I’ve never tried it, but it should just take a phone call to find out for sure.
Yep, I picked some up for my gf and didn’t realize you needed an ID check, signature, etc. After the sale was complete, I said, “after all this it would be a waste not to manufacture some meth”. The pharmacy lady glared at me.
I had to sign a statement saying I wouldn’t use it to make meth.
My pharmacist made a Breaking Bad joke after I asked whether signing a statement saying I won’t use it to make meth ever stopped anyone.
Yes, but now – and I’m only speaking to CVS, not Costco – they ask for your date of birth before they’ll even hear your question. That enables them to pull up your record. That right there is over-the-phone identity verification. They could also quiz you about address and phone number, etc.
I would calmly explain the predicament to the pharmacist and ask how to avoid the long waits in the future. Perhaps they could text you when your prescription is ready to be picked up, circumventing the need for positive ID proof, as they are texting to your already-established-as-yours phone number. Maybe your doctor’s office could call or fax them to verify before you get there.
Also, some pharmacies will price match on prescriptions, so if you haven’t done so, check with a more convenient pharmacy to see if they will drop the price to Costco’s.
I haven’t been able to find the specific law, but I know pharmacies in Texas won’t do it. In addition, you have twenty one days to fill the prescription or it become invalid. I lost a prescription in an apartment fire once and had to prove that it had been destroyed. Took a couple of years during which I had to switch to Provigil. The laws are pretty stiff for both consumer and pharmacist and the doctor. My tactic (which has worked for 15 years or so) is to ask for a pre-fulfillment consult with the pharmacist. I explain that with narcolepsy my daily dose isn’t set and that I’ve been taking the medication or a similar one for many years, it’s lifetime maintenance, etc. Basically, I want him to get a face-to-face meeting that shows him I’m not acting hinky or druggy. I also find out if they have enough on hand before turning over the script. It can be a lot of trouble, but you have to be willing to jump through hoops on scripts like this.
Price match guarantees tend to be full of exceptions, and I’d bet serious money that Costco and Sam’s are excluded on some basis - not an “open retailer” or “membership benefits” or something.
While it wouldn’t surprise me if someone tried that, in fact both Costco and Sam’s will sell prescriptions to non-members. At least in my state. So they’re as open as anyone else.
Whether or not discount clubs are excluded from a guaranteed price match, another pharmacy is still incented to check the price, compare, and match it if they can. Even if they can’t or choose not to match, they may be able to lower the price enough to make them a better choice than the inconvenience and expense of getting to Costco. Cash payers typically pay much more than insurance companies are charged for the same thing, because they negotiate lower prices. There may be quite a bit of wiggle room in the price charged for a particular medication. Even if they sell at zero profit, the chances are you will buy something else with a high profit margin while you are there anyway, and they know this.