An anecdote pointing up how our health care system wastes shitloads of money

[Stinky The Clown]

Like many other old coots, I have to take some regular meds on a regular basis. Heart, BP, etc. I order them online and they show up in my mailbox a few days later. As has happened only once before, the delivery is overdue. I have been out of one of my meds since yesterday. Today I called my HMO's assistance line to see about getting a fill in scrip from a local pharmacy. I gave my name, medical record number, DOB and an explanation of the problem. "Sure!" said the nice young man who answered the phone. "I'll put you through to an advice nurse."

"All our advice nurses are busy helping other patients. We answer all calls in the order they were received. We estimate your waiting time at 23 minutes." The call was answered promptly 38 minutes later. I had called on my cell phone, so Sparkly and I, literally, went to run a few errands while I was on hold.

Anyway, when the nurse answered I had to state everything all over again. Why did the nice young man who first answered the phone ask me? Can't that info stay with the call as it is forwarded? And if not, why did he ask? Is he just being nosy?

The nurse hears my tale of woe. She looks up my med records. She sees when the order was shipped. She knows I need about ten pills to get me thru the weekend. On Monday I will either have my pills or be able to go to their pharmacy to get a replacement. But noooooooo. She has to call the duty doctor.

More hold time.

About 5 minutes later she gets back to me. Where do I want the scrip called in? I tell her. She informs me they don't take my insurance. I say I don't care. I need the pills. Okay. She calls it in.

30 minutes or so later, I haul my azz over to the drug store, expecting the "emergency" scrip will be filled. I mean, all they have to do is put ten pills in a pill bottle, label it, put in in a bag, and wait for me to pay the $1.07 unit charge.

But nooooooooooo. They need some information on me "for the system."

Name, address, phone number, spouse's name, DOB, insurance info, etc. Etc. Etc.

"Your prescription will be ready in 20 or 30 minutes."

Fuck it. "Can I come back in an hour?"

I show up about an hour later. The prescription area of the store is empty. The 7-11-like part of it has a few customers milling around, looking at the dates on milk bottles and admiring the huge selection of high fructose laden "energy drinks."

I approach the actual pharmacy part of the store. There are six people working. All are occupied in one or another activity. Not one of them so much as raises an eyelash to glance my way. I stand there, silently, rocking slowly on my heels and drumming my fingers on the counter. I glance at my watch.

Fully five long minutes later, this pleasant young lady, smiling warmly (no sarcasm, she really was) comes up to the counter. "How can I help you?"

Smiling back, with humorous sarcasm, I do a double take, glance side to side at the empty space on both sides of me, and ask, "Oh, is it my turn?"

She got the joke and giggled a little.

I produce the requested picture ID, I sign the proffered form, and I am told I need to be counseled by the pharmacist, who will be with me in a few minutes.

Oy fucking vey.

In a perfect Peanuts cartoon voice, she drones on. "Wa wa waaa, waaaaa, wa wa wa waaaa wa wa waaaa . . . . "

"Thanks, I've been taking these jewels twice a day for a number of years. I know how to use them. I've always wondered, though. Is it okay to take them with cranberry juice instead of plain water?"

I get home, hours after my initial call, and take my pill.

Gosh I feel lots better now, yessirreebob.






Both Sparkly and I, on different trips, had occasion to go to a pharmacist in England, Spain and in Holland. In all cases, the pharmacist could prescribe for us and in all cases they gave us the meds in very short order. Were we citizens, there would have no charge. As it was the cost was insanely cheap. All done in minutes. One person plus us.

Here, for my ten miserable fucking pills, I encountered a number of people,a ll of whom were being paid to ask the same fucking questions over and over, and eat up a shitload of time.

Those people don't work for free. The actual minimum time someone needed to deal with me was probably no more than 2 or 3 minutes. But nooooooooo. That's not how our "system" works.

There has GOT to be a better way.







Yeah, I know. It was all for my security and safety.

Gimme a fucking break. Please?

[gratuitous]

1. When you get an emergency prescription refill . . .

You're helping the terrorists. I hope you've learned your lesson.

[MADem]

2. Jesus, that's horrible.

We're all automated where I am. The pharmacist already knows my address and phone number--and I have to cough up that info to get the drugs. I can get a refill or a couple of tide-me-over pills with a phone call to the doc, who calls it in to the pharmacy.

Easy peasy.

The downside there is that the info is being shared and is in more than one database, but at least it is a simple process.

You have a sucky HMO.

[baldguy]

3. "The system" does work.

Your mistake is assuming that it exists to help people to get the medication & health services they need to make them well. This is not correct. "The system" exists only to make the maximum amount of profit for the corporations involved.

Whether or not you get you scrip filled is beside the point.

[Safetykitten]

4. So true, so very true.

[greymattermom]

5. know so well what you're saying

I'm an oldie too. One of my scripts requires prior approval. Yep, once a year I miss taking it for a month while I wait for my doc and the insurance company to get together to fill out the forms. After this has happened repeatedly in January, I've learned to take half the required dose in December so that I don't run out in January while the yearly prior approval goes through. It costs 20 a month with insurance, 600 a month without. It goes off patent in 2013. Last time my doc asked me if I wanted to switch to a newer version of the same thing. NOPE, I said, I want to retire some day.

[woo me with science]

6. Thank you for the story. Here is ours:

Relative went into ER for a kidney stone. Refused all scans because knew they were expensive, but did have a physical exam and some pain medication until the stone passed.

Total for sitting in an ER room for a couple of hours: $2000.00

[Sgent]

7. I'm not sure why you called the insurance company

since you were going to pay for them anyway. In addition, either your doctor could have called in an emergency prescription, or in most states pharmacists are allowed to prescribe 2-3 days worth of meds as a refill.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. I am in an HMO.

The doc works for them.

[provis99]

8. heh. You get the only rec I've given out so far this week.

[indepat]

9. We must play their silly little games, no matter how inconvenient, costly,

hazardous, and ludicrous. :patriot:

[LadyHawkAZ]

10. I get counseled every time for asthma meds

that I've been taking since I was 14. Yes sir-or-ma'am, I'm pretty sure I know how to use an inhaler by now. And once a year they force me into the doctor to get the prescription refilled because after a year the prescription becomes invalid. WTF? It's asthma. It's not going to suddenly cure itself. I will need this scrip till I die. Why do I need to go in once a year and have a doctor confirm that yup, still got asthma? For something that's considered lifesaving medication, you'd think it would be a bit easier to access.