Just venting about dr's office

[luvwinnie]

I feel like screaming!!! Two weeks of trying to get ONE Lipitor renewal!!!

My dad hasn't had his Lipitor (he's on Zetia too) for over a week because Express Scripts tried to contact dr's office about a question and no one got back to them. Of course, Express Scripts should have TOLD us instead of just ignoring it.

So last Monday I faxed over ANOTHER request
for Lipitor to dr's office. On Thurs. I was told by someone in the office that it was sent in. Today Exrpress Scripts told me they never received it. I will call the office again on Monday, but I am telling dr. what is going on and at this point, he should get an emergency two-week script at the local pharmacy.

Almost every time I have to deal with this office it's a headache, but we love the DOCTOR.

 

[Kitty 34]

Dealing with doctors and pharmacies is why my blood pressure goes up!!!

 

[Micca]

Have you told anyone at the docs office that your father hasn't been taking his meds? A concerned doc would probably provide some samples at no cost until the matter is resolved. Good luck

 

[luvwinnie]

Have you told anyone at the docs office that your father hasn't been taking his meds? A concerned doc would probably provide some samples at no cost until the matter is resolved. Good luck

Yes, I did. I emailed dr. directly today and he said to call his nurse pract. directly Monday to get this straightened out and he apologized. I remember my mom complaining in the past about his office and he'd say it was hard to find good people.

Easy to see why people give up and stop taking their meds!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I have been having serious issues with Express Scripts lately as well. Hopefully we have gotten it all figured it out.

 

[maps]

It may not always be the doctor's fault either.

I know I fax lots of prescriptions in and the pharmacy claims they never got them.

I have no idea where all these mysterious presciptions end up.

 

[disneysteve]

It may not always be the doctor's fault either.

I know I fax lots of prescriptions in and the pharmacy claims they never got them.

I have no idea where all these mysterious presciptions end up.

Exactly what I was going to say. I do electronic prescribing in my office. I will transmit 3 prescriptions for a patient all at the same time. I'll get a call later in the day saying the pharmacy only received one prescription from me. Other days, I call in a prescription by phone to the pharmacist. 6 hours later I get a fax from the same pharmacy requesting the same refill. So don't be too quick to blame the doctor's office. It may not be their fault.

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

We use Express Scripts for our prescriptions too. Sometimes our employees complain that the doctor faxes he RX to Express Scripts and then later Express Scripts claims they never received it. Here is my guess on what happens. I think that if Express Scripts gets an RX that doesn't clearly identify the patient, group name and member ID number, they just toss it. That is just a guess though.

I told our employees to sign up on Express Scripts' website. They can print a form to give to the doctor for a faxed RX. The form will have the member's name, group name, member's ID and the fax number for Express Scripts. All the doctor has to do is attach the prescription. For some reason that has worked a lot better for our employees. It may be coincidental. I don't know.

 

[Tinklvr]

I am a pharmacist and there always seems to be problems with refills. I wish there could be a better system. Many times drs offices say they called/faxed us, but we never receive anything. Sometimes, I think secretaries may call or fax the wrong pharmacy (different store in same chain) and on the other hand, I am sure the pharmacy misplaces refill authorization. Office and pharmacy staff can both make mistakes and unfortunately, the patient often gets caught in the middle. I have noticed a big improvement with e-prescribing. Fewer e-scripts seem to get "lost" than faxs, IMO.

Just a plug for using retail pharmacies (as opposed to mail order)...most pharmacists won't let you go without medication, whereas with mail order, you don't have the option for the pharmacy to "loan" you a few tablets until they hear back from the dr. Unfortunately for retail pharmacies, companies set up benefits so that rxs are cheaper by mail, and I can understand how much easier it is to get your rx by mail and not have to deal with the craziness of picking up an rx at a retail store. Sorry to go OT!

 

[disneysteve]

Many times drs offices say they called/faxed us, but we never receive anything.

Also OT, but I definitely noticed a HUGE increase in problems when pharmacies started using voicemail instead of actually having a human answer the phone. I'd leave the prescription info message and the pharmacist would claim to never have gotten it. The pharmacies (independent ones mostly) that still actually answer the phone never seem to have a problem.

 

[Tinklvr]

Also OT, but I definitely noticed a HUGE increase in problems when pharmacies started using voicemail instead of actually having a human answer the phone. I'd leave the prescription info message and the pharmacist would claim to never have gotten it. The pharmacies (independent ones mostly) that still actually answer the phone never seem to have a problem.

I agree. Too many times patients are told that rxs haven't been called in for them, but the voicemail is never checked. We have voicemail, but I would much rather speak to physicians/office staff instead of having to get rxs from voicemail. Plus, any question/clarifications can be taken care of immediately and therefore don't require an extra phone call back to dr's office. Working in the medical field is certainly challenging these days!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I am a pharmacist and there always seems to be problems with refills. I wish there could be a better system. Many times drs offices say they called/faxed us, but we never receive anything. Sometimes, I think secretaries may call or fax the wrong pharmacy (different store in same chain) and on the other hand, I am sure the pharmacy misplaces refill authorization. Office and pharmacy staff can both make mistakes and unfortunately, the patient often gets caught in the middle. I have noticed a big improvement with e-prescribing. Fewer e-scripts seem to get "lost" than faxs, IMO.

Just a plug for using retail pharmacies (as opposed to mail order)...most pharmacists won't let you go without medication, whereas with mail order, you don't have the option for the pharmacy to "loan" you a few tablets until they hear back from the dr. Unfortunately for retail pharmacies, companies set up benefits so that rxs are cheaper by mail, and I can understand how much easier it is to get your rx by mail and not have to deal with the craziness of picking up an rx at a retail store. Sorry to go OT!

The reason I went to Express Scripts was because one of my medications was costing me $150 at the local store pharmacy and it is only $50 through Express Scripts.

 

[luvwinnie]

We use Express Scripts for our prescriptions too. Sometimes our employees complain that the doctor faxes he RX to Express Scripts and then later Express Scripts claims they never received it. Here is my guess on what happens. I think that if Express Scripts gets an RX that doesn't clearly identify the patient, group name and member ID number, they just toss it. That is just a guess though.

I told our employees to sign up on Express Scripts' website. They can print a form to give to the doctor for a faxed RX. The form will have the member's name, group name, member's ID and the fax number for Express Scripts. All the doctor has to do is attach the prescription. For some reason that has worked a lot better for our employees. It may be coincidental. I don't know.

That's exacty how I do it. I print the form from their site and send to dr.

 

[luvwinnie]

I am a pharmacist and there always seems to be problems with refills. I wish there could be a better system. Many times drs offices say they called/faxed us, but we never receive anything. Sometimes, I think secretaries may call or fax the wrong pharmacy (different store in same chain) and on the other hand, I am sure the pharmacy misplaces refill authorization. Office and pharmacy staff can both make mistakes and unfortunately, the patient often gets caught in the middle. I have noticed a big improvement with e-prescribing. Fewer e-scripts seem to get "lost" than faxs, IMO.

Just a plug for using retail pharmacies (as opposed to mail order)...most pharmacists won't let you go without medication, whereas with mail order, you don't have the option for the pharmacy to "loan" you a few tablets until they hear back from the dr. Unfortunately for retail pharmacies, companies set up benefits so that rxs are cheaper by mail, and I can understand how much easier it is to get your rx by mail and not have to deal with the craziness of picking up an rx at a retail store. Sorry to go OT!

My dad is REQUIRED to use mail order.

 

[luvwinnie]

Ok, I emailed dad's dr and he had his nurse call me first thing this morning to get this straightened out. SHe has a confirmation fax sheet that they did SEND it, so who knows what Express Scripts is doing?