Current Events > Pharmacist is refusing to give mom her prescription.

(+) Yeah! (+)

She was fairly recently diagnosed with a thyroid condition, and a few other issues. She was given medication, but she had a bad reaction to it.

She was scheduled to see a specialist, and he gave her a prescription. Told her that under no circumstances is she to go without it, or take anything other than this specific one.

Its been helping her, but she was running low so she went to the local pharmacy(in Walmart) to get it refilled. Instead of filling her prescription, they gave her a different generic one. When she asked about it, they claimed that they don't produce the one she needs and to just take this new one instead.

So she called her doctor yesterday to see if it was ok for her to switch. He was livid, and told her no, to absolutely not take what they gave her. He said Walmart is under contract to produce that specific medication and that they can't refuse her prescription.

So, she called the pharmacy again and told them what the doctor said, but they still refused. The doctor's office is supposed to contact them too, and implied the breaking of the contract could lead to a lawsuit. Haven't heard anything back yet from them.

Mom has been calling around to various pharmacies to see if they can provide it. She found one, but they also refused until they receive a prescription directly from her doctor.

Sounds serious stuff. Wonder why walmart is being like this.

That pharmacist?

Albert Einstein

KogaSteelfang posted...

Mom has been calling around to various pharmacies to see if they can provide it. She found one, but they also refused until they receive a prescription directly from her doctor.

Tell your mom to stop calling pharmacies asking for pills without a prescription

What's wrong with the generic version?

KogaSteelfang posted...

She was fairly recently diagnosed with a thyroid condition, and a few other issues. She was given medication, but she had a bad reaction to it.

She was scheduled to see a specialist, and he gave her a prescription. Told her that under no circumstances is she to go without it, or take anything other than this specific one.

Its been helping her, but she was running low so she went to the local pharmacy(in Walmart) to get it refilled. Instead of filling her prescription, they gave her a different generic one. When she asked about it, they claimed that they don't produce the one she needs and to just take this new one instead.

So she called her doctor yesterday to see if it was ok for her to switch. He was livid, and told her no, to absolutely not take what they gave her. He said Walmart is under contract to produce that specific medication and that they can't refuse her prescription.

So, she called the pharmacy again and told them what the doctor said, but they still refused. The doctor's office is supposed to contact them too, and implied the breaking of the contract could lead to a lawsuit. Haven't heard anything back yet from them.

Mom has been calling around to various pharmacies to see if they can provide it. She found one, but they also refused until they receive a prescription directly from her doctor.

Damn that sucks, I'm on thyroid medicine as well and speaking from experience I know it sucks when you're not able to get your medication. Feels like your body is falling apart when you're off it too long

KogaSteelfang posted...

She was fairly recently diagnosed with a thyroid condition, and a few other issues. She was given medication, but she had a bad reaction to it.

She was scheduled to see a specialist, and he gave her a prescription. Told her that under no circumstances is she to go without it, or take anything other than this specific one.

Its been helping her, but she was running low so she went to the local pharmacy(in Walmart) to get it refilled. Instead of filling her prescription, they gave her a different generic one. When she asked about it, they claimed that they don't produce the one she needs and to just take this new one instead.

So she called her doctor yesterday to see if it was ok for her to switch. He was livid, and told her no, to absolutely not take what they gave her. He said Walmart is under contract to produce that specific medication and that they can't refuse her prescription.

So, she called the pharmacy again and told them what the doctor said, but they still refused. The doctor's office is supposed to contact them too, and implied the breaking of the contract could lead to a lawsuit. Haven't heard anything back yet from them.

Mom has been calling around to various pharmacies to see if they can provide it. She found one, but they also refused until they receive a prescription directly from her doctor.

Depending on the state the pharmacy is lawfully required to dispense the generic unless it says "No substitution" on the script

Jerry_Hellyeah posted...

Tell your mom to stop calling pharmacies asking for pills without a prescription

She has the prescription. She was just asking if they produce the medication she needs. They want contact from her doctor first.

It sounds like the pharmacy is (unfortunately) bounded by the laws of wherever you live.

As the above poster mentioned, some states force pharmacies to sub in generics unless directly told not to by the prescribing doctor.

This honestly might be an error in her prescribing doctor, not the pharmacy.

Squall28 posted...

What's wrong with the generic version?

Generic versions are only required to have identical active ingredients. It's possible the mom's bad reaction was an allergy to an inactive ingredient.

Squall28 posted...

What's wrong with the generic version?

I don't know.

froghunter75 posted...

Damn that sucks, I'm on thyroid medicine as well and speaking from experience I know it sucks when you're not able to get your medication. Feels like your body is falling apart when you're off it too long

Yeah, her specialist is adamant about her only using the specific one he prescribed. He made it very clear that it was important to have, and not to accept anything else.

Sexypwnstar posted...

Depending on the state the pharmacy is lawfully required to dispense the generic unless it says "No substitution" on the script

It's VA, but I would think they'd be required to give what's prescribed and not switch them out willy-nilly because they feel like it. Especially if they're under contract to provide it to people.

bigblu89 posted...

It sounds like the pharmacy is (unfortunately) bounded by the laws of wherever you live.

As the above poster mentioned, some states force pharmacies to sub in generics unless directly told not to by the prescribing doctor.

This honestly might be an error in her prescribing doctor, not the pharmacy.

She got it filled the first time no problem. Now they're refusing.

My wife is kinda going through this, but with insurance. Her doctor prescribes something, insurance says no. Because they know better I guess?

KogaSteelfang posted...

She got it filled the first time no problem. Now they're refusing.

Is it even covered by her insurance then? Insurance might've denied it saying to fill the generic instead

Sexypwnstar posted...

Is it even covered by her insurance then? Insurance might've denied it saying to fill the generic instead

I assume so, since it was filled with no issue the first time. The reason the pharmacist gave was that they "don't produce it any more."

The other pharmacy said they do, and the doctor said they're under contract to produce this one.

Is it synthroid aka levothyroxine? Or is it Armor? Armor has shown to be less effective, and if you're mom is on a Part D plan they won't cover it at all.

bluezero posted...

My wife is kinda going through this, but with insurance. Her doctor prescribes something, insurance says no. Because they know better I guess?

No. Every plan has a formulary of drugs they cover. Have your mom request a copy and take it with her to the doctor so they can review it. If the drugs on it aren't effective the doctor can request a formulary exception.

harley2280 posted...

Is it synthroid aka levothyroxine? Or is it Armor? Armor has shown to be less effective, and if you're mom is on a Part D plan they won't cover it at all.

I honestly have no idea about any of this. She's currently at work so I can't ask till later.

But if it's an insurance issue, shouldn't that have been explained and given her the option to pay for it herself before just passing her along a new medication?

KogaSteelfang posted...

Mom has been calling around to various pharmacies to see if they can provide it. She found one, but they also refused until they receive a prescription directly from her doctor.

hopefully it gets sorted out.

if only they flat out refused and told that they couldn't fill the prescription because it only has the generic.

Did Walmart fill this same RX the first time?

The way I'm reading this is she got a new RX for a new drug and took it to a pharmacy that said they don't have it. If they don't have it, they can't help her and they aren't required to buy it for her I wouldn't think. Unless it's some weird compound drug but I wouldn't think Walmart would do that on site.

If they did fill it the first time then WTF. This is weird.

KogaSteelfang posted...

I honestly have no idea about any of this. She's currently at work so I can't ask till later.

But if it's an insurance issue, shouldn't that have been explained and given her the option to pay for it herself before just passing her along a new medication?

Depends on how the doctor sent in the prescription and the plan. They may have wrote it to allow for a generic substitution.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Did Walmart fill this same RX the first time?

The way I'm reading this is she got a new RX for a new drug and took it to a pharmacy that said they don't have it. If they don't have it, they can't help her and they aren't required to buy it for her I wouldn't think. Unless it's some weird compound drug but I wouldn't think Walmart would do that on site.

If they did fill it the first time then WTF. This is weird.

We've only been using this pharmacy, so unless the doctor filled it himself the first time(which I don't think he did, but I suppose it's possible).

I seem to recall her going and getting it filled though, but that could be one of her other prescriptions that I'm misremembering.

KogaSteelfang posted...

We've only been using this pharmacy, so unless the doctor filled it himself the first time(which I don't think he did, but I suppose it's possible).

I seem to recall her going and getting it filled though, but that could be one of her other prescriptions that I'm misremembering.

The doctor may have provided a sample.

KogaSteelfang posted...

We've only been using this pharmacy, so unless the doctor filled it himself the first time(which I don't think he did, but I suppose it's possible).

I seem to recall her going and getting it filled though, but that could be one of her other prescriptions that I'm misremembering.

If they filled it the first time then it really is a WTF thing. My only other big question would be is it an insurance thing or a Walmart thing. If the insurance is saying the pharmacy can't fill it then I would absolutely call them and figure it out. If it's just Walmart refusing to do it then I would keep calling around to see if a pharmacy can fill it like you have been doing. I think you said you found one but they need the RX from the doctor, can you call the doctor and ask him to fax it or electronically send it?

harley2280 posted...

The doctor may have provided a sample.

Possibly, I don't think he did though. I'm fairly certain it was from the pharmacy itself. But I'll have to wait till she gets home later to ask more about it.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

If they filled it the first time then it really is a WTF thing. My only other big question would be is it an insurance thing or a Walmart thing. If the insurance is saying the pharmacy can't fill it then I would absolutely call them and figure it out. If it's just Walmart refusing to do it then I would keep calling around to see if a pharmacy can fill it like you have been doing. I think you said you found one but they need the RX from the doctor, can you call the doctor and ask him to fax it or electronically send it?

From the way it sounds, it's just Walmart being stupid. I don't think the doctor would've allowed for a generic for as adamant as he's been over her only taking the one. Also, he said there's a contract to provide it, so they really shouldn't stop making it even if it's not usually covered.

No insurance was referenced, no reason as to it being replaced outside of "We don't make it any more." Which the doctor said was BS, and the other pharmacy can have it made... So, I'm really confused on the reasoning of it all.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

If they filled it the first time then it really is a WTF thing. My only other big question would be is it an insurance thing or a Walmart thing. If the insurance is saying the pharmacy can't fill it then I would absolutely call them and figure it out. If it's just Walmart refusing to do it then I would keep calling around to see if a pharmacy can fill it like you have been doing. I think you said you found one but they need the RX from the doctor, can you call the doctor and ask him to fax it or electronically send it?

If I remember right insurance can't tell a pharmacy they can't fill a prescription. That would be practicing medicine without a license. They however can tell the pharmacy that they won't cover it, which has the same effect

tag

Didn't post it in this topic initially because info was very weird and didn't want to say anything to increase the confusion.

Just going to say, though, "we dont MAKE it anymore" and "have contract to MAKE" is a very unusual thing for a pharmacy/provider to say, since, unless you're talking of a cmpding pharmacy (which I very much doubt what a typical retail pharmacy does), pharmacies only dispense pre-packaged / pre-prepared medications (short of things that doesn't usually qualify as "compounding" under legal guidelines, like mixing water into powder, syrup flavoring, etc etc).

That really sucks, TC. Thyroid meds are like one of the only ones where patients can't easily just swap to generic.

MrAntisocial posted...

If I remember right insurance can't tell a pharmacy they can't fill a prescription. That would be practicing medicine without a license. They however can tell the pharmacy that they won't cover it, which has the same effect

Shouldn't that be discussed with the patient instead of just slipping then something else and hoping they don't notice?

Requiem posted...

tag

Didn't post it in this topic initially because info was very weird and didn't want to say anything to increase the confusion.

Just going to say, though, "we dont MAKE it anymore" and "have contract to MAKE" is a very unusual thing for a pharmacy/provider to say, since, unless you're talking of a cmpding pharmacy (which I very much doubt what a typical retail pharmacy does), pharmacies only dispense pre-packaged / pre-prepared medications (short of things that doesn't usually qualify as "compounding" under legal guidelines, like mixing water into powder, syrup flavoring, etc etc).

All I know is what mom told me they said. I trust her word on it though. She wouldn't make that up, and she still has to find another pharmacy... So, idk.

hockeybub89 posted...

That really sucks, TC. Thyroid meds are like one of the only ones where patients can't easily just swap to generic.

Yep. I think she's got that part mostly sorted though. She did find another pharmacy and just needs the doctor to send it in. Supposedly anyway. >_>

Okay, got more info. Walmart has been filling her prescription for months. Now they're refusing. It's a medication called Euthyrox.

Prescription has been sent to the new pharmacy.

Maybe dont go to Walmart?

CARRRNE_ASADA posted...

Sounds serious stuff. Wonder why walmart is being like this.

Money.

It's almost always money.

I've never even seen Euthyrox in the wild. Not sure if my pharmacy's vendors even carry it.

KogaSteelfang posted...

Walmart has been filling her prescription for months. Now they're refusing

screw walmart's ideals for pulling that shit without a valid reason.
they could've said out of stock of that medication ><.