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Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Prescription Renewal


Prescription Renewal
My doctor has been telling me to take a statin drug to lower my cholesterol.  I have been balking at this because my cholesterol was only borderline high and I’ve known people with complaints like muscle pain from this drug.

My doctor recently convinced me that my count was not borderline, but was in fact very high.  I gave in and have been taking the drug at the lowest dose.

I have not since checked my cholesterol level, but have noticed that my blood pressure has dropped from borderline high to just about right.  I haven’t experienced muscle issues and my golf score has come down about 6 strokes (the stuff is supposed to prevent strokes so…)

Yesterday I went to my local pharmacy to get a refill.  I was told they needed to check with my doctor, but while they were doing so electronically, I should make a follow up to my doctor.

I called on a semi-holiday and got an answering machine, so I waited one more day.  Today I called and got the machine but did not have the pharmacy phone number handy which they needed.  I called later with all information handy and got the office, not the machine.

“Doctor’s office, please hold.” Pretty sure it was Lily Tomlin on the phone.

Damn, this time I was hoping for the machine.

After five minutes of hearing an occasional ‘boop’ I heard Lily answer,

“Doctor’s office please continue to hold.”

I was glad this was not an emergency.

Finally, I got the office.

“Doctor’s office, thank you for waiting.”

“Yes, I need a prescription refill.”

“Name?”

“Hagy.”

“What is the prescription?”

“That cholesterol reducing stuff.”

“Resterophambolisticularistofan?”

“Is that cholesterol reducing stuff?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes.”

“Did the pharmacy put in a request?”

“They said they would electronically, but that I should also call.”

With distain, “They shouldn’t do that!!”

Perturbed, “I just do what I’m told, should I go back and tell them they shouldn’t do that?”

“I’ll check.”

Five minutes later.

“My Hagy?”

“Yes”

With distain “You need to call the pharmacy because we approved that electronically yesterday!”

Apologetically “I did say they were putting in the request, I am just following up, thank you.”

With disdain “Well check with them, we did everything already, I don’t know why you are calling!”

Feeling like I did something wrong (and with a touch of F-you sarcasm“I guess I am just a jerk! Thanks, I will check with them.”

Sheesh! Some things that should be easy. 

I’ll bet my blood pressure is through the roof now.






17 comments:

  1. I work in health care and I hate the whole process! I can't take any statins..I can't even walk if I do. Anyway, I'm glad it's helping you and improving your golf score!

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  2. I've been taking them for years without any problem, but I have to get blood work checked twice a year.

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  3. Seems like the left foot (the pharmacy) didn't know what the right foot (doctor's office) was doing and you were caught in the middle of it all. Its days like this I'm glad I'm not (yet) on any prescription drugs.

    betty

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  4. It seems like technology has made stuff twice as hard, and takes twice as long. Like a simple call that turns into several due to phone tag, or a $14 long distance charge while on hold and then hung up on (my cell phone won't get reception inside my house). Don't get me started on people using their cards to pay for a $1 soda at a convenience store. My own debit card takes twice as long to read the chip as it did to swipe.

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  5. Stuff-ups like that make anyone's blood pressure go up. I keep track of my prescriptions by looking at the refill number on the current packet of whatever, when it says last refill, I wait until I only have a week's supply left then go and see my doctor or whichever doctor is available at the clinic I go to.

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  6. I have programmed my telephone-answering machine to wait and listen to their recorded message over and again. When eventually a human voice comes on, my answering machine says: "Your call is important to us. You are Number One in the queue. Please wait".

    Also, when I have to go to hospital to give blood samples for testing I send a friend instead. He takes my medical card and pretends to be me. It really confuses my doctors. The last time I went for my test results the doctor told me I was pregnant.

    God bless.

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  7. Methinks your patience knows no bounds...
    Actually the whole scenario is very like that played out by UK surgeries and IT DRIVES ME MAD. Also where I live the attitude of staff is so bad I wonder they keep their jobs.

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  8. I would be pissed if my dr office treated me like this.

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  9. Boy does she need an attitude adjustment. Might mention it to your doc when you next see him. I take statins even though I had perfect cholesterol but what I had kept getting jammed up in my arteries. As long as there are no side effects and your golf score keeps improving sounds like a good thing.

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  10. I had a pharmacy like that once and then I changed my pharmacy and I don't go through that anymore. I have an app on my phones and it tells me when I need to refill. No phone calls at all and when they are filled I get a text that my prescriptions are ready for pick-up. Love it. I would have hated to go through what you did.

    Have a fabulous day, Joe. 😎

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  11. I've been taking a statin for years, too, and no problems. I know what you mean about doctors' office staff. My wife and I have gone round and round with some of them and they always seem to put us on interminable holds.

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  12. Docs and doc offices around here are far more cordial than that. Then again, about a quarter of 'em you can't trust so we figure that's their way of compensating for suspect care.

    Dentist offices around here, on the other hand, are surly to bed and surly to rise. And a bit suspect as well ....

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  13. When I went to the doctor last time he gave me some pills the size of a golf ball. Too big to swallow in one go. I asked him what they were for. He said he didn't know. They were left for him by a salesman selling various pills. He thought they were to cure horses. I took one and was off at a gallop.

    God bless.

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  14. Don'tcha just love customer service that wonderful? Geez.
    My husbands cholesterol should not be so low but it is (170) His new doctor recently asked what he does and he told him that while eating bacon he is looking for the cheese. That isn't too far off either. I swear it is just genetic.

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  15. I'm going to have to ask my doctor about the difference in Australian and American readings for blood pressure and cholesterol. Margaret above me here has a husband with a cholesterol level of 170 which is considered too low, mine here in Aus when I began the statins was 7 and apparently way too high. Perhaps American readings are in the hundreds and 170 actually means 1.7?

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  16. Our pharmacy keeps trying to get me to come pick up meds my doc has told me not to take any more.

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  17. i am glad that statin is working for you dear Joe

    i agree that taking medicine for long grow muscle pain and i am saying this because i used meds for arthritis for six months and when i left i had quite pain in my right upper arm which left slowly after leaving the medication though

    your process to have medicine is too long

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