Sunday February 19 2012

 

I don’t know how many times I’ve been on the phone this week with my mail order pharmacy and my doctor’s office.  I am sure it was enough to where they are quite tired of hearing my voice.  It was the time tested dilemma of the mail order pharmacy and getting a new Rx from your doctor.  At the beginning of February, I reordered my supplies from the mail order pharmacy.  This should have been easy enough, but I am never so lucky.

I needed to increase my test strip Rx because I had already run out a week or so before it was time to refill.  Originally, I was not too concerned because I had some backup test strips from my old meter to fill in the gap.  I was sure I could go the week it would take for my new strips to be approved and put in the mail. 

I called the Pharmacy, placed the order, and asked that they send a fax to my doctor requesting the increased number of test strips (which my doctor had already agreed to when I saw her a few weeks ago).  Should have been easy, right?  After two weeks with no sign of my order (this is where I dropped the ball…I should have called earlier) I called the pharmacy and they informed me they had never received a response from my doctor regarding my new Rx.  This is where they dropped the ball, even though they had called the doctor a few times and sent multiple faxes; they never bothered to call me, the patient, to inform me of the lack of communication from my doctor. 

So I called my doctor, and the nurse returned my call that day (I love my doctor and her nurse!).  She informed me she had never received a fax and never received any messages from the company regarding my Rx.  So I called the company…again.  After further investigation, it turns out they had the incorrect fax number and had left messages with the wrong nurse at the clinic in which my doctor works. 

Ok, so I proceed to give them the correct fax number, the correct nurse to call and informed the nurse to be on the lookout for my new Rx.  At this point I am starting to freak out a little.  I only have 3 more days of test strips left and these are my backups, the ones I like to keep around for emergencies.  But after two weeks of no new test strips, my backup supply has dwindled to nothing. 

After two days with no word from anyone, I call the company again, confirmed they sent a fax (to the wrong number again!) and corrected the mistake.  They sent another fax that day, to the correct number and then by Friday afternoon I was finally informed that my shipment would arrive this coming Tuesday.   Whew.  I have just enough strips to get me to Tuesday, so I should be all set.

I feel lucky that I had the backup test strips, that I have doctor who is quick to respond to problems, and even a Pharmacy that is willing to call and fax several times and work with me to get the Rx right (even if they did get the phone numbers wrong).  I am lucky to have insurance that helps with the cost of my supplies.  I am lucky I even have test strips at all and the other vital implements that make management easier. 

I couldn’t help but feel a little selfish when I found myself complaining about possibly going a day without test strips or having to cut back on the number of times I test a day, when I know there are people out there that have no test strips and no insulin.  But, I also wonder why something so important to the long term care and health of a diabetic could be so difficult to get.  Shouldn’t I be able to walk in to any drug store and buy test strips OTC without taking a second mortgage out on my house?  I wonder why increasing the number of test strips in an order can be so tedious.  I mean, wouldn’t it be better for everyone, patients, insurance companies, doctors, and pharmacies alike, if we had access to all of the supplies we need without all of the hassle?  Wouldn’t less hassle now for supplies be better than paying for and dealing with major health issues later?  Why is it that getting supplies we need to stay alive is like pulling teeth?