Friday, October 9, 2009

Outrage of the Week No. 2

Has anyone had trouble getting a prescription refilled because the doctor and the pharmacy won't communicate in the same language? And I don't mean in English.

On Tuesday I ordered a 30-day refill, using Osco's automated system. It's easy and quick, and it is supposed to work smoothly. Osco would have to contact the doctor, as no refill was available. I indicated I'd like to pick up the medication on Thursday, as I believed the doctor's office was closed on Friday and wouldn't be available to unsnarl any problem.

On Thursday it wasn't ready, so I started calling Osco and the doctor's office to get any problem unraveled. Five phone calls later, it still wasn't fixed. Osco had faxed the doctor; the doctor's office says it doesn't respond to faxes. Duhhhh..... what's wrong with this picture?

The doctor's office uses some internet third-party company. So this morning I called Osco AND the doctor's office again. And again. And again.

Osco is doing its part; it needs the order from the doctor. I understand that.

The doctor's office refuses to phone in the medication refill. The doctor's office refuses to respond by fax. The doctor's office says that they have done their part by responding by internet. To them it seems not to matter that the pharmacy didn't receive the refill order. They've done their part. Yeah, sure...

Except Osco didn't get it.

At 1:45PM I gave a really clear direction to the young woman at the doctor's office, who earlier told me they were open until 3:00PM. Of course, the doctors now have already left for the day! Guess I forgot to ask that question earlier! I told her, specifically, to page the doctor and tell him to contact the pharmacy and authorize the refill.

Is anyone else having problems like this between doctors and pharmacies?

4 comments:

Gus said...

Finally, after more calls, the Osco pharmacist was able to get an OK from the doctor's office to fill the prescription.

Osco indicates more-than-occasional problems when doctors transmit prescriptions via e-scripts.

I suggested to Osco that they need to track the problems and get them solved, not just deal with them one-at-a-time and then wait for the next problem. It wasn't funny to me that they didn't think of that one.

If you have a problem getting a prescription filled that your doctor has emailed to the pharmacy, get LOUD about it.

tinfm said...

Gus, here is what Osco is really trying to tell you "go to wal-mart or walgreens.. "

Dave Labuz said...

If it's this bad now, just wait for Obamacare!

Gus said...

tinfm: No, Osco did its part well. The only breakdown at Osco was that they did not jump on it sooner, when a response from the doctor didn't come right back.

This problem was at the doctor's office. It was "their way or the highway." The doctor's office staff refused to step up and do what they needed to do, which was get the doctor's okay to authorize the refill and authorize it.

The doctor's office figured that, since they have responded via their method, then the problem wasn't theirs any longer.