My local chain pharmacy is no longer able to order my dilaudid injectable or my dilaudid suppositories. I've been getting ALL my meds there for years, but suddenly they are unable to get the full amount on my dilaudid supps, thanks to the DEA's new "limits". It's not their fault; it's the DEA that's to blame.
There's a great indy pharmacy 30 miles away near my pain doc's office, but I cannot drive 60 miles round-trip every 28 days. Sometimes I need to go to the pharmacy twice a month, so this pharmacy is not an option. (Patients rate this place 5 stars).
There is exactly ONE indy pharmacy near me, and it is chaotic and disorganized. (Patients rate this pharmacy 1 or 2 stars). The owner pharmacist is nice, but the other main pharmacist there is very rude. She questions my dose, insists on calling my doctor, glares at me like I'm a drug addict, has refused to order my meds and didn't even inform me, etc. She seems to be looking for reasons NOT to fill my script.
I have filled dilaudid injectable there before and paid in cash. (My insurance doesn't cover injectables). Thankfully, the med is NOT expensive.
I had a new script for dilaudid injectible. This one is for one larger bottle, as opposed to 30 small ampules. I had the pharmacy make a photocopy of my script a month before it was due to be filled. (Of course they lost it, which made me glad that I didn't entrust them with the ORIGINAL script). So I called them up a week before my fill date and read them ALL of the info on my script. I talked to the owner. I even gave them the NDC number, so there was no doubt about exactly which med they were ordering. I told them I would pay cash and that I know my insurance does not cover injectables. They told me they would order it and have it within a day or so.
One week later, it was the day before my fill date. I called to check and see if the order had come in. To my utter dismay, the owner pharmacist informed me that they had NOT ordered my med. When I asked why not, he had no answer. However, I could hear the female pharmacist saying, "Her insurance doesn't cover it". Then I heard the male owner saying, "Well, she paid cash for it before". It was very clear that the female pharmacist had refused to order my med, and had NOT even bothered to call me and inform me of this fact.
Finally, the owner told me they would order my med and have it by tomorrow. No apology, though.
I called the next day and thankfully my medicine had come in. I went to the pharmacy, presented my script, and sat down to wait.
Soon I was summoned to the front by the female pharm, who was glaring at me and giving me "the look"...like I was a drug addict or something. She didn't even say hello, she just glared at me and said, "This medicine should last you 100 days". (I get it filled every 2 months and NEVER had a problem at the pharmacy near my pain doc's office). My pain doc had printed on the script, "Do not fill before June 26th" and it was June 26th. I explained this to the pharm. She told me that my pain doc had better change the way he writes the dosage amount on my script, or else she won't fill it. Finally, she just said: "2 months, okay". (Personally, I think her original math was incorrect).
I sat back down, thinking the problems were behind me. Soon I was summoned to the front once again by the pharm. This time, she glared at me again and announced, "Your insurance DON'T cover it". I cringed at her poor grammar; she IS a pharmacist. But the worst part was being treated so RUDELY. She didn't even ask me if I wanted to pay cash. I really think the pharm was trying to come up with reasons to NOT fill my script!
I explained once again, "I know my insurance doesn't cover injectables. I pay cash for it". I was frustrated and starting to feel like she wasn't going to fill my script, so I said, "I don't want to have to drive 60 miles round-trip to the pharmacy near my doctor's office just to fill my meds. Your pharmacy is much more convenient for me". She said NOTHING. Finally, she turned around and went back behind the counter, like she was doing me a huge favor by filling my meds.
I'm in terrible pain and I don't appreciate being treated so rudely. I don't know what the pharmacist's problem is. The owner has never objected to me or my meds. The female pharm is so rude, and I don't know if it's something personal. My chain store pharmacists are much more professional and polite. I've never been treated so badly by a pharmacist before.
I wish I wasn't stuck with this crummy indy pharmacy, but it's the only indy in my area. I dread having to deal with the rude pharmacist. This isn't the first time she's been very rude to me, and I'm starting to get ticked off at being treated so poorly. I just thought I'd share that this is what the DEA's policy of "limits" has driven me to.
Best Wishes,
Eva
There's a great indy pharmacy 30 miles away near my pain doc's office, but I cannot drive 60 miles round-trip every 28 days. Sometimes I need to go to the pharmacy twice a month, so this pharmacy is not an option. (Patients rate this place 5 stars).
There is exactly ONE indy pharmacy near me, and it is chaotic and disorganized. (Patients rate this pharmacy 1 or 2 stars). The owner pharmacist is nice, but the other main pharmacist there is very rude. She questions my dose, insists on calling my doctor, glares at me like I'm a drug addict, has refused to order my meds and didn't even inform me, etc. She seems to be looking for reasons NOT to fill my script.
I have filled dilaudid injectable there before and paid in cash. (My insurance doesn't cover injectables). Thankfully, the med is NOT expensive.
I had a new script for dilaudid injectible. This one is for one larger bottle, as opposed to 30 small ampules. I had the pharmacy make a photocopy of my script a month before it was due to be filled. (Of course they lost it, which made me glad that I didn't entrust them with the ORIGINAL script). So I called them up a week before my fill date and read them ALL of the info on my script. I talked to the owner. I even gave them the NDC number, so there was no doubt about exactly which med they were ordering. I told them I would pay cash and that I know my insurance does not cover injectables. They told me they would order it and have it within a day or so.
One week later, it was the day before my fill date. I called to check and see if the order had come in. To my utter dismay, the owner pharmacist informed me that they had NOT ordered my med. When I asked why not, he had no answer. However, I could hear the female pharmacist saying, "Her insurance doesn't cover it". Then I heard the male owner saying, "Well, she paid cash for it before". It was very clear that the female pharmacist had refused to order my med, and had NOT even bothered to call me and inform me of this fact.
Finally, the owner told me they would order my med and have it by tomorrow. No apology, though.
I called the next day and thankfully my medicine had come in. I went to the pharmacy, presented my script, and sat down to wait.
Soon I was summoned to the front by the female pharm, who was glaring at me and giving me "the look"...like I was a drug addict or something. She didn't even say hello, she just glared at me and said, "This medicine should last you 100 days". (I get it filled every 2 months and NEVER had a problem at the pharmacy near my pain doc's office). My pain doc had printed on the script, "Do not fill before June 26th" and it was June 26th. I explained this to the pharm. She told me that my pain doc had better change the way he writes the dosage amount on my script, or else she won't fill it. Finally, she just said: "2 months, okay". (Personally, I think her original math was incorrect).
I sat back down, thinking the problems were behind me. Soon I was summoned to the front once again by the pharm. This time, she glared at me again and announced, "Your insurance DON'T cover it". I cringed at her poor grammar; she IS a pharmacist. But the worst part was being treated so RUDELY. She didn't even ask me if I wanted to pay cash. I really think the pharm was trying to come up with reasons to NOT fill my script!
I explained once again, "I know my insurance doesn't cover injectables. I pay cash for it". I was frustrated and starting to feel like she wasn't going to fill my script, so I said, "I don't want to have to drive 60 miles round-trip to the pharmacy near my doctor's office just to fill my meds. Your pharmacy is much more convenient for me". She said NOTHING. Finally, she turned around and went back behind the counter, like she was doing me a huge favor by filling my meds.
I'm in terrible pain and I don't appreciate being treated so rudely. I don't know what the pharmacist's problem is. The owner has never objected to me or my meds. The female pharm is so rude, and I don't know if it's something personal. My chain store pharmacists are much more professional and polite. I've never been treated so badly by a pharmacist before.
I wish I wasn't stuck with this crummy indy pharmacy, but it's the only indy in my area. I dread having to deal with the rude pharmacist. This isn't the first time she's been very rude to me, and I'm starting to get ticked off at being treated so poorly. I just thought I'd share that this is what the DEA's policy of "limits" has driven me to.
Best Wishes,
Eva

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