When administration doesn’t work, thanks is hard.
I joined an HMO because it offered dental insurance, coverage for eye glasses, and home delivery of prescriptions. I never knew how screwed up one process could get.
Sculpture of “Mad Mom”
The home delivery service operates through a different pharmacy than the one I had been using. I was informed I’d need at least a 14-day supply of my meds to “cover” the time needed for the delivery set up to proceed.
At my multiply-rescheduled PCP appointment on May 11, (Thank you, Corona Virus.) I tell Dr. my plans to go through home delivery. The timing? Well before the 90-day supply from previous pharmacy runs out.
On May 28, the home delivery pharmacy sends an email saying they have my order. Wheee!…
When administration doesn’t work, thanks is hard.
No doctor has ever prescribed all of a person’s medications on the same day. I get to the point where four different medications will run out before the projected delivery date of the order placed with the new, delivering pharmacy.
I go to the building where both my doctor’s office and previous pharmacy are, and get “short range” refills to take care of that. All’s well, right?
Lo and behold…
Something about the “new system” recently adopted by hospital administration for the previous pharmacy’s use, causes any new prescription request–even for a two-week supply–to cancel any orders listed in my records that were previously sent to the new, home delivery pharmacy. (Nobody mentions that “upgrade.”)
So, I’m blissfully unaware, and placidly waiting for the Home Delivery to arrive some time between today, June 3, and June 8.
When administration doesn’t work, thanks is hard.
The people at the HMO call me, and are just about panicking. According to their records, it appears I might have been out of my pill medications for about 9 days. (I picked up the 14-day refills, so that’s not quite so.)
I spend a ton of time on hold with several people, and make multiple attempts to connect successfully with the customer service line for the new pharmacy.
(There are disconnects and other follies, including being asked for the full prescription numbers for the pills, which I don’t know, because the May 28 email only shows me the last four numbers, and I’m pretty sure they aren’t the same as the numbers from the previous pharmacy.)
I finally get through to a breathing human being, only to discover vaguely, that there might be a problem with the mail order place not providing test strips and lancets (which is not what I’m calling about), and learn that I have to phone the PCP’s office AGAIN to have the pills Re-prescribed.
When administration doesn’t work, thanks is hard.
I hope Michelle the nurse gets things sorted out permanently.
Talk about grounds for a heart attack or stroke…. Good grief. Now, oh joy and howling delight, I get to go write a blog post on Being Thankful for Administration. It’s one of those “spiritual gifts.” Don’t forget, “Do everything without complaining or arguing….” I’m thankful I’m no longer on hold. Supper was delicious.
Updated Update: I received a new email from the new pharmacy: “Order confirmation—We’re On It.” Vast relief, mirth and glee, until I scroll down. The order is a refill of the medication I wasn’t going through this rigamarole for. When administration doesn’t work, thanks is hard, but now the process is working smoothly.
Ruth DeMaat
Heidi Kortman
Krystine Kercher
Heidi Kortman