Melting Down...HELP!

[Karalynn]

THANK YOU EVERYONE for your posts!!

I was bummed at first, I've been planning for months and painstakingly remembered every little detail (so I think!). But it is what it is and it's not going to ruin our time! I GREATLY appreciate the response, I'm so happy I stumbled across this site.

I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't refill the rx early, but..... What a great attitude you have!! It's so nice to see, I hope you have lots of pixie dust on your trip!!

 

[Doc Goofy]

Wow! What a mess... jnsolomon is totally right on this one, IMO. I guess our state's laws are different from yours?! And where the DEA is involved is that it's a controlled substance and they can nail your doctor for not doing everything on the up and up. I still say your doctor could take care of this with just a little effort before you go on your trip by authorizing an early refill. I've done it more than once - but I don't practice in New Jersey.

 

[InLikeSin]

Insurers and pharmacies make all efforts to

A. Not fill prescriptions 1 second before they are required to
B. Never give one pill or drop over what they are required to in a supply
C. Charge as much as is legally allowed.

This is the way of the world...

wait...its the way of the United States. But go ahead, blame the system...not the profiteerers who control it and pull the strings


Hope the situation is resolved as conveniently as possible...i keep getting my insurance attempting to deny claims for INSULIN refills...and my doctor won't right refills without a visit....

which would be fine if i wasn't a 20+ year veteran of the medication, there were an alternative, or i know pretty much as much about how its used and works than any MD can tell me.

such is life


And Turner drug is your most convenient bet....easy delivery and you don't have to alter your day to get it. They are perfect for this situation

Im sorry but ive worked as a pharmacy tech for my entire adult life and this is just plain untrue!! I work my butt off to get my customers what they need. Including giving advances all the time. With schedule 2 medications (such as adderall) pharmacy staff have no choice but to follow the letter of the law or we can face HUGE fines even lose our license. Ive never known anyone working in pharmacy who wouldn't do everything they possibly could just because they don't feel like it or can't be bothered.
No offense to the OP im not directing this at your situation, but I think pharmacy customers need to take a little more responsibilities in these situations. We can't fix everything. If your doctor doesn't respond to us then step in and make the call yourself or better yet go in! They hate to have to see a problem face to face because then they really have to deal with it. Doctors pay a lot more attention to their paying clients than some voicemail or fax wasting their precious time from the pharmacy.

Regaurding this instance, according to the laws in the states I have worked in (CA & VA) the pharmacy should be able to release this RX early with written (such as a fax) or even verbal (that is dependant on the pharmacist in charge) premission of the doctor. The insurance will not have a problem paying for an rx submitted just a few days sooner. I would just give the doctor another shot, im sure it could be cleared up before you left.

 

[Doc Goofy]

InLikSin -

I agree with you. The pharmacies in my area are staffed by people who really care about our patients. Again, this is something the doctor can fix, if willing, not the pharmacy or the insurance company...

 

[Amy&Dan]

I am so sorry you didn't get it resolved. What a bummer, but a cab ride to a pharmacy shouldn't take too long.

So what would happen if you lost your medicine before refill date? Would they fill it then?

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

I had the same problem (I am in nj too). My dr only wrote a script for 1 inhaler for my son and I wanted a second. I could not refill it any sooner than 16 days because that is how long it would take to finish the first inhaler. The only way around it was to get another script.

 

[toodycat]

We use a small local pharmacy and they will tide us over with enough pills to last until the vacation ends when this sort of thing occurs. There is also a little window of when the drug can be filled i.e. if we had last filled it on the 30, we could refill as soon as the 23rd. Is the 9th the first day your window opens?

 

[fla4fun]

Do you have some time planned at DTD? There is a Walgreens not too far from DTD, and it would be a cheaper cab ride from there than from your resort (I would guess the distance to be about a mile and a half or so). I have actually walked from the Walgreens area (I worked at a nearby resort) to DTD before - at a leisurely pace it took me about 40 minutes.

 

[scottsbackyardbistro]

In Florida, and I believe throughout the U.S., CII drugs cannot be filled until the day they are due without authorization from the physician. In most cases, it requires a dosage change or it can be for an emergency situation - which is obviously the case here. Your physician can give you a written Rx for the amount equivalent to what you will need for your trip and you can bring it to the hotel with you. It is true that it cannot be copied, emailed or faxed but Turner Drugs will send their delivery guy to the hotel to pick up the original Rx. When the pharmacist receives it, he can fill the order and have it delivered to the hotel. Normally they would accept a fax from the hotel but CII drugs cannot be filled this way.

This is good information for everyone because this happens a lot more often than people would think.

 

[restful urchin]

Just curious.
Can you fill a RX written by a doc in NJ for a scheduled med in a Florida pharmacy? Is there reciprocity? Or will that be a potential problem?