Anyone use a mail order pharmacy?

[luvmarypoppins]

Our drug co. is giving us the option through our ins. I know it will save alot of the co pays as they give you a 3 month supply at once, but I am wondering if you get the same brand/quality, what if it doesnt arrive on time etc. DS has a habit of losing the bottles etc. gee. I dont know if this is something I want to deal with. Any opinions or experiences etc. Thanks. P>S> I am not talking about getting drugs from canada, just reg. maintenance drugs etc.

 

[olena]

We use it. We save nearly $300 a year. My fear was getting in a pinch and not having meds on time. (My Mom has that problem, but I learned it's because she procrastinates on refills.) We've never had a problem.

 

[CEDmom]

DH uses one and he hasn't had any problems. It does take a little bit of time with a new prescription but with refills he calls and it's here in 2-3 days. When he sends in a new prescriptions he just makes sure to do so before he's down to his last 10 days or so of medication.

 

[olena]

Originally posted by CEDmom
DH uses one and he hasn't had any problems. It does take a little bit of time with a new prescription but with refills he calls and it's here in 2-3 days. When he sends in a new prescriptions he just makes sure to do so before he's down to his last 10 days or so of medication.

That's good advice. It just takes a little forethought. We order refills online with a month left to go on our supply.

 

[grinningghost]

We have no choice but to use it. It's cheaper and they'll give us a 3 month supply, rather than a 21 day supply if we buy from a local pharmacy.

Bottom line - I hate our mail order pharmacy. As a matter of fact, right now I'm STILL waiting for my meds. I had to get an emergency 21 day supply called into my local pharmacy because I ran out. There's too much darned red tape involved with the mail order.

I really wish we had better options.

 

[Cthia]

My grandmother uses the mail order, saves her a lot of money. They send a form of when to send the order in so you have time to refill it. The only time she has had a problem is when she does a change of address when she comes up North to visit and she is waiting for her prescriptions to come. For some reason they won't acknowledge that she is going to be away for a few months.

 

[Dan Murphy]

It works great. I do it all on the Net. Tey send me a reminder when a med is due, about a month out, I go online, check the box and I am done. If it needs a doc Rx redo, they fax the doc, he faxes back to them, I only have to check the box once, they do the rest, and make sure I do not forget. MUCH easier than doing it local.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I cringe at the fact that so many are forced to go mail order. If it works for you, great. But if you have children and they are screaming in the middle of the night.... with an ear ache or such.... good luck with mail order service. Bottom line.... if you use mail order you are driving up the cash price at your local pharmacy.

Insurance is an even bigger problem, but that's another thread!!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

But if you have children and they are screaming in the middle of the night.... with an ear ache or such.... good luck with mail order service.

whenever my children scream in the middle of the night with earaches, I usually have to take them to the Urgent Care Center -- not my pharmacist.

Our mail order pharmacy works great for regular prescriptions. For emergencies we use the Walgreens drive through.

 

[Crankyshank]

I use mail order for my allergy medication. It saves me a lot of time, aggravation, and money.

Also, since no pharmacies in my area are open later than 10pm, I'd be SOL either way if I had a screaming child with an earache in the middle of the night.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Originally posted by Toby'sFriend
whenever my children scream in the middle of the night with earaches, I usually have to take them to the Urgent Care Center -- not my pharmacist.

I guess it all depends on where you live. The parents of screaming children call us 24/7 and get service. One of the benefits of small town living, I guess. We have no urgent care center.... closest emergency room is over 20 miles away. But eventually stores like ours will no longer exist..... as a direct result of mail order and insurance.

 

[Crankyshank]

Out of curiosity, how do they get service without going through an urgent care or on call doctor first? Pharmacists can't write prescriptions

 

[Bumbles]

Last I knew, pharmacists could dispense drugs only with a prescription form from a doctor. If they are, that's technically illegal and they'll put themselves out of business...no need to blame the online companies

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Originally posted by Bumbles
Last I knew, pharmacists could dispense drugs only with a prescription form from a doctor. If they are, that's technically illegal and they'll put themselves out of business...no need to blame the online companies

***********SIGH*************

Modern conveniences such as telephones allow Dr's to call in prescriptions to be filled by the pharmacist.

Bet the online companies are not open in the middle of the night to take those calls.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Maybe this does not happen in the "big city", but where I live a phone call to the physician for simple to treat problem can replace a visit to the emergency room.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

yes, I grew up in a small town.
20 miles away to the emergency room was about 25 to 30 minutes by car (no stoplights). Not that much longer than what it would take somebody to get out of bed and into the store to help.

In extreme emergencies we could always call Doctor Morris. One time my neighbor had a heart attack and he was at their house a good 10 minutes before the ambulance. When I was very young, he dispensed all his prescriptions himself from his office.

 

[disneyatl]

I used it through my insurance company. They even send a reminder card to me a few weeks before it is time to refill. I then can refill over the phone or online. I always get my refills within a few days after ordering. Sure can save you $$.

 

[DebbieB]

My company started mail order meds about 5 years ago, it's cheaper to get a 3 month supply than going to the drug store. If we use mail order for a 3 month supply, you only pay 2 months of copay, so you get a month free. My plan started a requirement this year that if you used a drug store for a maintenance medicine more than once in a year, you had to pay double copay. My plan used to use Merck, but the last 2 years it's been Caremark. I only had a problem 1 time with the medicine getting lost in the mail.

 

[Crankyshank]

Same here TF. I live right outside of the state capitol and it's still about 20 min for me to get to any of the hospitals.
I have called my Dr late at night because I was in too much pain to wait until the pharmacy opens and he's met me or DH at his office to give me some to get me through the night. Also the hospital has a pharmacy

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

You are right - 20 min to emergency.... 20 min give or take to get help at local pharmacy.

But if I have to haul an infant or toddler to the emergency room in the middle of the night... and the alternative is to send an adult down to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription.... I think the best solution is obvious.

Other concerns with mail order include patient counseling (which we are required by law to provide with each prescription) and detecting drug interactions.

Getting three months for one or two copays is great - unless the physician decides to change your med after 2 weeks.

As I said, if you can make it work for you, great. But it just might not be as perfect as it seems.