I have to share what I just went through.
We have a BRAND new pharmacy that just opened up within walking distance of the house. To say I am excited is an understatement. I am THRILLED. It opened up a couple of weeks ago and on the second day it was open, I asked for the phone number there so I could have all my prescriptions sent there. Well my RE’s office orders some scripts but in the bad game of telephone like most doctor’s offices are, they went to the pharmacy with the same name, that is further away. Today I went to new pharmacy to tell them to just move my scripts there. They said they would but they don’t take our insurance yet. I guess this goes branch by branch and is not a chain type thing. She said that I could get them at the other branch but it will be a couple of weeks before they take my insurance (she said it would take months to get medicare/medicaid so I am glad I don’t have those!!).
So on I trot to the other pharmacy (in the car). After waiting in a HUGE line, I get up there and they say that one of my scripts (my estrogen) is on “extended back order for the generic”. She said my insurance approved the brand name though, but it will be $200+.
Now I should say that I have NOTHING against with pharma companies. Tony used to work for one. However for a drug that I have been taking generic for several months, I do have a problem with overpaying.
I have about 5 days worth of my estrogen so I declined to pay the $200+ for the script and went home. On the way home many things are going through my head. 1) The new pharmacy may have generic available as they don’t take many insurances right now. It is possible they were stocked before the shortage. Also full price for the generic is less then $10 for me (with insurance), so paying for it completely out of pocket, would likely be less then $200. 2) Walmart has it’s own generic prescriptions. Perhaps estrogen is on their generic list so I could get it there.
When I get home I decide to go with option 2 to see if it worked. My thinking was, option 1 is likely not going anywhere so that would be my back up.
I go online and see that estrogen is available through Walmart as part of their generic program. I call them up and make sure they have it. They do. They tell me to get someone at my RE’s office to send them the script and they will fill it. Cool! So I call up my RE and get them to send the script on to them via fax.
So on I trot to Walmart. I get there and because I never get scripts there, they want to see my insurance information and so on. THEY HAVE NOT FILLED MY ESTROGEN!!! They tell me it is going to be about 20 minutes. So Max and I walk around Walmart trying to find batteries (see the posting prior to this one). 20 minutes later we find them and go back to check on the script.
In the back of my head I am having visions of my script not being able to be filled. That they are going to quote me $400 or something! I minor vein of panic seeps into me as I wait. They guy in front of me is getting antifreeze and fertilizer. Odd combination but the only thing I could think of besides “Max don’t touch that!!” is am I going to have to pay $200 for my prescription???
I get up there and I hear him say it is $9. I have to digitally sign something and then something else and while I am doing that it must be shift change or something because someone else takes care of my order before I can pay. She tells me it is going to be $5!!! So I ask if I can get a few other items I had. She rings them up and tells me to go to the consult window. Confused I walk down there as she still has my elusive script.
The pharmacist talks to me and makes sure I understand the directions for my script. She doesn’t realize that I have been on this on and off for about 5 months now. I tell her that I know how it works and she packages it up and hands it to me.
I walk away shocked. I have never got such personal service at my other pharmacy. They more or less hand it to you and your on your way. I could tell that they do this often as all of the waiting prescriptions are in bags that you wouldn’t walk out of the store with. That is sort of cool if you ask me. You would never think that big old Walmart would have such a personal touch to things.