Misplaced my Prescription!

[Anakah]

About a week ago I dropped off two prescriptions. One is pain meds and the other birth control. Well, the guy was very nice the whole time while I waited but then told me he was having a problem reading what the doctor had put on the paper. Understandable. He said he would put a note on it and call my doctor. He kept the paper. I left with my pain meds and said I'd be back for the other one.

Flash foward one week--I live like thirty mins away or so from the place and so I waited until my day off.

I go into walgreens again and ask for the presciption that I dropped off. The guy behind the counter looked up my name and said I already picked the only one listed up.

ME: The other guy I talked to said he had a hard time reading the other one and said he was going to call my doc and get clarification.

WD (Walgreens dude): Well, I'll go look but so far I don't see any records.

I called out of work today due to being really sick. So I was a bit annoyed for what came next.

Me: Okay.

He comes back a little later and has that look---the look I give my customers when something is about to go wrong.

WD: I can't seem to find it. He must have filed it away somewhere. What was the prescription for?

Now I felt almost embarassed... Sounds dumb but I did.

Me: Birth control.

WD: one moment.

He disappeared again. But the mannerism from him made me feel as soon as I told him what it was, it was no longer important nor an emergency. Sadly though its not for the reason he is assuming. I have a freaking cyst the size of a golf ball on my right ovary.

Its not something life threatening but I do need it.

WD: I can't find it. Sorry. You'll need to contact your doctor and fax it over.

I processed it for a moment and kind of shocked to say the least. My doctor was already closed at that point.

Me: Well.. That kind of sucks but okay...Thanks.

I had no hint of sarcasm but I was kind of seething inside. What I am wondering what if it was something I need right at that moment?? It was filed away somewhere?? Filed away where? Why was it unable to be found? Had it been my pain meds would there have been a bigger effort made?

It didn't appear to be busy (to me anyway) there was only one other chick behind me. But looks can be deceiving, that much I know. But am I just bitching over nothing or should this not have happened??I didn't ask for a supervisor or anything but damnit I am annoyed! I get its an easy fix but its also another trip out there I don't want to make. And shit happens but it really does suck.

[draftermatt]

I'd call the pharmacy and ask for the pharmicist and complain.

Or file a complaint with their corporate offices.

Regardless of the Rx they should be responsible for it.

Who cares if it was Birth Control? If you had said "heart medicaition" what would he have done?

[Andara Bledin]

It doesn't matter what it is; it's a prescription, so obviously your doctor believed that you needed it, whatever 'it' happens to be.

Their loss of a customer's prescription, and making you have to call your doctor after you already waited a week before going back is really not acceptable.

Sure, it's an accident, but you don't get much in the way of wiggle-room when you're dealing with other people's medications.

^-.-^

[wagegoth]

Definitely complain. He could be lazy or careless, either of which could be deadly in a pharmacy. He could be an anti-birth control type who deliberately misplaced it. Either way, corporate and the store manager and the pharmacist need to know.

[BethB]

I thought that if prescriptions were unreadable then they called the doc right away to verify. It's what has always been done for me in the few times my doc wrote in hieroglyphics instead of english. for them to just put a note then "forget" or misplace is inexcusable. A call to the doctor or his nurse and you would have had them within the time frame from above.

[NightWatch]

It's not just birth control. I have a boyfriend, we enjoy doing what couples do. Condoms aren't all that effective and can break fairly easily. If I got pregnant right now, it'd be devastating and costly in SO many ways. So I think it's a rather important prescrption no matter what you personally need it for.

(Yes, I recognize it's not a life or death matter, but it shouldn't have to be in order to get your damn prescription!)

[lupo pazzesco]

That was a dick move on behalf of the pharmacy.

I have a BC prescription. But I'm not sexually active. I'm actually a virgin. (Shock! GASP! )

I use the BC, however, as a form of hormone therapy, because without it, I'm a hormonal, bitchy, unwell mess. So it's not just birth control for me.

I echo what everyone else has said. At the very least, speak to the pharmacist, because that was handled in a very unprofessional manner, and being unprofessional in a pharmacy could have some very costly mistakes.

[FenigDurak]

While it's not the size of a golfball, I have a cyst that I take BC pills for as well that are EXTREMELY PAINFUL. We're talking waking up from a dead sleep sobbing and doubled over in pain.

BC is used for so many things beyond it's namesake that I get very defensive when people start trashing it.

[Anakah]

Yeah not a golfball but maybe the size of an oreo nonetheless it hurts and I am still angry for it being lost. Its just something foreign that shouldn't be on my ovary. I've been too chicken to call and ask for a supervisor but maybe if I do they can not loose someone else's? And they told me I had to call my doc for a new one, it should be their problem! Right?

[bainsidhe]

OP, go ahead and complain. Who's to say you're the only one with misplaced medication? Perhaps it's a one-time mistake, or perhaps someone continues to be careless or perhaps something isn't on the up and up. Either way, you owe it to the pharmacy to voice your complaint (how will they know otherwise) and they owe it to you not to muck things up again. Perhaps point out what an inconvenience it is to trek all the way back for your perscription.

[bunnyboy]

Chalk me up as another one to complain.

Wont say any more to avoid Raps saying take it to fratching...

[blas]

I thought that it was required of doctors to have the shittiest, most ilegible handwriting possible?

[Captain Trips]

Yes, lodge the complaint. They 1) shouldn't care WHAT it s or what it's for, it was prescribed and they are morally obligated to fill it. (This defines "health care partnership.) 2) If it happened once on a non-life-threatening situation, it could happen on one that IS life-threatening. Misplacing or mis-filling prescriptions is a problem that needs to be addressed. It's one of those things where "zero tolerance" actually makes sense!

[bunnyboy]

Yes, lodge the complaint. They 1) shouldn't care WHAT it s or what it's for, it was prescribed and they are morally obligated to fill it. (This defines "health care partnership.) 2) If it happened once on a non-life-threatening situation, it could happen on one that IS life-threatening. Misplacing or mis-filling prescriptions is a problem that needs to be addressed. It's one of those things where "zero tolerance" actually makes sense!

Except in certain cases, but they still have to give you a parmicist who's willing to do it... at least here in WA.

[MoxisPilot]

I'm on board here with the "It's not JUST birth control" crowd.

I'm married; I do *it*. If my birth control prescription is lost or the medication isn't in stock (which has happened), the pharmacist best do something to make sure I have some kind of pregnancy prevention that won't throw me off the regular hormone levels induced BY my regular birth control.

I would definitely call corporate ASAP.