gah, times three

[seperis]

Okay, it's like being in a game show with no monetary reward.

By it, I mean, pharmacists. And my doctor. And possibly caffeine.



Knowing in theory what Schedule II meant on a drug list is very different from reality. I got the entire new script for Ritalin every month on three ply paper. Which is freakishly annoying, but okay. I get that this is an evil controlled substance. Whatever.

Here is my issue at this point.

I got my refill on Friday. I went to a differnet pharmacy, picked up my script, went home, took one, settled down to do my thing.

Ah, no. That's where everything got *tricky*. It was a different generic version. A very, very, very *bad* one. For me, anyway.

Monday, I took the script to the local pharmacy, convinced they'd given me the wrong pills. No. Hmm. Called my doctor and left him a message about the strange reactions and waited. Didn't stop *taking* because he'd been pretty darn clear about what I was supposed to do with this, so I continued to be semi-stoned and nauseated with a pounding headache for, oh, the last three days. I finally skipped a dose in a fit of courage and called around to see what my options are.

I cannot take the remainder back and get another version. As it has been filled. I offered them the rest of the bottle, said how many I'd taken, still no go. Wandered over to vendor drug in our building, since they deal with pharmacies, and they told me pretty much the same thing. The only option is to get a new script, which you know, wouldn't be too bad except my doctor is at a conference. He left instructions to cut my dose in half and see if that helped, after going off it for a day. I tried to explain that I'm not entirely sure the dose is the problem, since it's actual function isn't functioning at all. OTOH, for all I know, he's right and lowering the dose will help, except this dose was the one I was happy over for the last two weeks.

You know, I see the logic, I do. I cannot imagine *how* anyone gets high off of this stuff, but I'm willing to go out there and say fine, okay. But Jesus God, why in the name of *God* is it so hard to fix an actual problem? I'm giving them back the ones I can't use. I will give them back.

Gah. I am remembering why I spent so many years refusing medication. This is terrible for my complexion. I think I spotted a blemish.

Comments

[seperis.livejournal.com]

That's the most frustrating part. It *does* make sense, and I can see why it's so--complex. But I can't quite see how substituting and giving back the ones that don't work, so it's obvious I'm not selling them, is that hard. There's got to be some kind of complex legal reason, but I still can't quite get to the root of that.

[that_mireille]

Even if, as someone pointed out, they can't just take them back and eat the cost--it would suck, but it would make more sense if they took them back (to make sure you weren't selling them) and made you pay full price for the new prescription (so they weren't losing any money, and could dispose of the pills you returned).

[seperis.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much what I was trying to do all this morning. I'll go to the name brand for the month if I have to and pay for it, and I never got a really clear answer on why that wasn't acceptable. Or *why* it wasn't.

It was very frustrating.

[aliaswestgate.livejournal.com]

It's less the legal reasons and more the sanitary reasons. We can't give back pills someone has already touched. (since you've opened and taken a few, there's no way a pharmacy can take them back.) There's also the Schedule II legal issues as well. Your doctor should be able to remedy it when he returns with a new script, and also what someone above mentioned? Finding out the specific manufacturer so you can avoid that particular generic.

If you intend to go back to that particular pharmacy? Ask them to order in a different manufacturer's generic specifically for you. We do it in the pharmacy i work in for a few regulars. Ordering special for someone usually isn't a problem if hte pharmacy team isn't afraid to do the legwork. You'll also have to speak with your insurance about a possible override just this once. The whole thing is a headache for all invovled, sadly. (i've helped deal with stuff like this constantly in the last 3 years. The insurances need to butt the hell out of business sometimes.)

They'd be able to fill it in brand for you if they carry it--but it'd likely cost twice as much for a copay because a generic is available or your insurance would want a Prior Authorization on top of everything else. Which means more time without the drug and more phone wrangling for everyone.

Hope it helps. I'm a pharm tech so i kinda hafta know these things. ^^;;