Dr. Suess

"And will you succeed? Yes indeed! Yes indeed! Ninety Eight and Three Quarters guarenteed!"


Sunday, March 12, 2006

Frustration at the Pharmacy

I went to pick up medication today. Two new medications. One refill. The one refill, they said didn't go through because the insurance (medicare part D, the new wonderful program for the elderly and disabled, of which, I am the latter, not the former) carrier said they would not cover, because it wasn't a covered drug. Of the two new ones, they covered one, but said it was too soon to cover it, since it'd been filled last month (huh? Doc WROTE the script Wednesday, I turned it in Friday!!!!) and the other one was also not covered.

Ok, let me get this straight. I turn in 3 scripts, and the new program says no, for one reason or another ...to all 3. So, let's go over this. The new script isn't going to be covered because it's too soon to be REfilled. Yes. It's not a refill, it's a new script. Yes, we know. So how can it be too soon.

Oh.
Sorry. Let me fix that for you. They re ran it ... Don't ask me ...that turned out to be a pharmacy mistake, chalk one up to NOT being medicare part D's fault. (switching from Ultracet to Ultram so I'm not taking Tylenol 3 times a day, every day when I'm already on other liver toxic drugs). However, My ultracet was due to be refilled on Friday ...so even THAT shouldn't have been an issue. Go figure!!!
My biggest question is ... the ultram is less ultram than the ultram in 2 ultracet. I hope it's enough!!! Especially when I go off Celebrex and Prednisone in a few days for my shoulder surgery. If my posts get really really whiney in a week or two, you'll know I'm off the prednisone.

Now for the two uncovered. One, an allergy drug. An old allergy drug. My doctor was SURE it'd be covered because they cover Zyrtec, and Allegra and other such new expenisive drugs ..while, this one isn't cheap ($80) it's not new. However, it's not covered. GROWL. We have loverly Bradford Pear trees blooming everywhere ... ACHOO!

The third one, I thought I was going to have a cow over. My Cellcept. They said it wasn't covered. They said that it'd not been covered. Yes, it has been. In fact, medicare was covering it before Medicare part D took place. Medicare has been covering it since last year. Medicare has covered it for almost a year, and medicaid covered it before that.

No, cellcept has never been a covered drug, unless you're an organ transplant patient. Excuse me, I've been taking this drug for 3 or 4 years now, and well, YES, it has been covered. I think I would know if I was paying SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS for a drug without assistance!!!!!!!!! So, they look in the records ..
"well, we have here that medicare has been paying for it."

They give me this look like they are informing ME of this information ...not me telling them this.
Uh, yea, that's what I've been saying.

So, they re ran it ... covered.

Once again, it appeared to be a pharmacy error.

I got home and checked the formulary on the allergy medicine, it is NOT in the formulary. Darn.
Well, I guess they only were 2 out of 3.

Then I looked at my bottle of Cellcept ... it didn't look right. Small. I look again. Still doesn't look right.
I start to count ... I'm short ... 2 weeks worth.
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!

I think it's time to find a new pharmacy.

Before I loose my sanity.

1 comment:

  1. That's terrible! I'm not surprised that you're frustrated!

    Can you get the doctor to write you a new prescription for a different allergy drug which is covered?

    And yes, my dear ... it's time for a new pharmacy!

    *comfort!*

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