Our story with our not so brave but totally irritated heroine left off yesterday from the VA Pharmacy with the promise to return for med pick up. This is effectively my only day this week to run errands. I arrive at the pharmacy and ask for my meds.
We mailed them yesterday afternoon.
What?
Our policy is to mail them.
But I specifically told the guy at the window that I was leaving on Sat.
Well, they are mailed.
I need my meds. Do you have them in stock?
Yes, we would have to clear it with the doc – but we don’t usually hand out VitD – that is mail order….
Hour later they finally manage to hand me a bottle. It has four capsules in it. I am gone for 9 weeks. It is not the right med to top it off.
Back to the window. Hello? I am leaving country for a couple of months, this isn’t going to do it.
But you should be getting the rest in the mail.
Repeat – US Mail service is not time guaranteed. I am the one with the potential for serious issues.
Well, you shouldn’t have run out.
What!?!?!?! I talked to my doc a month ago. I had a bridge script which STILL hasn’t arrived from mail order to get me to the appointment since she wanted to see me before renewal. The first appointment available Mon. If you hadn’t mailed my meds yesterday, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
That is our policy.
I stop by the patient advocate. It is NOT the clinic policy to automatically mail, especially in the face of a specific request not to mail. It is just easier for the pharmacy. Rather than fill the script – they just send a message to the Central Pharmacy (Indiana?) which fills and mails. Transfer of workload. Easy, Peasy.
I go back to the pharmacy. They can’t process more than one request on a med per day. If I want more than four tabs, I am going to have to come back tomorrow.
What do people do who have a life? A job that requires them to physically be somewhere? To punch a time clock?
I do a lot of yelling at the As game. It helps. They lose 2:1 anyway; allowing the tying run in the 8th and the game in extra innings.
The VA saga to be continued….
