2 or 3 days ago, I started getting weird results when I needed to order refills for some of my meds! I've been getting nearly all my meds at the pharmacy at a local grocery store even though it costs a bit more than the mail order program my insurance offers, because the pharmacists there have been helpful and I like the face to face contacts. So....I called to order a refill, and kept getting recordings saying their line was busy. I tried later and got the same thing, then over and over. Same thing when I called the grocery store number! My husband went to the store and ordered the refill for me and told them what was going on. In the meantime, I'd sent an e-mail to the store manager. They told my husband that it must be a problem at with our phone line. He didn't disagree with them! Our phone works just fine and when I make those calls, I can hear the line being opened at their end.
Has anybody had anything like this happen? Anybody here with professional phone line experience that might help explain something like this?
The pharmacy does send me automatic messages when an Rx is ready to be picked up and I suspect it has something to do with that, but I don't know enough about how this all works .....
Ordering refills is rather important at this point in our lives! duh! Very frustrating.
Several replies made me realize I wasn't clear about this! It's not a staffing issue at all. It has something to do with their phone system when it recognizes me, but staff insist it isn't their phone system! I think I need to talk with someone higher up in their system, someone who programs their
phone responses. right at a major holiday when we're all busy with that!
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PJBinMI
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Happens at Walgreens all the time. No customer service as they are short staffed. Twice this month the pharmacy has been closed, once as the pharmacy staff all walked out. Another not sure why. One time it was all weekend and my husband could not get his insulin. Best to you and hugs!
Oh no! Not getting insulin is so much more serious than my phone issues! I'm so sorry you have to deal with that! I'm charging my cell phone in the hopes I can reach them that way, but we don't have good coverage here.....
In the south west, not far from the state line with Indiana. Years ago I lived about an hour from GR--it was the "city" for shopping, lol. And had friends. I really love western MI!
I read this while I was trying to get through to my pharmacy for the 5th time. I knew how it would end. After listening to the 8 item voice menu 3 times, it finally heard my selection, which I had entered nonstop. Then it switched and rang 15 times and hung up.
I am pretty desperate. I am trying to switch from the mail order pharmacy to the local Rite Aid. They use different generics of exemestane, and the one I am on from the mail order pharmacy makes me so sick. The oncology practice finally put through the prescription to Rite Aid yesterday. Usually I get a text from Rite Aid saying it is ready. I suspect it didn't go through because I already have 90 days of exemestane from the mail order pharmacy. I may need the oncology np to do something else. Thanksgiving is coming and nothing will happen. I cannot keep taking this bad one. I guess I will have to go in. Not easy. It is pretty far and I have to walk, not drive, because this is Manhattan and there is no parking and I will lose the good space next to my house. Then stand in line for 15 minutes, find out what is happening and walk home again. It looks like I will have to go through the holiday with diarrhea and it is going to be hard to be out in public.
Also, the oncology np sent through a prior approval request to get the brand name Kisqali. The co-pay is $2700/month.
If I could just get through on the phone! I don't think the oncology NP will answer me today and fix it, anyway. Why, why is this so hard? It is a full time job just getting the basics of what I need.
Sorry for that whine yesterday. Hours on the phone trying to reach the pharmacy, and hours with the mail-order pharmacy that wanted to switch me back to anastrozole, and emails to the oncology practice with lethargic responses....just got to me. The end of that story is that I walked to the pharmacy, they did have the script, and, as I kept saying, they couldn't fill it because I already had exemestane from the mail order pharmacy. They couldn't fill it with insurance, so I just bought it, only $32 for one month. That gives time to straighten out the insurance problem. I hope it really is easier on my body!
They really are here. They closed the big local pharmacies. The little ones, that sell lots of stuff, seem to be doing alright. It is a puzzle. I think they make money.
I had the same telephone problem at Alberton's (AKA SavOn). The tech even picked up the phone and let me hear that the line didn't connect. On top of that their lines are always long.
As for Rite-Aid: due to the bankruptcy situation they have closed one store locally. I do shop another Rite-Aid down the road where I get good service.
A big reason for the shortage of pharmacists is that they are just burnt out due to being short staffed trying to fill lots of rxs and giving vaccines so they are moving on to another type of job. Another reason there are not as many graduating. The best situation is to use the mail order. My only problem there is that my new mail order is taking longer for the mail to get here than my previous mail order so I need to plan ahead when I need a prescription.
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My first time outside my apt. in Brooklyn, NY since March 16th. (long, as usual)
Am I crazy
Gone Shopping!
