poor Jamie and the lack of antibiotics

[celticdragonfly]

I am MAD.

Jamie started being worse this afternoon again, still definitely feverish even with ibuprofen, so as the ER had instructed, we called his regular doctor. They said bring him in now, we'll fit him in. Fortunately fordprfct could take care of Alanna and watch for Maggie's bus, so I hurried Jamie over there. Turned out he has a double ear infection - presumably on Sunday the redness and swelling weren't advanced enough for them to see. And the current antibiotic isn't doing anything on it. So he sent off a prescription to Walgreens' for a new, tougher antibiotic that he'll be on for 10 days.

He SHOULD be on it starting now, except Walgreens' once again has proved to be a haven of incompetence. I wasn't surprised they didn't have it at 5, when we were heading out to get Maggie to kids' club - too early, they get backed up this time of year, one must be patient, and all that. But tonight on the way home, they still didn't have it, at 11:30, and were claiming it was never sent in. (It always seems to be the nightshift where we have the most problems with these idiots.)

My doctor has the new computerized system where he has a tablet computer in his hands during the appointment, and sends the prescription off directly from there. I KNOW he sent it in.

And we have been going around and around with Walgreens lately. They keep doing this kind of shit. A while back, they were repeatedly insisting that my doctor had not called in the replacement prescription for my eyedrops that were thrown out accidentally - and my doctor's office kept insisting yes they HAD - turned out they HAD, but Walgreens hadn't filled it because my insurance wouldn't cover it because they'd just paid for one. Well, DUH, I'd told them it was for a prescription that had gotten thrown away and I needed a replacement, I was expecting to have to pay cash for it. And they'd never mentioned that. And we went through something similar recently when we'd changed insurances. Honestly, my insurance does NOT determine what prescription I can have, it only determines what it will pay for, and damnit, I have money to pay for the others! FILL IT!

I have NO idea why they don't have it this time, but I'm quite certain that tomorrow I will have to go round and round calling my doctor's office and dealing with this crap. And in the meantime Jamie has a nasty double ear infection that is going untreated.

And on the 28th he has the preop appointment before his surgery - and if this ear infection isn't cleared up by then, he won't be able to have the surgery. A day's delay in getting this antibiotic started could mean his surgery would be postponed for at least a month.

I AM FURIOUS.

Comments

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

Before you go to the doctor's office, locate a different pharmacy.
Period.

[toraks.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[msminlr.livejournal.com]

And get the doctor's office to cut you a letter explaining about the surgery and the need to kill off the ear infection before then, and how THEY recommend you find a more competent pharmacy.

[faxpaladin.livejournal.com]

Ack. GoodThoughts.

And second the bit about changing pharmacies...

[archangelbeth]

If you have to keep using this pharmacy... Could you perhaps ask the doctor's office to call in the prescription on the phone? Or call up and confirm it's there before you leave the office? And take the name of the person answering the phone? ...and then get the name of whoever says it's not been called in, so you can identify where the incompetency starts...

But I'd get a different pharmacy and badmouth Walgreens from here to Christmas, as my mom says.

*hugs*

Same here, cher

[bkseiver.livejournal.com]

Phoenixsinger could have written the above post! We've been through the same kind of hassle here with Walgreens. If you have a CVS (formerly Eckerd's) near you, try them. You'll be much happier, believe me! That's been the solution for Phoenixsinger. There was even no hassle in moving her scripts over from Lee Drive to Jones Creek, nearer to Jacqui.

[lolleeroberts.livejournal.com]

I second the recommendation of CVS. The former roomie had all sorts of grief from Walgreens with her Singulair for asthma. (As in, cannot breathe well without it) so she moved to CVS.

Their service was so good that she commented on it, and what a nice change it was. The pharmacy tech said "Come over here from Walgreens, huh?" Evidently it's quite a trend.

[mawychick.livejournal.com]

I live in a different state and have had ALL the same problems with wal-greens - I'd much rather have been at Kroger, but I was desperate and Kroger didn't have the drug I needed at that moment - and then I went through all of your above complaints!

Hope there's a different option for you!

other pharm

[the-blue-fenix.livejournal.com]

CVS has always done well by us.

Our doctor's office recently switched to the computer tablets that automatically send the prescription. The first time I had one filled that way I also got a paper copy of the prescription, which was a big help when there was a delay with transmitting through the whatsis. Even after you change pharmacies you might want to ask for paper copies as backups.

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this will accomplish anything, but I figured it couldn't hurt. I have just sent the following to Walgreens on their Customer Service website:

I would like to direct your attention to the following blog entry, posted by a close friend of mine: http://celticdragonfly.livejournal.com/641344.html

Do read the follow-up comments, where her friends and family complain of similar treatment by Walgreens pharmacists.

A new Walgreens has recently opened in my neighborhood, offering a cash incentive to switch my prescriptions over. I can tell you, after reading this horror story, I certainly won't be going near the place.

I'm sending this on my friend's behalf bc she has three small children--one of which still has an untreated ear infection due to Walgreens' incompetence. If you need more information, you may contact me and I'll send the request on to her.

Sincerely,

Joyce Lanterman

If you want to follow up on that, their CS contact site is at http://www.walgreens.com/contactus/contactus_employee.jsp

(Sorry if this was too much interference, I just figured I had the time to chase this down, and you've got your hands full.)

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Wow. You ROCK. Thank you.

[ciorstan.livejournal.com]

I am still with the same CVS Pharmacy despite the foul-up last November with my thyroid medication. They have done very well by me for thirteen years, with the exception of that one incident-- in fact, all of the various CVSs that I have dealt with (my preferred one is not a 24 hour) have been excellent-- and they share their records internally.

Correction, that should be twenty-nine years, since I turned eighteen 1/2 and moved out on my own and started patronizing Sav-On, which turned into CVS.

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

I detest Walgreens. The last time I had a prescription filled there .....

I was sick as a dog, and waiting. I'd been waiting well over an hour. Folks had come in, dropped off prescriptions, picked them up and left; and I was still there. I got loud and ugly.

"Well, there's a problem with your scrip. We're waiting on the doctors office to call us back."
"It's SIX-FIFTEEN on a Friday Night. Who do you think is going to be at the office at this time of night? And why didn't you tell me that there was a problem OVER AN HOUR AGO so I could have gone home and gone back to bed and sent the husband out for it when it was filled?"

They never did apologize, and the druggist tried to say it was the doctor's fault, and that I would have to have the office call them on Monday Morning with the correct prescription.

I looked him squarely in the eye and said, "No, I don't. Because that prescription will go somewhere else."

And I never went back.

[nlbarber]

Grrrr to Walgreen's. They have exceeded their idiocy quota.

I agree with everyone else--dump this pharmacy. I've also had pretty good luck with CVS.

[mareklamo.livejournal.com]

Poor Jamie. I hope he feels better soon, and that this delay won't affect his surgery.

And yeah, switch pharmacies if it's feasible.