So I was at the doctor’s yesterday, and he mentioned that my previous prescription was for 3 months, which was a surprise to me because the pharmacy had been filling it like it was monthly.
Is this kind of thing a big deal legally? Anyone else have this happen? Is it possible the pharmacist made a mistake keying the prescription in or is there some other reason they’d do this? I did fill another prescription at the same time that was one month at a time.
I asked my doctor about this because I had a 3 month prescription being filled one month at a time also. The prescription is good for a year. I should only have to go in 4 times, instead I go every month.
He laughed and said that the pharmacies do that to collect the co-pay from you more often. In my case I pay about $2.50 each refill. So Safeway gets that 12 times per year rather than 4 times. The pharmacy is not making a mistake, they are doing it on purpose as part of their policy. It is just another minor cost in our for-profit health care system.
The pharmacies also want to save money in case your prescription gets changed. They give you 3 months worth, but 3 weeks into it, your doc discovers you don’t need it, or shouldn’t be on it, and stops it. Then the pharmacy is out 9 weeks of unused meds they can’t take back. Give it a month at a time, and they’re only out a week’s worth.
You mean - the insurance company would be out that money, right? So maybe it’s an insurance company policy that they impose on the pharmacy?
Pharmacies make mistakes all the time. But yours is a common thing. My doctor prescribes, and I pick up every month, for 6 mos. Then I return to the clinic for a check and blood work and it starts allover.
It might be an insurance thing. Bear with me here, because this is stupid and annoying. My insurance company will do 1 month or 3 month prescriptions. The 1 month prescription can be filled at almost any pharmacy, and the copay is (usually) $15. 3 month prescriptions can only be filled at the mail order pharmacy, and the copay is $30, so a $15 savings to me.
So, I had circumstances where the doctor wrote a 3 month prescription, but sent it to a local pharmacy instead of the mail order pharmacy, and when I went to fill it they could only do 1 month, because that was all the insurance would cover for them.
At some point in the last year the policy changed for sanity, because now I can pickup 3 months at the local store.
How is the pharmacy out anything? They were paid for all of it, right?
Our insurance requires us to get all maintenance meds in a 90 day supply through their mail order. I think they recently changed it to include a 90 day supply at some local pharmacies. Unfortunately, the local pharmacy we use wasn’t on their approved list for 90 day supplies. I appreciate the savings, we basically get a month free through mail order, but I hate ordering through them. I’d much rather work with the pharmacist I know locally. In the past we’ve also had the same situation the OP described where it was written for 90 days but only filled for 30 at a time. We were always told it was what the insurance company would allow.
This has been my experience too which indicates to me that the insurance companies prefer that we use mail order. It must be much less expensive for them. I prefer to use mail order anyway for the convenience but I can certainly understand why you don’t.
Which law do you imagine is being broken?
My insurance company too only allows a 30-day refill at the brick-and-mortar pharmacy, no matter how long the Rx is for, but 90 days if I use their mail-order pharmacy company (at a slightly better price). My pharmacist told me that he had no choice in the matter, but I don’t recall whether it was a state medical rule, or an insurance thing.
I should say our pharmacy insurer saves; they’re the ones that mandate 1 month supplies. Tho with our plan, if you’re stable on a med for a year, you can get 3 months worth; I’ve moved to that option.
I’ve had no issues with getting 90 day supplies in Michigan from whatever local pharmacy (Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid) I was previously getting the 30 day supplies. They’re all generics; I don’t know if that makes any difference. One of them is even a controlled substance, Schedule IV.
I get a better price too. At one time it was three months for the price of two but I don’t think it’s as good now. That was probably to get us to move over.
I’m surprised that they let the inmates keep their own supply of meds. I pictured it more like a hospital where they get their dose daily.
My insurance company allows 90 day prescriptions for generics but I have to get brand names every 30 days. It has nothing to do with the pharmacy.
Yes, I have the exact same issue. It’s strictly an insurance company policy. Of course, you can still get the 90 day supply at your local pharmacy, it’s just that insurance won’t cover it and you’d have to pay for it all out of pocket. Not gonna happen.
NHS GPs will normally prescribe at 28-day intervals. The Department of Health supports one month prescribing and has said: “A 28-day repeat prescribing interval is recognised by the NHS as making the best possible balance between patient convenience, good medical practice and minimal drug wastage”. Most medication comes in 7/14/28 day packs.
I take medication for my chronic asthma and have what is called a “repeat prescription”. I can renew this each month by logging on to my GP’s website, and I can then collect it from the pharmacy of my choice a couple of days later. I am invited to an assessment by the practice nurse once a year to check that my asthma is still under control.
I agree that the issue is with the insurance company, not the pharmacy (or the physician). I’ve had several different situations when I’ve been under different plans. On my current plan I can only get 30 days at a retail pharmacy, 90 days requires mail order. A previous plan allowed 90 days through mail order or at CVS, but no other retail pharmacy. Another plan allowed 90 days anywhere.
I’ve seen two applications of such a policy in Canada.
Whenever the Dr puts you on a new med it’s for one month refills, in case it needs to be changed then there’s less wastage. Once you’ve been on it for a few months you can get it as 90 days at a time if you so wish. Some pharmacies you may need to ask as they would obviously prefer you pay the dispensing fee ($7.50) more often, but really you only have to ask.
Most provinces have a drug benefit for seniors, where they get all their meds (over the first $100 yrly) paid in full. Those meds are always one month refills with a $2 dispensing fee, (which most pharmacies waive to draw business!) I’m pretty sure it’s because older people change meds more often and there is less wastage on the public dime. I believe after a full year you can switch to 90 day refills though if you ask.
Um, I’m not an inmate, hajario. I just work in a prison.