Miracles in the Pharmacy - squeak squeak

[Guest guest]

A positive story for a change.

Today I went to the pharmacy to pick up my C2 prescription and I was amazingly,

pleasantly surprised. They a) actually had the meds in stock, the wait to

turn in the prescription was super short, c) they had my prescription ready in

less than 15 minutes, and d) they were professional and courteous.

Simply miraculous!

And this is how and why miracles happen, at least in the pharmacy.

Usually, because the med I take is non-formulary, the med is not in stock, and

no matter how many times I have told them to wake up and realize that I come

every month like clockwork to pick up my prescription and every month they have

to order it and every month they take between 5 to 7 days to fill the

prescription, and then they never call me to tell me it's ready, and they

usually make some sort of trouble for me.

The last time that I went to pick up the prescription, prior to this time. I

took the prescription in on the 14th of the month around 4:45pm (note here that

they close at 5pm), and the prescription states clearly " fill on or after May

15th. "

I was completely prepared to come back the following day to pick up the

prescription, which would have been the 15th. However, the pharmacy tech says,

" Have a seat, you can a pick this up now. " I thought that was interesting that

they had the drug in stock, and even more interesting that he was going to give

me the med the day before the prescription said they could.

But, thinking perhaps the tech was being nice to me, I thought that he was

trying to do me a favor so I would not have to go back the next day, being so

close to closing time and all.

Well, think again. I waited until 5:30 to pick up the medication, and the line

was getting longer with people who had already dropped off their prescriptions,

so I got in line, too. Thinking by the time I get to the front of the line it

should be ready.

When I got to be the 2nd person in line, the tech calls me up and says, " You

can't pick this up today. The prescription says tomorrow! " And he was quite

rude about it. I reminded him that he was the one who said to wait. Then he

went and got the prescription and pointed out where it said I could not pick it

up until the 15th.

I got upset and said that I would not have waited almost an hour, and then stood

in the long line except that he told me to wait because he was going to fill it.

What a waste. So, I ask, " OK, then I can come tomorrow and pick it up? " He

responds, " Yes, it is already filled. You will not have to wait. Just tell

them that you were already here. "

I went back the following morning first thing to pick up my prescription, and a

different tech says, " OK, have a seat, we need to fill the prescription. " I

said, " What? It's already filled. "

All the pharmacy techs were staring at me, and some were whispering, and there I

stood, fuming. Some tech who seemed to be in charge yells from the back of the

pharmacy, " You can't just show up and expect it to be filled, you have to call

first. " That set me off. I said, " Why call first? I already dropped it off

yesterday, and you already filled it. Why would I need to call? "

Same tech comes out and says, " This prescription could not be filled until the

15th, and you were here on the 14th, so legally we can't fill it, and so we put

the meds back into stock, and now it must be refilled now that it's the 15th. "

Then, they said, " Why don't you come back later, we are very busy now. "

I told the tech who was helping me there was no way that I was leaving and

returning yet again. I let them know how they wasted my time the day before,

and then again making me wait and waste more time, and then being rude on top of

it all.

They finally filled the prescription. They made me wait my turn in the

prescription line, as if I didn't already drop off the prescription the day

before and already wait one time, and then they wanted me to suffer so they just

put me in the queue instead of putting me first.

Then, when I did stand in the long line, and finally get the medication, they

didn't even ask me for my ID. They have to ask me for my ID. This is a C2

prescription, it's required by law. I could have been an imposter, or a

relative or someone trying to get hold of some controlled medications, and they

didn't even check my ID?

I called the member services for my insurance and I filed a complaint. I spared

no details in my complaint.

And this time, like magic, wow, the prescription was filled and no one even made

a face at me. You know the face I mean. There were no whispers about me

picking up the C2 prescription.

Amazing. All it took was a complaint! Usually I just let them do what they're

gonna do because I need my medication and I try not to make waves, etc.

Golden rule is squeak the wheel, whine and complain.

Jade (who rarely squeaks)