RX PROBLEMS - GETTING YOUR MEDICATIONS

 FLORIDA  

Opinion by:  
E. Eugene Webb PhD

I have recently relocated to Palm Coast FL and have found that getting prescription refills here is both difficult and oftentimes problematic.

For some information check out From Best Life, By KALI COLEMAN: Walgreens Under Fire for Not Dispensing "Necessary" Meds Amid Staffing Shortage.

Recently, Walgreens has begun dispensing many prescriptions ordered at the local pharmacy from a central pharmacy in Orlando FL. This adds one to two days to the processing time.

In addition, doctor's offices frequently issue one refill renewals on many drugs. This one renewal of the prescription does not allow the pharmacy’s automated refill prescription system to work accurately.

When a refill authorization is sent by the physician to the pharmacy, the pharmacy system issues that refill. When the automated system sees a refill date it checks the system and finds no refills available. The automated system then sends a notification to the pharmacy, and it is the pharmacy’s responsibility to follow up with the doctor to get an additional refill.

Given the staffing shortages in all pharmacies these days nobody has a specific responsibility for following up on these refill notifications sent by the automated system and so the prescription goes unfilled. The problem is further exacerbated by doctor's offices who have an automated telephone system that records refill requests often having delays of up to 48 hours before those requests are processed and called back to the pharmacy.

This whole system was initially put in place to deal with Class 1 narcotics related to the opioid crisis, but it has been expanded to include almost all prescription medications.

In addition, many pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS have gone to regional dispensing centers for more expensive drugs so they can reduce inventory carriage costs at the local store. This operational change frequently makes it extremely difficult for non-class 1 prescription users to keep current with their medications.

For some additional information check out Pharmacy Checker.com.

For now, there is very little that the consumer can do other than complain.

But, if you take critical prescription medications for issues such as cancer, diabetes, heart trouble, or respiratory issues you may find yourself in a constant struggle to get your medications in a timely manner.

There are a number of factors affecting this problem; technology, staffing, and issues related to how Medicare and health insurers want prescription drugs dispensed.

You may be able to get some help from your doctor by requesting that your prescription for recurring medications be increased to three, six, or nine refills. In response to the growing number of calls from patients and pharmacies for refills many doctors’ offices have established a recorded phone number to collect these requests, and the people that service these automated requests are in many cases authorized to only issue one refill. As noted above this one refill approach all but defeats the automated refill systems of the major pharmacies.

For now, you or whoever is taking care of you must be extremely diligent and constantly in contact with your pharmacy and or your physician to ensure that your pharmacy has an active refill available for the prescription medications you need.

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