Very frustrating time just trying to get medicine
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (29040)
May 5, 2022 12:16am CST
My son has had a prescription that had to be compounded by a compounding pharmacy. So, I went to get it for him. Last week, I went twice. They couldn't find the order for it, that took forever until they got their act together and found that. Then they couldn't make it because they said one of the ingredients that had to go in it did not come in on their order. So I drove home. Next day, I got a recorded message that it was ready to pick up. Make another trip to the pharmacy, exact same scenario, not ready because they had not received the same ingredient.
So, Monday, I started over. I went there and talked to them and they absolutely promised they could make it the next day, Tuesday, when the missing ingredient arrived. Home again, empty handed.
Note that I have been there 3 times, round trip it is 24 miles. So I drove 72 miles for no reason at all. I called corporate.. .I called two other compounding pharmacies within driving distance, one is closed due to no pharmacist, the other told me they are backed up for over a week. Back to square one, I woke up today hell-bent and determined I would get this medicine my son needs or camp in the pharmacy until they made it or found someone that could. SO, I made trip number four. I insisted on talking to the head honcho in the pharmacy. ( Oh, did I say they are so backed up and have no help, it's ridiculous. It's that way here in all the pharmacies.) I told her my sad tale, I said, hey I know it's not your fault. But they keep leaving messages to come and pick up the prescription, and you say you can't make it. What can I do to get this filled???
Ended up I had to drive to our big hospital, park in the parking garage,walk and walk, finally get inside the hospital proper, get tested for Covid-19 to get in, and had to repeat my sad tale again. I actually found a woman who said she would get it made if she had to drive somewhere to find the missing link, and she did. They had 3 different accounts set up for my son, and there was no reason, so it was totally screwed up. I waited another hour and they got it made and I finally got out of there. All in all, today I spent nearly 6 hours trying to get one medication that I should have gotten for him last week!!
The worst part was, the lady told me that if things don't change and they cannot find more pharmacists, they are going to have to close some pharmacies everywhere. I hope no one has to go thru this, it's ridiculous.
Total time for this entire project, probably 20-24 hours. Total miles, over 100, in all the trips. I came home and had a nice glass of wine. Mom did it!
13 people like this
11 responses
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
5 May 22
I don't trust pharmacies. When they send a text saying something is ready, I call and ask them to LOOK and SEE if they can actually hold it in their hand before I drive there to pick it up. There have been too many times that the texts say something is ready when it isn't. I use a Walmart pharmacy. If they make me drive there and the meds aren't ready, I go to management and tell them I want them to pay for my gas to and from the store. (They do give me a card to pay for my gas.)
I'm glad you finally got the meds your son needs.
7 people like this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
Walmart does not compound any meds, so we had to use Walgreen's. And not all the Walgreen's here do that either, only two, the first one I described and the one by one of the hospitals. I will have to try that gas request if it happens again. So dumb to have to do all of that driving when it wasn't necessary.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
5 May 22
@MarieCoyle Or, just call the pharmacy before believing the prescription is ready.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
@DaddyEvil
Oh, we did do that. We get the call center. It rings and gives you a sing-song recording forever and ever. I was on hold this morning for over an hour and I refused to give up but finally I had to.
2 people like this
@kareng (55195)
• United States
7 May 22
@MarieCoyle I agree with you. The worse is still to come.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
8 May 22
@kareng
And I wish I could get over the feeling that this is going to happen.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
I fear this is just a small taste of things to come. I hope I am wrong, but don't think right now that I am.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (170542)
• United States
5 May 22
Wow!! I hope you gett a grateful hug or 3 for Mother's Day
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
Yes, already had several of those, I am loved and I love right back! Thanks.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
I had heard of this happening but it's just wildly ridiculous. They blamed it on their automated response thing, but who knows the real reason?
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
I am one of those people who have survived by following the mantra of never, ever give up, ever. And if it has something to do with the well being of any family or friends, I don't give up.
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
And the Covid numbers are starting to climb again. Unemployment is very low, more businesses will close up.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
5 May 22
Of course it takes a determined good mother every time. 
I usually call the pharmacy and ask if it's on the shelf ready to be picked up.
Learned that lesson long time ago after going through the same run around. 
I usually call the pharmacy and ask if it's on the shelf ready to be picked up.
Learned that lesson long time ago after going through the same run around. 1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
6 May 22
@MarieCoyle I get that too. The auto says, options and if you would like to speak to the pharmacy, I always say "pharmacy". Then it gives you more options such as : renew a prescription press (this number), pharmacy hours press (this number) etc. OR say "help me with something else". I always say "help me with something else" and that gets me a real person. Sometimes they put me on hold and I do have to wait, but it's better then driving and finding it's not there.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
6 May 22
@bunnybon7
Yes, I used that option. No real person answered like they used to. They don't have anyone to answer it.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
7 May 22
Ugh - how maddening that must've been 
. This so-called advanced technology in communication is just awful. Too many mistakes are made and it makes it look like people are not doing their job 
. I'm glad in the end you got the meds for your son, but still .
A couple months ago my SON had to get a prescription ointment for his eye. It was supposed to be a simple process to get it . . . but somehow the pharmacy kept saying the automated order over the computer never came in . . . and the doctor's office insisted they DID put in the order. So after a long call, they got it straightened out and we got that ointment . . . but still .
So days after, I kept getting automated calls from the pharmacy. They said our prescription was ready to be picked up 
. It said that if we had already picked up, then to disregard the message. So I disregarded . . . but getting the message several times a day, day after day started getting annoying. I called the pharmacy finally and the girl on the other end insisted that my DAUGHTER had a prescription ready and I said no - it was for my son and we already got it 
. Upon thinking about it - I think the doctor mistakenly put the prescription in under my daughter's name . . . that's why the pharmacist couldn't find the order for my son that day .
Rant over 
.
. This so-called advanced technology in communication is just awful. Too many mistakes are made and it makes it look like people are not doing their job . I'm glad in the end you got the meds for your son, but still .
A couple months ago my SON had to get a prescription ointment for his eye. It was supposed to be a simple process to get it . . . but somehow the pharmacy kept saying the automated order over the computer never came in . . . and the doctor's office insisted they DID put in the order. So after a long call, they got it straightened out and we got that ointment . . . but still .
So days after, I kept getting automated calls from the pharmacy. They said our prescription was ready to be picked up . It said that if we had already picked up, then to disregard the message. So I disregarded . . . but getting the message several times a day, day after day started getting annoying. I called the pharmacy finally and the girl on the other end insisted that my DAUGHTER had a prescription ready and I said no - it was for my son and we already got it . Upon thinking about it - I think the doctor mistakenly put the prescription in under my daughter's name . . . that's why the pharmacist couldn't find the order for my son that day .
Rant over .1 person likes this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
8 May 22
@MarieCoyle Right - we have to be (act) cool and understanding - otherwise they might not be so willing to be helpful (it's hard enough to get the right help as it is!). Even though they may be shorthanded, that still does not explain the automated messages that were totally incorrect. I know you had to take the time to do all that driving - and with gas prices the way they are - eek. 
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
7 May 22
It all makes for a ton of frustration. I try to keep my cool and be understanding and nice. I know they can't help being shorthanded. But still, all that time wasted, and in my case, gas money. It's nuts.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
8 May 22
@much2say
I try so hard to combine my necessary trips to save gas and miles and time, to care for my son and to see my other kids and grands as time allows. It was just so frustrating.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
They have a terribly hellacious automated system that is completely whacked out. And no one answers the phones because they have no help.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459217)
• Switzerland
6 May 22
@MarieCoyle This is going to be a serious problem if they do nothing to have a better system.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
6 May 22
@LadyDuck
I understand all of our CVS stores are the same way, and our Walmart's are running on short staff for their pharmacies, too. And yes, they need a better system or at least find a way to deal with it all.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29214)
• United Kingdom
5 May 22
What a nightmare! Another time, is it possible to call first and check they actually do have it ready before you go? Or do they not have enough staff to answer the 'phones?
Glad you got it, but what an unbearable waste of time, fuel, money etc.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
They do not have staff. I was on hold for a real, live person for way over an hour. Every time we try to call it's like that. And you are so right, it's a complete waste. If he had not really needed the medicine I would have let it go.
1 person likes this
@Adie04 (17360)
•
10 May 22
@MarieCoyle It becomes frustrating though, especially when we need it the most.
@MarieCoyle (29040)
•
5 May 22
It's all the same, everywhere it is very difficult to get what we must have, when we need it.
1 person likes this
