So, last weekend I use the Internet to renew two Walgreens prescriptions. This should be easy. Normally I use the phone auto-dial system out of privacy concerns, but I decided to be daring. I really don’t care if you all know I take AcipHex. Yes, good ole’ acid-reflux. So much for privacy, eh? 🙂
Anyway, so I show up to pick it up last Tuesday. The second prescription was ready, but the AcipHex wasn’t despite the fact they had three days to prepare it. I asked why it wasn’t ready and they said the insurance company wouldn’t release it early. I explained that this was a ‘vacation refill’ (something where you get your prescription early if you will be out of town when it normally comes due). She said that their records didn’t indicate that. Now, I don’t have a problem with Walgreens on that aspect at all.
What pissed me off? Well, they didn’t call me to tell me there was a problem. They wait until I show up after 5pm to let me know there’s a problem — when the insurance company is, obviously, closed. I ask what can be done and they said, “Well you can pay for it.” I asked how much and I was told $196! I said “no” and let them know I’d pick up BOTH of them on the 11th (today) and asked her to note that on the already filled first prescription. I let them know how irritated I was they didn’t call me. “Well, we don’t have your phone number” I was told. I asked for the manager of the pharmacy and pointed at the label of the first prescription, which, of course, had my phone number on it (required by law in Florida).
I show up today to pick up both prescriptions. Guess what? They had cancelled my first prescription because I didn’t collect it on time. I must say the pharmacist on duty was apologetic and filled it just under 5 minutes. But can you believe the idiocy?
Then the cashier rang it up at the FULL price. She had to get the store manager to void the transaction and have the pharmacist re-issue the AcipHex at the insurance co-pay rate. Why? The first pharmacist issued the AcipHex before the 11th despite our conversation. Moron.