Pharmacy Search

A group of subscribers including us were cut from the tether of our pharmacy roots. Like many subscribers with express scripts and medco and some groups within Anthem Blue Cross prescription service, were were denied our pharmacy of choice... Walgreens. A new agreement between the pharmacy and the plan was not accomplished. So... a new pharmacy had to be found.

Similar situations have occurred in the past as individual hospitals and their subsidiaries have not made their negotiated contract deadlines. We are denied in contract service. The buying power of the plan eventually brings them to their knees and we are once again allowed to use the facilities in Turlock or Stockton or Stanford. It doesn't effect most of the plan users as these facilities are only needed by a few of use in dire need at any given time. For pharmacy, this is a different story.

Our pharmacy plan does not look like it will get resolved anytime soon. Why? . Walgreens lost only 12 percent of its base in this snafoo as I have researched from internet articles. This could be a way they work their scale. Sometimes in business, doing too much business in a small spot can cost you more in the long run since you do not have the abilty to scale up. This 12 percent drop could equal the 12 gain in business that this company cannot maintain.

Our group insurance group, Medco was in the middle of a gigantic buyout from Express Scripts which didn't see it in their interest to complete a contract with Walgreens. Their suggestion was to take our business to a grocery store or Walmart.

Our Walmart became our pharmacy in this move since January. Its been a pretty rough journey. There have been missed communications on Walmart's part and more partial refills than I dare recount. This means multiple trips back to the store. The people working behind the counter are the next closest thing to heartless. Rough and tough, because of the reaction to the clientel, these clerks have to deal with all kinds of people and all the rigor of their company.. Its just a tough situation to sell pharmacy out of our nation's dime store.

So that brings us up to last Friday when I went to get a medication that my wife has been taking for a couple of years. Its one of those tough ones that the state requires you to get a paper order from the doctor, who has to have a copy put into your records. The paper document is made on special paper and the pharmacy must record your getting it with your ID. Walmart as of last week has decided that it would not carry this medication. Usually if a pharmacy is going to make such a bold move, it informs its people with a note, or an email or something. I got a complete no go because our pharmacy manager will not carry this medication any more when I put in for the meds. I asked about some notification... no response.  The clerk suggested Costco.

So off I went to Costco. The pharm tech said that he would check to see if they had it.. a usual procedure in pharmacies because the pharmacist has to unlock the case that these are held and then verify the number and fill the prescription themselves. The response I got from Costco was that the they had the meds but could not release the meds until the other pharmacist who was on lunch break was back on duty and could tell if they were being held for another member. So we have what looks to me like a savie situation. You know that stuff that happens with older folks on a cruise ship.  The advance group goes ahead and gets a seat in the showroom and then tries to save a number of seats in a row for a small group of people that may or may not show up. Its a crazy human phenomenon. Costco was playing savies with the drugs.

The next move was to a CVS pharmacy in the mall.  We used to know it as Longs.  The clerk that was running that one never came to the handicapped desk area to pick up the new drop offs.. so Sue in her power chair had to communicate for a four and a half foot barrier because this clerk did not want to leave her computer station to talk. When the same procedure was followed, catch the pharmacist eye, ask if he could see if we have these... the result was that no they were out.  This was Sunday... when would they get some new in? Wednesday night. It was getting close to 5 o'clock on Sunday... where should we try next. I thought.. what about the CVS that was by Golden Valley High School.

 Although it is about 4.5 miles away we decided to give it a try. Finally we got the paper in the meds were filled and it was before they closed down at 6 pm.
What a mess.