When I ordered my humira refill earlier today, I feel like there was a new question from CVS specialty and it was weather you had had a flare since the last time you had refilled the medication. I decided to tempt fate. My mom and I had been having a discussion about these questions and we both agreed that the best course of action was to answer them all very neutrally but I decided to find out what would happen. So I get a call from the pharmacy letting me know that I need to speak to a pharmacist. They mentioned that I checked yes and that they had a few questions for me. I pointed out that Iām being treated for an autoimmune condition and that flares are not uncommon. I let them know when they tried to ask further questions that I would be having a conversation with my doctor about this because that is who I am supposed to have these conversations with. I actually didnāt answer any of their questions, but I just wanted to give people a heads up that this is the reality if you donāt answer with fully neutral responses
Thanks for the heads up. Likely trying to eradicate anything but the highly successful cases and not support any costs that arenāt fixing everything. Seems kind of goofy as the pharmacy doesnāt pay for the medication. Makes me think they are being used to collect information that isnāt any of their business. Neutral sounds good.
This sort of thing annoys the daylights out of me. Iāve had heated discussions with medicos around the use of medications. I donāt take the stuff because I like it, I take it 'cos I need it. If I was taking it because I like it, when I REALLY need it, it doesnāt have the same beneficial impact, as my system builds a tolerance to the medications. Iāve been using the damn meds for years, I know how to best manage for me. I donāt need a pharma to telling me the ādonātsā of it all. The last chemist who tried I cut him off with the line āYea, yea, I know. Donāt run with knives. Donāt eat the yellow snow etc, etc. Yea, I knowā he got the message, Iād heard it all before.
For those of us with long term lived medical experience, I think weāve all āheard it all beforeā.
Merl from the Modsupport Team
Thankfully our delivery companies for meds like like biologics in the UK canāt get that way involved despite employing pharmacists too. They get the script from the hospital and their job is to fill it and courier the med to our homes at the appropriate intervals. They can ask us questions about their delivery service but canāt about anything else.
Unfortunately that is not the case in the US. We even have preferred pharmacies that have special arrangements with the insurance companies, so you can see how this would quickly go down the wrong path.
@ModSupport , I think I must have been channeling you in the conversation
Pharmacists are doctors, too. Iām certain they ask because if youāre consistently flaring before refills, some meds can be filled early or they might have another treatment idea. If I donāt see my rheumy for 6 months, a pharmacist is still looking out for me.
Fair enough, but this felt more like an insurance issue
Interesting that this happened to you @Stoney. I just ordered my refill on the 13th and I wasnāt asked that question. But perhaps itās because youāve been on a biologic longer than I have. Only 5 months for me. But if they had asked me I probably would have given the same response especially since a pharmacist can not change a prescribed medication in any way. However something else happened that bothers me more than an unnecessary invasion of my privacy.
My Humira deliveries have always been delayed several days getting to me here in Juneau. āSecond day airā is nonexistent in Alaska. No matter where something is coming from or where in our gigantic state it is going, as far as I know all cargo coming into the state goes through Anchorage. Period. End of story. And there is always a delay in Anchorage becauseā¦wellā¦because there is always a delay. Of at least 2 days. Often several more. But in spite of āsecond day airā taking sometimes 5 days it has always arrived in good shape and within the proper temperature range. Until this last delivery.
CVS called me to say they were sorry but the shipment was delayed (shocker). I explained that that is pretty normal but itās concerning because if the package sits on the tarmac or in a non temperature controlled facility for days during the winter (Anchorage can easily experience -20F and colder) it can easily freeze. And since their summers can be hot at times it can also get too warm. The CVS person I was speaking with said they totally understand and if it arrives outside of the critical temperature range to call them for a replacement. No charge to me.
Shockingly the package was delivered later that day and of course as soon as it was delivered I unpacked it. Unfortunately the cold packs were pretty tepid and I was concerned about using it. I duly call CVS and notified them that it arrived outside of the required temperature range and I needed a replacement. After being on hold for ages to speak with some special sort of pharmacist I had to again explain all of the above. He then told me that it was OK to just put it in the fridge and use it. It was still within some sort of acceptable timeframe to do that. WHAAAAT!?!?! I told him that is not what the package insert says and we of course had no idea what temperatures it had experienced before I got it. He said not to worry about it and it was OK to use. There was no way I was going to take his word over the package insert so I just hung up.
I then contacted my Humira Ambassador for clarification. It took a day or two but when he called me back he put me on with one of Abbvieās nurses who handles such matters. She was terrific. She also said they err on the side of caution and since we have no idea what temperatures it was exposed to I should not to use either pen. Needless to say I felt rather vindicated. And relieved. She also processed the order for a replacement to be sent. So fortunately I didnāt have to do battle with CVS to get my med. Unfortunately I seriously doubt Iām going to get it before my next injection is due. But it is what it is. Oi vey!
So the upshot is, if something like this happens again Iām going straight to Abbvie.
I have found Abbie to be one of the best and the other ones also very good. My current provider of Taltz, Lily Plus is also very good. I get my prescription of two doses of Taltz via courier to a depot, I pick it up in the styrofoam container and all is good. A Canadian company called Bioscript is the distribution pharmacy. As a bonus for working with them, they give a $50 gift card of your choice with each monthly dose. Just a āthank youā perk I guess.
Wow, a bonus Thank You gift! Nope, nothing like that here.
I think what adds to the already complex delivery logistics is not only that Alaska is not attached to the lower 48, but the only 2 ways to get into or out of Juneau is by plane or boat. And Alaska is really really big. Most of the state doesnāt have real roads connecting all the small villages. If any road at all. I understood at one point AK had the highest per capita of pilots in the nation, something like 20% of the population. So I can understand a small delay but it gets ridiculous sometimes. Iām really glad it goes smoother for you!
By the way, howās it going with the Taltz now?
Well, Iām optimistic right now as the terrible flare a couple of months ago has faded and life is pretty good. Being spring, Iām caught up in so much yard work etc that I am sore but more an age thing etc. And now that Iām settled on injecting every 21 days, perhaps Iām feeling the effects of the higher dose frequency. But who knows? This disease is just full of surprises and I have not been able to settle into anything predictable. Good days, bad days etc
With all of the complicating factors, Iām not too surprised that you had a shipment arrived late. The good news is that they really took good care of you once that happened.
Thatās really great!
As it turns out, I am now off the Humira and will be starting rinvoq this week when it gets delivered. Thatās a daily pill so definitely a change in administration.
I hope it works well for you. I found it very slow to get going. Do you have any plans to treat PsA while in the waiting?
Iām still on plaquenil and have steroids and nsaids if needed. Iām waiting on both of those until after I have an MRI of my elbow tomorrow