Pharmacies and Your Meds - Must Read!

This is something I feel needs to be spread to anyone who takes prescription drugs on a daily basis.  John and I both do and are on the 'call when my refill is ready' program with our pharmacy.  This has worked great - most of the time.  I've been on 2 prescription drugs for several years and after a while they went from a 1 month supply to a 3 month supply which is great.  John's are the same.  He takes 2 prescription drugs daily and they haven't changed in several years.  But - he had a 3rd prescription added about 2 years ago for his blood pressure.  This one was put on the 3 month supply program but after 2 months they took him off this med.  That is when the problems started.

Around what would have been his 3rd month of taking the pharmacy called to say his refill was ready.  He told them he was no longer on that med.  No problem - we thought.  3 months later he got a call from the pharmacy saying his refill was ready - again he told them he no longer took this medicine.  The following 3rd month the same call came through so he went to the pharmacy and informed them - again - in person that he no longer took this med.  No problem.  This has gone on for almost 2 years with him repeating that he no longer took this med.  They promised the records were marked and we wouldn't hear from them again with this refill.  Problem solved - Nope!

A couple days ago we received a call from the pharmacy that his refill was ready for pick up.  I really thought this was taken care of but apparently not.  Then it hit me.  When is the insurance company billed for these refills?  We went to the pharmacy and I ask that specific question.  Guess what!!!  It is billed when the prescription is refilled and not when it is picked up.  I ask what happened when the med wasn't picked up.  I was told that it goes back on the shelf after 2 weeks.  Is the billing reversed to the insurance company?  I was told it us supposed to be but she never said it WAS.

So, he and I have both been dropped from the automatic refill program.  I don't want my insurance company being charged for meds that I don't take because I know that in the long run that charge is going to end up raising my rates even more than they already are.