OT prescription law??

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:16:33 -0600, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

Will somebody with a cool head please try to explain pharmacy law to me?
Last week I noticed that my blood pressure medication would run out on
Christmas Day. I thought they would not like to make an emergency trip to
the store so I called in the refill number.
Well. I tried.
The robot that answers their phone said it was to early to refill.
Now. I really like that robot. He asks simple questions, I punch in
the prescription number, the # sign when he gets it right and then I punch
in what day and hour I am likely to appear to hand over my $s and get my
pills.
No problem. Works for me.
Today I tried again. Gave up with reasoning with the robot and had to
speak with a real pharmacist.
I like them too. They know lots. Quite often, they know a heap more
than our fine cardiologists do.
The question is: What is it with filling a prescription too soon? Is
the drug company or the insurance company going to declare bankruptcy if I
mess up their regular schedule? Do they think I'm going to sit outside the
Old Folks Home and peddle my pills to innocent old coots? What?
This baffles me. It's not like I was taking really good stuff. It is
only such a low dose that they don't make one and the smallest has to be
chopped in half.
Anyone understand this? Polly

It is the insurance company. They won't pay if you fill too soon.
Remind your pharmacist that you will be without the drug over a
holiday and demand you get a couple of pills now so you don't run the
risk of stroke.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:51:32 -0600, "teleflora"
wrote:

Back a hundred years ago, I thought I'd be smart and get my whole
years worth of birth control pills before the first of the year because my
deductible was paid and I would get 80% back on my prescriptions. Whelp,
the insurance company "caught on" and denied my claim. Gee, I bet nobody
had ever tried that before me.

The ins co. probably thought you were selling the BC pills for your
own gain.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

I am thrilled to hear you aren't dealing with these problems Polly. LOL
I recently went round and round trying to make an apt. with dh's primary
dr. They have changed the way they do appointments and it amounts to
a lot of fuss for the patient. When dh finally got in the doc had my
complaint. Seems I am not the only unhappy one. The phone girls are
sick of the whole thing too! I don't particularly care for this dr. but
dh likes him. I have now retired from calling them anymore!
I hope you have your pill mess worked out.
TAria

Polly Esther wrote:


It could be so much worse. I could have an encumbrance lasting more
than 36 hours and an overwhelming urge to gamble. Well. . . that's what the
drug companies warn about on tv. Polly

Wellll ... I just thought it was a bit "Orwellian" that a pharmacist can (in
some states) decide whether or not to fill your script from your *doctor*
(whom most would assume would know whether you were preggers or not) based
on *his* opinion.

Hugs!
Connie

"NightMist" wrote in message
...

So Polly m'dear, just why might that pharmacy robot have reason to
think you might be preggers?
*extreme eyebrow waggle*

NightMist

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:21:00 -0600, "SewVeryCreative"
ConnieATsewverycreativeDOTcom wrote:

Oh and forgot to mention ... most states allow the pharmacist to deny you
certain meds if he thinks you're preggers.

Hugs!!
Connie

"SewVeryCreative" ConnieATsewverycreativeDOTcom wrote in message
. ..
AFAIK, it's for "safety reasons" - and, I'm sure, liability reasons as
well.
One reason is that you need to be under a doctor's care ACTIVELY. If
you
have a condition that needs to be monitored regularly, and they give
you a
90 day supply, who's to say that you'll drag your poor keister into
Doc's
office as often as you should? Who's to say that you won't go a little
crazy
and decide that you know better than the Doc and might give yourself a
little bit more?

It's AFAIK, a law meant to prevent us silly sick people from
"medicating"
or
dosing ourselves (since medicine here IS so cheap). If they only give
you
what you need to take, somehow you're not tempted to take a little more
than
you should.

I do know that not all meds will get bumped if you try to get the
refill
early ... heart meds, oh, yes indeedy, they get bumped and how! So does
Warfarin (which I'm on) ... heart meds and anticoagulants *are*
dangerous,
even at low doses.

FTR, antibiotics, insulins, IV solutions, electrolytes except
potassium,
blood components and factors, and diagnostic drugs are eligible for
early
refill in most states.

BTDT ...

Hugs!!
Connie

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
Noooo, dear Taria. Don't feel any pain. The situation was easily
resolved.
It seems the pharmacy assistant was accustomed to counting 30 pills
instead
of 45 which would equal 90 days chopping the pills in half. The
mistake
was
easily explained. I didn't even have to haul out the 'cold gray
glare'
or
even lower my voice to a scary tone.
I just remain puzzled as to why "It's the Law!" about when and
how
many
pills can be dispensed if they are certainly not a Controlled
Substance,
popular on the party scene or even particularly interesting.
Since our precious rctq group has incredible knowledge of all
things,
I
was just wondering if anyone could explain this to me. I am capable
of
going to the local (well, . . . not very local) law library and
researching
it myself. Just was thinking someone knew the whys and therefores of
this
one.
It could be so much worse. I could have an encumbrance lasting
more
than 36 hours and an overwhelming urge to gamble. Well. . . that's
what
the
drug companies warn about on tv. Polly




"Taria" wrote in message
news:M8Gaj.39133$ZA4.18310@trnddc03...
Well Polly, you lost me on the 'somebody with a cool head'.
That usually isn't me. Did you ask the pharmacist for a clear
explanation? Would it help if you had a 90 day batch instead of
30? Sorry I can't help except to feel your pain.
Taria




Polly Esther wrote:
Will somebody with a cool head please try to explain pharmacy law
to
me?
Last week I noticed that my blood pressure medication would run
out
on
Christmas Day. I thought they would not like to make an emergency
trip
to the store so I called in the refill number.
Well. I tried.
The robot that answers their phone said it was to early to
refill.
Now. I really like that robot. He asks simple questions, I
punch
in
the prescription number, the # sign when he gets it right and then
I
punch in what day and hour I am likely to appear to hand over my
$s
and
get my pills.
No problem. Works for me.
Today I tried again. Gave up with reasoning with the robot
and
had
to speak with a real pharmacist.
I like them too. They know lots. Quite often, they know a
heap
more
than our fine cardiologists do.
The question is: What is it with filling a prescription too
soon?
Is the drug company or the insurance company going to declare
bankruptcy
if I mess up their regular schedule? Do they think I'm going to
sit
outside the Old Folks Home and peddle my pills to innocent old
coots?
What?
This baffles me. It's not like I was taking really good
stuff.
It
is only such a low dose that they don't make one and the smallest
has
to
be chopped in half.
Anyone understand this? Polly








--

The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the
majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with
the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.
- AA Milne

Howdy!

Polly, you Rebel. RULE BREAKER!!! System Disrupter!

(somehow I knew this about you)

I bet you've even mixed POLlYESTER w/ cotton, haven't you?

Yeah, somewhere there's a list of your renegade behavior.
Ran w/ scissors.
Used contrasting bobbin thread.
Ate the last piece of chocolate at the party.
Scraped by w/ a 3/16 seam allowance.
...there's more; we're gonna' tell all!

R/Sandy--who knows that "limited time offer" on meds refill;
pharmacy calls the doc, who calls me, then calls the pharmacy
who calls me to say, "Oh, it's okay; you can have the meds."
*sheeze-loooweeze!*


On 12/20/07 9:32 PM, in article , "Polly
Esther" wrote:

Noooo, dear Taria. Don't feel any pain. The situation was easily resolved.
It seems the pharmacy assistant was accustomed to counting 30 pills instead
of 45 which would equal 90 days chopping the pills in half. The mistake was
easily explained. I didn't even have to haul out the 'cold gray glare' or
even lower my voice to a scary tone.
I just remain puzzled as to why "It's the Law!" about when and how many
pills can be dispensed if they are certainly not a Controlled Substance,
popular on the party scene or even particularly interesting.
Since our precious rctq group has incredible knowledge of all things, I
was just wondering if anyone could explain this to me. I am capable of
going to the local (well, . . . not very local) law library and researching
it myself. Just was thinking someone knew the whys and therefores of this
one.
It could be so much worse. I could have an encumbrance lasting more
than 36 hours and an overwhelming urge to gamble. Well. . . that's what the
drug companies warn about on tv. Polly




"Taria" wrote in message
news:M8Gaj.39133$ZA4.18310@trnddc03...
Well Polly, you lost me on the 'somebody with a cool head'.
That usually isn't me. Did you ask the pharmacist for a clear
explanation? Would it help if you had a 90 day batch instead of
30? Sorry I can't help except to feel your pain.
Taria




Polly Esther wrote:
Will somebody with a cool head please try to explain pharmacy law to me?
Last week I noticed that my blood pressure medication would run out on
Christmas Day. I thought they would not like to make an emergency trip
to the store so I called in the refill number.
Well. I tried.
The robot that answers their phone said it was to early to refill.
Now. I really like that robot. He asks simple questions, I punch in
the prescription number, the # sign when he gets it right and then I
punch in what day and hour I am likely to appear to hand over my $s and
get my pills.
No problem. Works for me.
Today I tried again. Gave up with reasoning with the robot and had
to speak with a real pharmacist.
I like them too. They know lots. Quite often, they know a heap more
than our fine cardiologists do.
The question is: What is it with filling a prescription too soon?
Is the drug company or the insurance company going to declare bankruptcy
if I mess up their regular schedule? Do they think I'm going to sit
outside the Old Folks Home and peddle my pills to innocent old coots?
What?
This baffles me. It's not like I was taking really good stuff. It
is only such a low dose that they don't make one and the smallest has to
be chopped in half.
Anyone understand this? Polly

SewVeryCreative wrote:
Wellll ... I just thought it was a bit "Orwellian" that a pharmacist can (in
some states) decide whether or not to fill your script from your *doctor*
(whom most would assume would know whether you were preggers or not) based
on *his* opinion.

Depends on how vigilent the doctor is, or even the nurse. I haven't been
to my primary care doctor since August, maybe even July, but I have
prescriptions that get used in about a month and they were all on 2 or 3
refills allowed. Given I had surgery, I've ended up calling a lot in to
the pharmacy then hitting the button that says they'll fax the doctor
the refill request, first couple of times I was confident it would be ok
and it was, but the last time I called some in, I really thought they
wouldn't be okayed and at the very least a nurse would call me, but they
all got filled and the name on the label shows that it was the nurse
practioner who I've only seen once who okayed them, my doctor probably
doesn't even know. Given my doctor's office faxes them through anyway,
I'm not sure it would even look any different at the pharmacy end to one
that had been faxed through as a result of my visit.

Cheers
Anne

Howdy!

So I have to convince the pharmacist that
I'm just fat?

R/Sandy
g

On 12/21/07 7:21 AM, in article ,
"SewVeryCreative" ConnieATsewverycreativeDOTcom wrote:

Oh and forgot to mention ... most states allow the pharmacist to deny you
certain meds if he thinks you're preggers.

Hugs!!
Connie

Doesn't anyone watch "House"? ; ) ... but no, he's not taking blood
pressure meds ....

Seriously ... I never had any trouble getting pills if I was running out,
going on vacation, etc. But you do have to talk to a real person, not the
robot.

Lots of drugs can affect the liver badly, and regular testing is required.
That seems to be my doctors' concern ... that I don't go too long between
the tests. They also want to be aware of everything you take so you don't
have bad interactions ... if you go to one doctor for something and another
for something else, that could easily happen if one of them wasn't paying
attention to everything you take. OR ... if they've never read the papers
that come with the drugs or told you about interactions with OTC meds (guess
what! doctors ... except for House ... don't know everything!) ... I'd
never have known thyroid medicine should not be taken within 4 hours of
calcium if I hadn't read that sheet.

Lobo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Delete the obvious to reply to me personally.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
Will somebody with a cool head please try to explain pharmacy law to me?
Last week I noticed that my blood pressure medication would run out on
Christmas Day. I thought they would not like to make an emergency trip to
the store so I called in the refill number.
snip.