are lol. Was without my MTX for 2 weeks a little while back because of a mix up between pharmacy and Rheumatology, trusted them to do as they said they would…nearly sent me round the twist! Good job your docs on top of it x
Jeez Marietta! That's terrible! I wouldn't have been so mad today if I hadn't spent 30 minutes on Friday trying to get it right and on Friday they could see the RIGHT script but today they insisted there was no script for the syringes. Why do you think, I asked her...maybe because you canceled the WRONG script?? Oh but no, she refused to believe that was possible!! And these guys are the "experts"? Ack!
And, Louise, I DID tell the "patient care representative" that they were incompetent. She was apologizing all over herself and just couldn't understand what had happened. Oh, I don't know, it doesn't take a rocket scientist or even a person with little imaginative ability to figure out that perhaps you maybe, dare I say it, made a mistake? Maybe you would like to own up to that? Yeah, thought not--that's too much to ask. Felt like I was watching that character on Little Britain "computer says no..."
Oh I knew you were a Ginger! Gingers are funny that way. They have a long fuse but when it gets lit they call stupidity, stupidity! I love Gingers. I think I am an honorary Ginger!
I knew it! You are Ginger progeny, close enough! I have been coloring my hair for so long I have no idea what my natural color is any more so I'll be Ginger too!
Oh, I am pretty sure that 'specialty pharmacy' is a form of torture ... or it should be... it is the death of a thousand phone calls. I had similar misfortunes. I had been getting away with having my biologic filled at the local pharmacy for almost two years when my insurer suddenly decided that shouldnt be. So rather that notifying me and allowing a transition. With no notice they simply denied the claim to fill at the local pharmacy.
I called and they directed me to one specialty pharmacy, who took all my information and it seem like all was well. But the online documents showed syringes rather than injectors. I called on this and later two scripts showed up online, one of each. I called again & they cancelled both. They then insisted I was to go thru another specialty pharmacy. So I started the process all over again. I was instructed to call in two days if I hadnt rcvd a call. I did and the new assistant said I was calling the wrong company and referred my back to the first specialty pharmacy. I spent a week being bounced back and forth with each pharmacy claiming I was suppose to use the other. It finally occurred to me to call the insurance company. I was lucky to find an empathetic soul who called the correct specialty pharmacy and helped to complete the transaction. I was two weeks overdue for injection at that point. The offered me an option of 30 day or 90 day supply. I chose 90 to minimize the number of interactions. Two days later, I had the medication.
Ironically, it turns out the two specialty pharmacies were actually part of the same parent company due to a merger the prior year. I checked online to see if the documentation finally matched the order. It was never updated nor did I ever get charged any copay on the first shipment.
I called in advance of the next order to arrange the shipment. They referred me back to the other specialty pharmacy. By the time I got my medication I was 10 days overdue. I rcvd a 90 day supply. But started receiving phone calls about scheduling the next order. The online invoices never did get updated to show the transactions. And the phone calls continued despite my having an ample supply.
My script was changed to another biologic, it took 16 days for them to finally deliver the new prescription. Ironically, I continued to get robo-calls about refilling my prior biologic even after I changed medications.
So I have yet to receive my medication on time from the "specialty" pharmacies.
I have to share "death by a thousand phone calls" with my husband... he had a take over hassling with the online pharmacy when I had surgery last November.... he couldn't believe I'd been dealing with this for years.
Things got really bad last year when Express Scripts merged with Medco / Accredo. It's like they couldn't decide which company (which was all the same company) would do things. The customer service people told me they had THREE different screens, which were not merged, that they had to look at.
There are only a couple specialty pharmacies in the whole U.S. I only have a choice of Medco / Accredo / Express Scripts or Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy (another online pharmacy). I've heard horror stories about Walgreens in general over the years, so stick with my complete nightmare of M / A / Express Scripts.
dandlyons said:
Oh, I am pretty sure that 'specialty pharmacy' is a form of torture ... or it should be... it is the death of a thousand phone calls.
I think some mail order pharmacies are better than others. This use to happen to me every month. My original pharmacy was taken over by another and it hasn't happened now for years.
UPDATE: I called the pharmacy again today only to be told that they were waiting on the doctor for a pre-auth. They hadn't called the doctor to request a pre-auth they were simply waiting for the doctor to send one. Perhaps they believe my doctor has ESP? They need the pre-auth because changing the delivery system of Humira means that the specific code number for the pre-filled syringe is different from the autoinjector pen. The initial pre-auth was for the auto-injector they need another pre-auth to change to the syringes.
The one piece of helpful information I got was that if the doctor's office calls with a pre-auth it goes through in 24-48 hours whereas a fax can take 5 days.
My pharmacy would call the dr's office, and if they didn't IMMEDIATELY send a prior auth. (the same day), they would void my prescription. Each time I would call they would INSIST that my prescription would be valid for 3 months while they waited for the prior auth. Yet this happened to me EVER time I changed meds (about 3x / year the past 2 years)
My dr. needed to send THREE prior auth.'s AND 2 new prescriptions to have it all coordinate to eventually get ONE filled prescription. Which would then get hung up or voided randomly along the line. All par for the course with my online pharmacy.
Specialty pharmacies deal with high-cost drugs for serious illnesses. Wouldn't you think they would hire intelligent, responsible people to work for them?
The first thing I learned is that if the "customer care" people call, hang up the phone and run away. The pharmacy & I would have things all set up, then the "customer care" crew would come in and do their durndest to mess it all up. I just started a new biologic and have new insurance. I had three, count 'em three different outfits call to try to set up delivery. I went with the one owned by my new insurance company. So far, so good! They sent the right drug on the right day at the right price.
I think they know that, unlike at the corner drugstore, you can't jump over the counter and deal with it that way.
They way they're going I'm liable to jump down the darned phone line and throttle someone. I'm not usually filled with rage but this nonsense makes me crazy!
Louise said:
I think they know that, unlike at the corner drugstore, you can't jump over the counter and deal with it that way.