Getting prescriptions

[Giggle Goose]

Can someone please tell me why I am on the phone with the doctor's office, my insurance company, and the pharmacy, who are all telling me three different things as to how soon my medicine can get filled?

And since it's for 10mg of Adderall, I can't exactly keep calling to check lest I look like a junkie. But really, I dropped it off Tuesday, and now the doctor's office is telling me it'll take a week because my insurance won't pay for it unless it gets a preauth from my doctor. Right...because my doctor calling the pharmacy saying "my patient needs this medicine" isn't good enough. *sigh* Let's hope it won't cost me an arm and a leg once I DO get it.

[blas87]

I feel for you. I've been having a hell of a time getting anyone with half a brain to deal with, regarding the Walgreens dropping out of our insurance plan of in-network pharmacies. Yeah, the only 24 hour pharmacy dropping out of network. FML.

A couple of weeks ago, I called to make sure I was able to get more of my pill, because I noticed it said no more refills without doctor auth. The nitwit on the phone kept telling me I can't refill for x many more days. I KNOW THAT, DUMBASS. I am asking if you can call my doctor and see if she'll authorize more. I am calling YOU to see if she can, so I don't RUN OUT OF PILLS if she doesn't authorize it and makes me come in for an appointment. FFS, idiots.

[Rageaholic]

I rarely have problems, but in my experience, it's usually the insurance people that complicates things.

[radiocerk]

Frequently doctor's won't send in refill authorizations more than a day or two before a prescription is due. Especially on anything controlled.

[blas87]

I didn't need it refilled immediately. I needed to know if it would be authorized, or if my doc was going to hold my BC hostage until I had another exam/Pap. They've done that to me before at the clinic. In that case, I'd need to schedule an exam BEFORE I ran out of my script. I explained that over and over again. Every time, I was told it was too early for a refill.

In the OP's case, it just sounds like a threeway headache with no Excedrin in sight.

[Giggle Goose]

Ugh, don't even get me started on "in network" bullshit. I'm sorry, I pay a LOT of money to the insurance companies and the doctor's office, so can someone please just ACT like they care? I didn't want to go all SC on someone and I was patient with each person I talked to, but seriously...ugh.

Blas, I've experienced the same with BC...no wonder so many people just get pregnant

[LadyBarbossa]

I rarely get prescriptions, but as a pharmacy employee, I HATE prior auths. And most things to do with insurance in general. I mean FFS, the Dr. wrote this person this Rx, which means he or she obviously feels the patient needs it! PAs take several days, and when someone is waiting for medicine, that can be a long time. Then you have the idiocy of not covering more than 30 days supply, so now the patient is angry because they have to go to the pharmacy every month instead of every three. And one more thing . . . this mail order bullshit. "Oh, sorry, you've reached your maximum number of fills at a retail pharmacy. You have to use our mail order service or we just won't pay for it! Nyah nyah!"

Sorry, you got me on a rant.

[blas87]

My ex bf's dad is a pharmacist. He could go on and on all day, both sides of the coin, well, actually, all three. Insurance companies are just flat out assholes a lot of the time.

Fortunately, the ones I've talked to on the phone were really nice. I wasn't sure if I needed pre-auth for a bone density test (they wouldn't give me another Depo shot until I had one) and the insurance lady on the phone was like "Well, uh, thanks for calling, but no, you don't need that pre-authorized", but I had been worried they'd think I was being silly for getting one of those at a young age, but apparenty bone loss is high risk with that medication.