Comments on: My beef with Express Scripts – Part 2 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/ A creative outlet during residency, turned ongoing virtual soap box Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:30:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Casey Applen http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-610 Casey Applen Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:06:53 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-610 My experience with Express Scripts has been a nightmare. They dont get quantites right, (never send enough of the prescription), and their side-kick CuraScripts skimmed some of my controlled substance prescription, until I made enough noise for them to make good on it. It is through their system of DELAY, and SLOW RESPONSE, and FAILURE TO DELIVER the right quantity as prescribed that is saving insurance companies money. They will loose a prescription on a whim, fill it wrong, or pretend to have never gotten it. My general practiction said "they refuse to send them faxes, because they do not response. So now we have to leave that up to the patient." I already had to go to my local pharmacy once to document the quantity sent was wrong. Enough already. My experience with Express Scripts has been a nightmare. They dont get quantites right, (never send enough of the prescription), and their side-kick CuraScripts skimmed some of my controlled substance prescription, until I made enough noise for them to make good on it.

It is through their system of DELAY, and SLOW RESPONSE, and FAILURE TO DELIVER the right quantity as prescribed that is saving insurance companies money.

They will loose a prescription on a whim, fill it wrong, or pretend to have never gotten it. My general practiction said “they refuse to send them faxes, because they do not response. So now we have to leave that up to the patient.”

I already had to go to my local pharmacy once to document the quantity sent was wrong. Enough already.

]]> By: Anna http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-212 Anna Sun, 20 Aug 2006 14:37:34 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-212 That's severely bizarro. I can understand, I suppose, why they wouldn't automatically ship you an alternate generic or the brand drug--some patients just can't handle that, and at a high-volume mail-order pharmacy where you don't know the patients, don't have time to call them, and can't explain what happened to them in person, the conservative approach might logically be to just avoid automatic substitutions on refills. When YOU call THEM about it, though--that's just silly. Of course, I may also be biased, because for all the convenience and cost-savings mail-order pharmacies can sometimes offer, I still believe it's best for patients to have the opportunity to interact with a real person. That’s severely bizarro. I can understand, I suppose, why they wouldn’t automatically ship you an alternate generic or the brand drug–some patients just can’t handle that, and at a high-volume mail-order pharmacy where you don’t know the patients, don’t have time to call them, and can’t explain what happened to them in person, the conservative approach might logically be to just avoid automatic substitutions on refills. When YOU call THEM about it, though–that’s just silly. Of course, I may also be biased, because for all the convenience and cost-savings mail-order pharmacies can sometimes offer, I still believe it’s best for patients to have the opportunity to interact with a real person.

]]> By: Residential Space » My Beef with Express Scripts - Part 3 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-202 Residential Space » My Beef with Express Scripts - Part 3 Fri, 04 Aug 2006 01:54:42 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-202 [...] You may recall my tirade against Express Scripts, the online pharmacy that my primary health insurance company requires I use for maintenance medications in order to receive my negotiated rate. For those of you whose memories fail you, please take a second to peruse my soap box moment regarding this company. Last week, two separate people in the blogosphere used Residential Space as a means for venting their own frustrations towards Express Scripts. It appears that they have pissed off more than just yours truly. [...] [...] You may recall my tirade against Express Scripts, the online pharmacy that my primary health insurance company requires I use for maintenance medications in order to receive my negotiated rate. For those of you whose memories fail you, please take a second to peruse my soap box moment regarding this company. Last week, two separate people in the blogosphere used Residential Space as a means for venting their own frustrations towards Express Scripts. It appears that they have pissed off more than just yours truly. [...]

]]> By: Jodi http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-198 Jodi Mon, 31 Jul 2006 23:59:46 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-198 Yes Howard, that sounds about right. :) Especially the part about stockpiled cliches. I now pay for prescriptions at my neighborhood Walgreen's (fortunately I'm young and healthy and only have to buy this one medication, which isn't terribly expensive) rather than go through Express Scripts. It's worth it to me to actually get my medication when I need it, and to be face-to-face with a pharmacist who knows what he is talking about. Yes Howard, that sounds about right. :) Especially the part about stockpiled cliches. I now pay for prescriptions at my neighborhood Walgreen’s (fortunately I’m young and healthy and only have to buy this one medication, which isn’t terribly expensive) rather than go through Express Scripts. It’s worth it to me to actually get my medication when I need it, and to be face-to-face with a pharmacist who knows what he is talking about.

]]> By: Howard Kay http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Howard Kay Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:05:05 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-197 I'm convinced that the people at Express Scripts are grossly incompetent. I have a history of their incompetnce. (Tho note that once a prescription gets into the ES *computers*, then it seems to be handled properly--no doubt because people involvement is minimized at that point.) Here's my latest experience with Express Scripts: 07/12 - mail a prescription for a skin cream to ES 07/20 Call to find out where it is; they have no idea, no record of it 07/27 I get a call from ES saying the prescription has been *received*--not shipped, but *received* 07/28 (Friday) I call to find out what the story is. For some reason they have to contact the doc who wrote the prescription. I suppose they figure that I forged the doc's signature or something, or maybe I'm gonna use this ordinary skin cream as a narcotic or something. On the plus side, the customer service supervisor kindly offers to upgrade my shipping to overnight. Wonderful: when they get around to filling it a month from now, it'll ship overnight. 07/31 I call again to find out where my [prescription is. More empty rhetoric intended to soothe annoyed customers. But still no idea when they will ship it. Nor do they understand sarcasm, as when I ask "do you suppose it will be shipped before the end of August?" The alleged customer service supervisor is clearly reading from her script in dealing with me. She's falling back on the cliches they've stockpiled and does not seem to have any real understanding at all of what I'm after. The alleged customer service supervisor gives me a somew more blah blah blah about how much they care and assorted lies, aND will upgrade my shipping to overnight--but no idea when the stuff will ship. Out of curiosity, I asked "when did you receive this in the mail, and when did you start filling it?" ANSW: Rec'd on 07/21, sent to pharmacy on 07/27. I guess they really were sending it by snail mail.... I guess that calling the doc's office to ask "did you really write this?" must be rocket science or somthing, because they still have not done it. I'm now waiting for a call back from the supervisor's supervisor. It should be very interesting to see whether this second-level supervisor has enough brains to depart from the script and actually listen to me. Ahh, what the hell, I'm just a customer, why should they care about me? But I *am* gonna write to a whole bunch more people and try to embarrass these people. They've earned it. Richly. I’m convinced that the people at Express Scripts are grossly incompetent. I have a history of their incompetnce. (Tho note that once a prescription gets into the ES *computers*, then it seems to be handled properly–no doubt because people involvement is minimized at that point.)

Here’s my latest experience with Express Scripts:

07/12 – mail a prescription for a skin cream to ES
07/20 Call to find out where it is; they have no idea, no record of it
07/27 I get a call from ES saying the prescription has been *received*–not shipped, but *received*

07/28 (Friday) I call to find out what the story is. For some reason they have to contact the doc who wrote the prescription. I suppose they figure that I forged the doc’s signature or something, or maybe I’m gonna use this ordinary skin cream as a narcotic or something.

On the plus side, the customer service supervisor kindly offers to upgrade my shipping to overnight. Wonderful: when they get around to filling it a month from now, it’ll ship overnight.

07/31 I call again to find out where my [prescription is. More empty rhetoric intended to soothe annoyed customers. But still no idea when they will ship it. Nor do they understand sarcasm, as when I ask “do you suppose it will be shipped before the end of August?”

The alleged customer service supervisor is clearly reading from her script in dealing with me. She’s falling back on the cliches they’ve stockpiled and does not seem to have any real understanding at all of what I’m after.

The alleged customer service supervisor gives me a somew more blah blah blah about how much they care and assorted lies, aND will upgrade my shipping to overnight–but no idea when the stuff will ship.

Out of curiosity, I asked “when did you receive this in the mail, and when did you start filling it?” ANSW: Rec’d on 07/21, sent to pharmacy on 07/27. I guess they really were sending it by snail mail….

I guess that calling the doc’s office to ask “did you really write this?” must be rocket science or somthing, because they still have not done it.

I’m now waiting for a call back from the supervisor’s supervisor. It should be very interesting to see whether this second-level supervisor has enough brains to depart from the script and actually listen to me. Ahh, what the hell, I’m just a customer, why should they care about me?

But I *am* gonna write to a whole bunch more people and try to embarrass these people. They’ve earned it. Richly.

]]> By: jodi http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-196 jodi Sun, 30 Jul 2006 16:18:49 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-196 Thanks for your feedback, Angela. I could not believe that they would not fill the prescription as it had actually been written by my doctor in the first place! To tell me to return to my doctor to verify that the drug she wrote for was what she actually intended to write for...?! "Dr. C, I was sent to you by my online pharmacy to verify that the ortho tricyclen you wrote for was what you actually meant to prescribe, because my pharmacy won't fill it." Thanks for your feedback, Angela. I could not believe that they would not fill the prescription as it had actually been written by my doctor in the first place! To tell me to return to my doctor to verify that the drug she wrote for was what she actually intended to write for…?! “Dr. C, I was sent to you by my online pharmacy to verify that the ortho tricyclen you wrote for was what you actually meant to prescribe, because my pharmacy won’t fill it.”

]]> By: angela http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-195 angela Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:09:30 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-195 I meant to say ship 20 thousand orders... I meant to say ship 20 thousand orders…

]]> By: angela http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-194 angela Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:08:46 +0000 http://blog.jodidodds.com/2006/03/22/my-beef-with-express-scripts-part-2/#comment-194 OK. I so see your beef on this one. THIS is why...Express Scripts prefers that you contact your doctor for a new prescription of your birth control or that you talk to your doctor about alternatives. Should they have done something more as you were upset about it? Damn right they should have. Sometimes I want to slug people for being the way they are. I work for them, so I truly understand why you got so pissed off about it. They literally five at least 20 thousand orders a day at those pharmacies...each of those pharmacists needs to check the drug interactions on the order and inspect it before it goes out. Thats why they encourage the patient to get a new script for the retail pharmacy...that way they can talk to thier doctor about the med they are going to get THIS time because the damn drug company is out of the drug. Half the time I get patients screaming at me that how dare we give them a different drug...even though we have permission from their doctor before we do so. I tell you you can't win either way...but you are right. They should have done something more for you...I'm sorry you had to deal with those two morons. OK. I so see your beef on this one. THIS is why…Express Scripts prefers that you contact your doctor for a new prescription of your birth control or that you talk to your doctor about alternatives. Should they have done something more as you were upset about it? Damn right they should have. Sometimes I want to slug people for being the way they are. I work for them, so I truly understand why you got so pissed off about it. They literally five at least 20 thousand orders a day at those pharmacies…each of those pharmacists needs to check the drug interactions on the order and inspect it before it goes out. Thats why they encourage the patient to get a new script for the retail pharmacy…that way they can talk to thier doctor about the med they are going to get THIS time because the damn drug company is out of the drug. Half the time I get patients screaming at me that how dare we give them a different drug…even though we have permission from their doctor before we do so. I tell you you can’t win either way…but you are right. They should have done something more for you…I’m sorry you had to deal with those two morons.

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