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Pharmacy Error -- here's a story for you all.

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Posted 4/16/2012 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
My Sam's club is all the way across town....about a 20 minute drive...(not too far but obviously there are dozens of others that are closer)....

But it's worth the drive to me since that is where I used to live and as I wrote, I know the Pharmacist and he knows me so that relationship is invaluable...So both that and the price are totally worth the drive/time once a month...

Also, they have their own gas station...(again...you do NOT have to have for the Pharmacy...but I have the basic one for other purchases and gas)...

The gas price is at least .30 LESS per gallon....So I save a bundle of money in between this and the reduced price for my medication....

Obviously you have to make the best choice for yourself....I am just showing that a bit of a drive can be worth it overall...
Posted 4/16/2012 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
I had CVS refill my liquid Vicodin with Murphy's wood soap after a surgery the day before Christmas eve..:apparently there was a manufacture error by the company :O I was 12 and I told my parents "this tastes like Murphy's wood soap" they laughed until I told them to taste it and they promptly called the pharmacist. Really strange experience, now whenever i smell Murphy's wood soap I inevitably think of Vicodin! :o
Posted 4/17/2012 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
medicalkid2,

That really is shocking! I assume that it wasn't actually Murphy Wood Soap, but must have been some other compound they mistakenly added.

A few years ago something of the sort happened to my father. At the time, he was taking liquid methodone and when the bottle was prepared, they neglected to add the methodone. My father went into withdrawal and my mother returned the bottle to the pharmacy. They checked it and found that it had no methodone.

As for my situation, I went back to CVS today. The manager wasn't going to be in until Wednesday but I spoke with the head pharmacist. He offered to reimburse me for a one month supply = $206.

Since the script at issue was filled near the end of 2011 (I have a few months of extra pills so I started using the 2011 script in Feb), I would have met my deductible and would have paid around $120.

If they were cheap, the would have just offered the difference in cost between the 200mg and 300mg -- maybe $100 for 90 pills, which would have been $20 out of my pocket. So, $206 isn't bad. I was tempted to ask for more -- but I didn't want to haggle.

I suppose also I'm going to stick with the CVS for now. They really are the easiest location for me to get to. Also, my wife and I are looking for a new house, so I'd rather not change pharmacies now and then make another change in a few months.

The resolution isn't quite ideal, but I think I've burned myself out dealing with it.
Posted 4/17/2012 1:45 AM (GMT 0)
Cogito, Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention. Most all of my meds come from Medco through mail order. The bottles come in a sealed plastic envelope. I have started counting my pills when I receive them. I did have one incident not long ago where I was shorted 3 1/2 pills from a 180 count bottle. The prescription was a Medicine of choice for some abusers and I still wonder if that was why the bottle was 3 1/2 short. I know I should have called it in but I decided it could have been an honest mistake. Now I'm even more attentive to counting pills. You can bet money that if I'm shorted again I will call them. Just figured I would monitor things for a while before I complained. What made me count them in the first place was I found half a pill in the bottle and the other half wasn't there.
I also had one bottle that had mixed size pills it in before and I'm sad to say I just told myself they ran out of that Generic and used a different Generic. It never occurred to me it could have been a Wrong Medication altogether. I will definitely pay more attention from now on and not take anything for granted.

Thanks again for the insight.
Dale
Posted 4/17/2012 10:18 AM (GMT 0)
The only way to protect yourself is to count your meds at the pharmacy. Once you leave the store you have absolutely no recourse,That's if they want to play tough with you. Many of us take some very addictive medications and if you leave that store without counting them in-store you will lose. I've had my generic Oxycodone IR split into 2 different companies to make up the amount needed,When this happened the pharmacist showed me at the ask the pharmacist area.. This was a CVS. I have a great relationship with the pharmacy at this particular CVS. they order my med's every month to make sure I am covered. I don't know if this is because I live in a small town but everyone knows everyone by there first name,same thing at the Walgreen's across the street...
Posted 4/17/2012 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and sorry to hear about your problems with the pharmacy.  I have had the same pharmacist for almost 20 years, and she is great.  She is also human.  I check when I get home as I dont have the time or anyplace I could check the meds at the pharmacy.  The few times a mistake has been made, she corrects it without question, as we have had a great relationship over the years, but she never thinks I am trying to "get over on her", and I never think she makes an error on purpose.

I to dont think you should sue, it would be tyed up for years, and no real harm was done.  Do check your meds when you get them, I would suggest that to anyone, we are all human, and can make mistakes.

Good luck to you, oh and would contact corporate offices, they should know all that goes on.  Many peoples lives depend on it.

take care,

Kathy

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