I'm in Pharmacy Hell
So, I have rhematoid arthritis plus, my back has been broken in three different places and my neck has the crack that healed with large bone spurs that press on my spinal cord. In order for me to function, my rhematologists and neruologists have been treating me with Loracet. For the last thirteen or so years, I have taken them every single day and at night and sometimes I take more and others less. My doctors, both, see me every six months and one of the two will refill my pain meds. The last time I went, the doctor doubled my dose and my amount---from the 5s to the 10s and from 200 a month to 250 a month all because they did the yearly MRI and saw a more damage. They thought it could be related to my increased activity so I did finally stop the zumba. When I was getting the 10s, I only took half and in an hour, if the pain was still at a ten, I would take the other half. So, I would get the damn things filled and never take the full month's supply, so when it was time for my six month check up, I told the doctor that they were giving me too large of a dose, so they cut it back to my regular dose but kept the same larger amount. Well, on more than one occassion, when I went to get my pain meds, the pharmacy would not have enough, so the pharmacist would circle the amount and write the amount they owed me. So, that is what they did last month. When DH had surgery, well, let's just say that to keep him comfortable, I did what I had to do, so I ran out of my pain meds a week earlier. I called to get them filled, and the pharmacists, very sarcastically, said, it is too early. I said, fine. I looked at my bottle, and started thinking about all the times that they owed them to me and whether they ever gave them to me or not and that they were short about fifty this months. I marched, yes I did, down to the pharmacy, with my bottle, and said, you need to explain something to me.
The tech person said, what. I said, not you, the pharmacists. The guy came over and I handed him all the bottles in which he had owed me medicine. Then, I pulled this last month's bottle and said, tell me, what does that mean. He said, oh, I see we didn't have enough, so we owe you fifty. I said, well, then that means that I probably would not have run out of meds for what another week or so, right? He said, yes. I said, so you owe me the pills, and he said, yes. I said, give them to me now. He said, let me check. Then I said, and on all these other bottles, you didn't give them to me, so give them to me too. My insurance paid; I paid the co payment, and so, give those pills to me. He said, well I cann't do that. I said, oh but you will because I'm going to ask that your phramacy narcotics count sheets be examined and then you will need to explain where my pain pills went. I left with my pills they owed me, which was nearly 200 pills, and my month's fill. Now, I know this seems trivial to some. But, I fight with the damn drug store all the time over my meds and my husband's meds. And, they were not going to refill my pills when they actually owed me meds. I'm at the point where I am going to start counting my pills and my husband's. Plus, I put off taking pain meds for years because I didn't want to become one of those drug taking people and then my doctor said to me why do you suffer when you don't need to and I thought about it and he was right. If I don't hurt, I don't take the pain meds.
So, one battle won by me between me and the dick head pharmacists. If he things I had my anger on today, wait until I call for DH's insulin refills. Let them forget the needles and I am going to go nuts on them like a squirrel on a pecan pie
Way to go, Jeannie!! I am so into being PRO-ACTIVE..especially since my 20 years of learning leadership & self-empowerment in Business & Professional Women's Club- an international advocacy club for working(& retired) women, lobbying govts for economic and social betterment for women worldwide! We have tpo speak up and not let them bully us into submission. You stood your ground and won...yayy!
I just LOVE that phrase-"I am going to go nuts on them like a squirrel on a pecan pie"..I've GOT to use that one! *s*
Nancy B
One way we worked this "we don't have enough and owe you pills" issue was using the drugs via mail reorder system.
We had to also begin counting pills when a script was picked up and 2 times we were shorted 5 pills.
Good luck.
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I REALLY liked that you would insist they check their count sheets to see where YOUR pills had gone!
Monica is right. Sometimes gearing up for that kind of confrontation can tie a person in knots. But, we have to stand our ground.
Very proud of you!
Grammylew in Jax
