The Saga of the CVS Witch

[donttread]

First of all, I am polite to people who work in customer service in any compacity. I say "please" and "thank you" and I never raise my voice. Even the $#@!s who call my phone to give me a "free cruise" just get a polite, "I am not interested."

The CVS witch I have to deal with on a monthly basis, however, is no longer someone that I can deal with without being outright hostile. I feel a little guilty about it. But... I went to Canada to visit my family for the holidays. I was going to run out of some of my medications while in Canada so I called to get extensions (some required approval by insurance, others required a prescription). I called 5 days before I was meant to leave, on Thursday December 21, because I knew the holiday would screw up the hours of both the pharmacy and my physician's office. I called again on Friday December 22 to make sure that all of my medications had been approved or refilled (in case my doctor hadn't gotten back to them), and then was told that they would be all ready for me the next day. I went through each medication to get verification from the woman at CVS and she said they were all a go. Dealt with the same woman for all of this and I know who she is when I go in.

I got a text on December 23 saying my medications were ready. I went to CVS on December 24 and nothing had been filled. They were closed on Christmas. I was leaving for Canada on the 26th. I was told that one medication still needed insurance approval (which was never sent off) and another didn't have a new prescription from the doctor. They managed to get insurance approval for the one, but I never got the other one they screwed up. My medications, except that one, were available December 26th and I picked them up before going to the airport.

I get a text in Canada saying that the missing medication is available for pick-up a couple days later. Rolled my eyes. Got home and went to pick it up and they had no medications available. I asked them to fill the missing medication because I had not taken it in several days. I called my doctor's office to make sure they sent the prescription. I get a notice on my phone that a medication is available for pick-up. I go to CVS. They filled the wrong medication. They said they got the wrong prescription. I called my doctor's office and they said they never received a request for the medication after they sent the first faxed prescription.

Then a couple days ago (I gave up by that point - I have an appointment with my physician later today) I get another text saying my medication is ready for pick-up. At this point I'm skeptical but what the hell, I needed toilet paper and milk anyway, so I go. They filled the wrong medication again. They claimed the doctor sent the wrong one. Really?



I have been without my medication now since the 5th or 6th? Good thing it's not life or death, I guess. Who needs sleep?

Previously, this same woman at CVS (how does she even still have a job?!) would screw around with my anxiety medication. I would show up a few days early because they never had it in stock. I would say I need to refill this medication, you never have it in stock, this is an advanced warning that you need to order it. Every single time I was told I couldn't refill it early (no $#@!, Sherlock) and to come back in a couple days. I would come back in a couple days and they wouldn't have it in stock so I would be three days behind on getting my prescription. This seriously happened every month. I literally switched medications just to stop the cycle.

Gaaaaaaaaaaah.

That's a hell of a lot of screw up for one woman. What you might need is another pharmacy. If you really think it's just her you could complain to her boss. But personally , I'd rather switch pharmacies than piss off someone who handles my medications regularly. LOL

[Dr. Who]

First of all, I am polite to people who work in customer service in any compacity. I say "please" and "thank you" and I never raise my voice. Even the $#@!s who call my phone to give me a "free cruise" just get a polite, "I am not interested."

The CVS witch I have to deal with on a monthly basis, however, is no longer someone that I can deal with without being outright hostile. I feel a little guilty about it. But... I went to Canada to visit my family for the holidays. I was going to run out of some of my medications while in Canada so I called to get extensions (some required approval by insurance, others required a prescription). I called 5 days before I was meant to leave, on Thursday December 21, because I knew the holiday would screw up the hours of both the pharmacy and my physician's office. I called again on Friday December 22 to make sure that all of my medications had been approved or refilled (in case my doctor hadn't gotten back to them), and then was told that they would be all ready for me the next day. I went through each medication to get verification from the woman at CVS and she said they were all a go. Dealt with the same woman for all of this and I know who she is when I go in.

I got a text on December 23 saying my medications were ready. I went to CVS on December 24 and nothing had been filled. They were closed on Christmas. I was leaving for Canada on the 26th. I was told that one medication still needed insurance approval (which was never sent off) and another didn't have a new prescription from the doctor. They managed to get insurance approval for the one, but I never got the other one they screwed up. My medications, except that one, were available December 26th and I picked them up before going to the airport.

I get a text in Canada saying that the missing medication is available for pick-up a couple days later. Rolled my eyes. Got home and went to pick it up and they had no medications available. I asked them to fill the missing medication because I had not taken it in several days. I called my doctor's office to make sure they sent the prescription. I get a notice on my phone that a medication is available for pick-up. I go to CVS. They filled the wrong medication. They said they got the wrong prescription. I called my doctor's office and they said they never received a request for the medication after they sent the first faxed prescription.

Then a couple days ago (I gave up by that point - I have an appointment with my physician later today) I get another text saying my medication is ready for pick-up. At this point I'm skeptical but what the hell, I needed toilet paper and milk anyway, so I go. They filled the wrong medication again. They claimed the doctor sent the wrong one. Really?



I have been without my medication now since the 5th or 6th? Good thing it's not life or death, I guess. Who needs sleep?

Previously, this same woman at CVS (how does she even still have a job?!) would screw around with my anxiety medication. I would show up a few days early because they never had it in stock. I would say I need to refill this medication, you never have it in stock, this is an advanced warning that you need to order it. Every single time I was told I couldn't refill it early (no $#@!, Sherlock) and to come back in a couple days. I would come back in a couple days and they wouldn't have it in stock so I would be three days behind on getting my prescription. This seriously happened every month. I literally switched medications just to stop the cycle.

Gaaaaaaaaaaah.

I'd change pharmacies.

[Dr. Who]

Yeah, I might just have to suck it up and use the grocery store pharmacy. I can't think of any other major pharmacy chains that are nearby and have extensive hours.

It's pretty bad that I had to switch medications just to avoid them never having one in stock. And it's kind of a big deal... Clonazepam. I take it for anxiety attacks. I was getting the kind that dissolves in your mouth for quicker relief but had to switch back to the hard pills (which I chew). It was just becoming too big of a problem to be three days behind on getting it - some months I have extra towards the end, which is good, and other months I don't. Sometimes it might be okay to wait the 3 days for them to get a shipment but not always.

It was really irritating - but I don't even think a grocery store pharmacy would have it, either, and I would be in the same boat. The dissolvable tablets for Clonazepam aren't that common.

Are there no Walmarts in your area? BTW CVS has an online pharmacy - might want to look into that.

[Adelaide]

Are there no Walmarts in your area? BTW CVS has an online pharmacy - might want to look into that.

Not really, no. I wouldn't know where to find a Walmart. Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus... I think it's the wrong demographics for a Walmart.

[resister]

Not really, no. I wouldn't know where to find a Walmart. Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus... I think it's the wrong demographics for a Walmart.

In that case, Target? The high falutin Wal mart!

[Dr. Who]

Not really, no. I wouldn't know where to find a Walmart. Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus... I think it's the wrong demographics for a Walmart.

If you use the same prescriptions repeatedly, online purchases might solve the problem of the problematic CVS order taker. You can even track your order. I don't know the delivery timeline, but it might be worth looking into.

[Crepitus]

Yeah, I might just have to suck it up and use the grocery store pharmacy. I can't think of any other major pharmacy chains that are nearby and have extensive hours.

It's pretty bad that I had to switch medications just to avoid them never having one in stock. And it's kind of a big deal... Clonazepam. I take it for anxiety attacks. I was getting the kind that dissolves in your mouth for quicker relief but had to switch back to the hard pills (which I chew). It was just becoming too big of a problem to be three days behind on getting it - some months I have extra towards the end, which is good, and other months I don't. Sometimes it might be okay to wait the 3 days for them to get a shipment but not always.

It was really irritating - but I don't even think a grocery store pharmacy would have it, either, and I would be in the same boat. The dissolvable tablets for Clonazepam aren't that common.

One more plug for dillons/kroger. Owen takes one drug that is both unusual and perishable. When I told them it was an ongoing prescription they added it to their stock order list and have never been out.