(venting!!!!) MEDCO GRRRRRRR!!!!!!

[sulphur kennel]

Have had in their possession since March 5, my prescription for my Copaxone. Along with that, they had copies of my co-pay assistance card and instructions.

Since I started using Copaxone in 2008 I have never missed an injection until now. Medco refused to ship my Copaxone until after speaking with me. They never tried to contact me during any of this time. (I checked my caller id and answering machine and my e-mail.)

When I called them yesterday(3/13/12) the representative said 'We didn't have any instructions on how to do this.'I wrote on the copies of the front and back of my card VERY specific instructions. All the back of the card has is the instructions. I have now missed 2 injections and may have to miss more.

Is there any way to PUNISH this greedy mail-order pharmacy? Do I need to pursue legal action?

**post edited by Moderator to break into paragraphs for easier reading! many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print**

[Alicious]

Can you switch pharmacies? My prescription went to Medco, they sat on it for more than a week, lost the copay stuff, lost the pre-auth, you name it, then sent it to Accredo who did exactly the same thing, rinse, repeat. I immediately switched to Prescription Solutions, who had handled my previous prescription with grace and never looked back.

Why not call Shared Solutions and ask if, for next month, they call see what other pharmacies you can go through? I believe they are the ones who jump through the insurance hoops (bear with me, I just switched to Rebif, who definitely does this).

As for punishing them, I'm not sure if you could, or if it would even be worth pursuing over what sounds like a garden variety bureaucratic snag (albeit an incredibly frustrating and obnoxious one). They needed to contact you and were unable to do so due to misplaced information on their part, but is that legally actionable? It sucks, but it happens, and I don't see it as being sue-worthy, personally. As I said above I went through something similar last month, so I hear you on the frustration, though.

If you are feeling the need to take this further, perhaps there is a regulatory board you can file a complaint with, or at least let your insurance company (if you have one) know what a crappy job the pharmacy they have contracted with is doing? Perhaps even Medco would be interested in hearing about this in the interest of better customer service. ???

[Scooter24]

They are the worst ones to deal with, do not give them a credit card # to keep on file, they shipped my avonex to the wrong address twice and tried to make me take it after it had been out for delivery and returned to them and reshipped to me for a total of about 5 -6 days. You can threaten legal action but I will bet they won't care, they are to big of a company.

[mommy1]

Fabulous... my insurance co is switching to Medco at the end of the month. Good luck.

[Leah27]

There are lots of new laws coming out that restrict the pharmacy benefit managers from forcing you to use mail order pharmacies.

My suggestion to everyone who has to use mail-order for whatever reason is to have an emergency prescription written by your neurologist that you can take to a brick-and mortar pharmacy in such a case as this.

In Maryland, hard copy RX's are only good for 120 days, so ask your pharmacist what your state law requires. Develop a good relationship with a pharmacist in your neighborhood. Incidences like this are why you need one.

I'm a pharmacist , and if this happened to one of my patients I would be on the phone with medco demanding they cover one months supply at my pharmacy because it was their mistake. I've done it before, and I'm sure I'll do it again!

[Scooter24]

Can or will a Brick and mortar pharmacy DMDs and ampyra and other high dollar drugs, is there actually anything different from your business and the " specialty drug "companies?

[Leah27]

Scooter, I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understand your question.

The only thing I am recommending is to start up a relationship with a pharmacist in your community who you can go talk to. It can be a mom and pop shop, a pharmacist in your grocery store, or the outpatient pharmacist at your hospital.

Even if they don't regularly stock your DMD, they can almost always get it for you next business day, or call around to other pharmacies to find it for you. This is what a good pharmacist does!

[Sir-Voor]

I have Medco but I get my Copaxone Wal-Mart specialty pharmacy.

I’d recommend checking into seeing if you can change pharmacy, LOL switching pharmacy would be good punishment. (Because it would hit them where it count$.)
Call your doctor, doctors know how to work the system and get the issue corrected faster.

But really you need to stay calm, and focus on getting the issue resolved.
Stress will do a lot more damage than missing a few dosages.

Also I’d going an extra strong anti-inflammatory diet for the time being, it will give you a layer a relapse protection. So stop the sodas, and sugars and get some carrot juice and go to NutritionData.com to learn more. (You should have to trouble getting a daily I.F. score over 800.) http://nutritiondata.self.com/help/inflammation

P.S. when they said “they didn't have any instructions on how to do this.”
What where they talking about? Mailing it to you? Contacting you? Picking their nose?

P.P.S. I’m seeing a new neuro Monday and going to be getting a new Copaxone and Ampyra prescription, and was wondering if I should just a Medco handle them both. Your post has killed that thought. Thanks!

[Leah27]

Well, CVS/caremark is weird because they have their own PBM (Pharmacy benefit manager, or insurance company) and specialty/ mail order pharmacies.

I would recommend you call the 1-800 number on the back of your insurance card and tell them you are unhappy with Medco mail order and would like to see at which local pharmacies you can get your prescription for Copaxone filled. Try a grocery store pharmacy, Rite Aid, or mom-and pop place and see how they treat you.

Finding a pharmacist you like and trust is just as important as having a doctor you like and trust!

[sulphur kennel]

Or at least we have less than a year to swap over to Medco. Since I was going to see my Dr. in February, I thought I should go ahead and get new written scripts so I could change over before the rush at the end of the year. I was using a brick-n-mortar pharmacy before and due to the contract that my husband's union signed, I have to change pharmacies. I can use a local if I want to pay the whole amount for each box of Copaxone that I get. I am glad that I am not a diabetic waiting on my insulin.

I have contacted my state representative to see if he could do anything.

Scooter-I learned the hard way about giving them my card #. I had told them that the card # was good only for 1 time (it was my Mom's). When it was time to get a refill, they didn't wait for me to call, they just sent it on and charged the card anyway. It took nearly a month to get that crap straightened out.

I feel like I am stuck with a crappy, non-caring, !@#$@#$@ pharmacy for at least 5 years. GRRRRRR!!!!!

[SwedishPrince]

Re the credit card issue, is it possible to cancel that particular card and get your credit card company to issue a different card? Tell them you lost the card, or it got stolen or something... then when they send another card, it will be a different number and maybe then the one Medco has won't be valid.

[Scooter24]

And nothing keeps them from keeping it on file, I never gave them authorization to keep mine on file but they did and charged me for something they never shipped. They can't be trusted.

[Redwings]

Originally Posted by sulphur kennel

I have contacted my state representative to see if he could do anything.

A government representative has no oversight of a private business with sloppy practices. However, your state undoubtedly has a department that regulates pharmacy practice and may have one that regulates insurance companies. (California even has a Deparment of Managed Health Care, created after the Department of Insurance was impotent to deal with health regulations.)

Normally, departments of pharmacy regulate pharmacists' licensure and actual pharmacy facilities. But your state's department of pharmacy [I]might[/I] be the legal entity that oversees insurance-company mail-order pharmacies that operate in your state. It could be worth contacting them to find which, if any, agency oversees MEDCO in your state. Your state representative might do that for you, and might know if there's an applicable Department of Insurance in your state that might be able to help you. But if not, you can look into it on your own. YOU can't punish them, but a regulatory agency can (whether they will is a different issue).

I also agree with the suggestion of letting your insurance company know how unhappy you are with MEDCO. I'll also add to let the employer/union who purchased the insurance plan how much trouble you're having. Both the employer and the insurance company use the most cost-effective contractor to provide services (rather than provide no service at all), and they'll continue to go with the lowest bidder unless and until they hear from a large percentage of employees that the quality of their chosen provider is too low to be acceptable.

As far as trouble with credit-card misuse, ditto on complaints to the insurance company and employer and/or union. But also, your state attorney general might be able to investigate credit card misuse. Sounds awful. I hope you get it straightened out soon.

[JerryD]

Sulfur kennel,
thanks for your post. i also have been changed to Medco through my wife's insurance plan. Forwarned is for-armed.
You got to remember, companies like Medco are made up of employees who either, give a crap or don't. It's the level of professionalism that the employees and management aspire to. Most people do just enough to get by, nothing more, more often less. And when it comes to customer service, less is not good enough. I would think that there must be some kind of procedure in place on Medco's part to make your situation right. You have the right to connect with the insurance plan administrator that gets your payments.
Good Luck

[kingrex]

I get 6 different prescriptions from Medco and I've never had a problem. I DID have a huge problem with Walgreens, which submitted two prescriptions to my OLD insurance company when my current one denied it (it was for 90 days, which required pre-approval). Then the OLD insurance company approved it (?) and I got a call saying my prescriptions were ready. I knew nothing of what had gone on, and I picked up the drugs. After the old insurer discovered their error, they began dunning and threatening me for the full cost of the medication.

I flatly refused to pay, and they've finally stopped hounding me. But again, I've had no trouble with Medco - sorry you did.


rex