Not long ago, my friendly neighborhood 24 Hour Sav-on Pharmacy became a CVS Pharmacy. My first inkling that the conversion might not be an improvement — or even a zero-sum game — came when I saw all the signs posted around the place promising that as a CVS Pharmacy, the place would have "more convenient hours." More convenient than Always Open? Buckminster Fuller could probably explain how that's possible but I sure can't…and anyway, he's dead.
Actually, the old Sav-on (which I patronized for 20+ years) was about as perfect a pharmacy as one could expect, especially when that one (i.e., me) had the good sense to go in after 1 AM. During the more popular dayparts, the place was blatantly understaffed, which in this case is another way of saying that they did a tremendous business and that the management had not expanded the crew or the facility to service that demand. But in the wee small hours, it was a breeze. If I needed a refill, I could order it on the Sav-on website and go over and pick it up an hour later. If I had a new prescription from my doctor-person, I could take it in and whichever pharmacist was on duty would drop everything and fill it about as fast as humanly possible. The pharmacists were also truly friendly and willing to take the time to answer all questions.
Since the place went all CVS on me, things ain't working. First of all, they made a big show of announcing that all the prescriptions they had from their Sav-on days were still on file and could be refilled just as easily by the new management. This turns out to be untrue for those of us who renew online or even over the phone. We have to physically come in and order refills, even though that's just a matter of showing up and saying, "Gimme another round of my Glucophage." I am assured that once an old Sav-on prescription is renewed, it becomes a full-fledged CVS prescription and will thereafter be renewable online or via telephone. Perhaps…but you'd think someone could have worked that one out a little better.
But mostly, it's been a matter of prescriptions not being ready…when they're supposed to or at all. Two weeks ago, I took in two new ones. For some odd reason — I will never understand women, trigonometry or how my health insurance works — these required "prior authorization" from my insurer. As near as I can fathom, this means that my doctor — who has already filled out a prescription for the pharmacy saying that I need this medicine — has to fill out an extra form for my insurance company saying that I need this medicine. At the same time I took these in to be filled, I also ordered renewals on three other prescriptions, two of which needed okays from my doctor. My doctor authorized everything and filled out all his paperwork immediately but at the moment, the scorecard reads as follows…
- Two prescriptions filled more or less promptly. (Both renewals, one of which needed my doctor's okay.)
- One more prescription filled a few days later. (The other renewal that needed my doctor's okay. It was ready soon after, even though he okayed both at the same time.)
- One prescription totally lost. I don't know where it is. They don't know where it is. My doctor filled out the "prior authorization" form and the insurance company says they authorized the pharmacy to fill it…but the pharmacy has no record of it. In the meantime though, it became moot. When my doctor found out I hadn't started on it a week after he'd prescribed it, he decided to fill it himself. He had me drop by his office where he loaded me down with free samples. I have to tear open a lot of little packets but I have my pills. By the way, this prescription would have cost me several hundred dollars even after the insurance company paid its part of it.
- One prescription found, lost, then allegedly found again. The other "prior authorization" prescription was reportedly filled a week ago Monday. On Wednesday when I inquired at the pharmacy, they told me it still had not gone through. Apparently, it was sitting there, waiting to be picked up at that moment. On Saturday, since it had gone unclaimed for more than five days, they returned the pills to stock. I am told it has now finally been filled again and after I post this, I'm going to go see if that's true.
To get the found/lost/found one figured out and filled again, I had to spend well over an hour on the phone last night, most of which spent listening to tinny "hold" music, unsure if anyone would ever come on the line. Twice during that hour, I thought a human being was answering but I was instead disconnected, which is such a lovely feeling. The irony is that I was calling to perhaps save myself a trip over to the drugstore. As it turned out, I could have walked there, repainted the exterior of the building, then walked home in less time.
Thrice this month, I have phoned the CVS Customer Service line. During each call, I have spoken with an extremely nice, compassionate person (a different one each time) who has expressed shock at my experience, agreed with me that it's intolerable and apologized profusely. When I told this morning's Customer Service Person that I'd gone a week without my Omeprazole, she said, "Oh, I take that, too" and I thought she was going to offer to share her supply with me.
I'm not big on apologies from anonymous strangers. I'm never sure why I'm supposed to feel better because someone I don't know who had nothing directly to do with the affront says, "I'm sorry." I am impressed when they move to do something that might make things better, and the CVS Customer Service folks to whom I've spoken have sure sounded like they intended to try. The second had a high-ranking executive of the company phone me to hear my complaint first-hand and that person promised me that if I kept my business where it is, I would see a rapid improvement.
So I'm torn between waiting to see if they make good on this or just taking my business to another pharmacy…which will be farther away and probably not open 24 hours. I haven't decided what I'll do except for this: I am now about to walk (that's right — walk) over to the CVS Pharmacy and see if the prescription they told me was ready for pick up is actually read for pick up. If it is, I'll report back here later that it was. If it isn't, I probably won't post. That's because I will have done something that will put me in jail.