# Pharmacies calling to remind you about refills. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 22, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306 "2012-08-22T20:38:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/21 "2012-08-23T07:06:35Z")
My phone numbers all forward to my cell phone. My cell phone lets me save callers’ numbers by name in the address book. My address book will only let me save five numbers for each name. Calls from pollsters, telemarketers, pharmacies, and scammers all get saved under variations on the same name. This is why my cell phone has 37 contacts named “Asshole.” ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/22 "2012-08-23T14:06:34Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > My phone numbers all forward to my cell phone. My cell phone lets me save callers’ numbers by name in the address book. My address book will only let me save five numbers for each name. Calls from pollsters, telemarketers, pharmacies, and scammers all get saved under variations on the same name. > > This is why my cell phone has 37 contacts named “Asshole.” I guess this guy Joe Asshole has a lot of relatives who also like to annoy you!! Mine doesn’t seem to have a limit on the number of phone numbers, so my phone has a contact named “Telemarketer”, whose calls all go to voicemail. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/23 "2012-08-23T14:33:12Z")
I would do that, except all the assholes would be at the top of my address book taking up space. So all my assholes are labeled Zzzzz, because they’re going to fall into a coma before I’ll answer their calls. We see our dentist twice a year, and she has us address our own reminder cards while we’re there. Which her office staff sends out three months in advance. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/24 "2012-08-23T15:42:34Z")
Wow! The only time I get calls from my pharmacist is if I’ve called in for a refill and I don’t pick it up in a few days or if there’s something wrong with my refill order. I don’t get reminders or anything. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/25 "2012-08-25T13:21:09Z")
Employers who have group health insurance plans may require the insurance company to develop and implement these types of programs. Sounds like most of the posters here are taking their meds as prescribed, but there are many who do not, and end up with more costly situations (hospitalization). The pharmacy reaching out should not be a big deal, but I can see how this can become an annoyance. As stated, any responsible pharmacy will cease contacting you upon request, and if they continue, you can lodge a complaint with your insurance. Your health insurance company is driving this process. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/26 "2012-08-25T14:48:00Z")
The specialty pharmacy is still calling me even though I’ve told them I will call when I need a refill. I’m just ignoring the calls at this point. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/27 "2012-08-26T00:53:18Z")
My pharmacy started doing that and I told them to stop. No problem since. When I pick up refills, they sometimes ask if I’d like an automatic refill and I tell them, “Absolutely NOT.” ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/28 "2012-08-26T01:16:18Z")
My pharmacy robocalls my office phone number and starts to leave the message as soon as it rings, before it shifts into my voicemail or before I answer it, so I have to call them back to see which Rx is referredto. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/29 "2012-08-26T01:22:00Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > My pharmacy robocalls my office phone number and starts to leave the message as soon as it rings, before it shifts into my voicemail or before I answer it, so I have to call them back to see which Rx is referredto. That’s a whole other gripe I guess I could start a thread about. Robocalls that don’t wait for the voice mail greeting to finish. I hate getting messages that consist solely of something like “…it’s important that you return this call”. The technology exists to remedy this, but they have to apply it on their end! ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/30 "2012-08-27T03:35:46Z")
You are not alone. My family uses two pharmacies, one for one- time scripts, and another for long term scripts. Both tend to call and leave amazingly long messages. But the local pharmacy is the worst. They take up all the space on my answering machine every time they call. Don’t eve get me started on the doctor offices that do the same thing, call a day or two in advance to remind you of the appt., and then repeat the same message over again. It is a 5+ minute message easy.:mad: I hate. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/31 "2012-08-27T14:21:49Z")
I don’t mind the reminders. I have automatic refills, so I get a call, I go to the counter and my stuff is ready. At least they don’t shout at me as I walk away “HEY WE’LL HAVE YOUR VIAGRA READY NEXT TUESDAY!” ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306/32 "2012-08-27T16:18:51Z")
My pharmacy doesn’t call me, thank goodness, but my insurance company sends me a letter every month to remind me to refill my anti-depressant, and also sends me some lame newsletter. Once I apparently didn’t do it quickly enough so then they sent me a letter telling me how important it was to do so (which I already had). It annoys the hell out of me and I find it very invasive. It’s between me and my doctor, okay? I think I can call and get removed from their mailing list but I keep forgetting. Maybe if someone called me or sent me a letter reminding me to call and tell them I want off the list, that would actually be helpful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pharmacies-calling-to-remind-you-about-refills/632306.md?page=1)