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Subject: Few Doubts on Immunizations and Medicine Refills

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iluvmaricopa User is Offline

Posts:73

09/01/2008 4:25 AM	Alert
Hi, I seem to be having kind of a bad experience with the staff of my existing PCP. I just wanted to post my experiences and take everybody's opinion. Maybe Its just me and I am taking things the wrong way. Please give me honest answers and opinions 1. I started evening school this fall and the university required me to get some immunizations. My insurance with my current job covers all immunizations. I called my PCP and told the nurse/assitant who usually picks up the phone that i need immunizations. she asked me why i needed them. I explained that i needed as a requirement from the university. She replied, in a very curt fashion. "In that case get it from a goverment health center", and that was the end of the conversation. My question is : Can i not get immunization from my PCP. I called another doctor in the network and they were extremely polite and asked me to come over. The doctor thoroughly checked me and gave a go ahead to the nurse. Wonderful service I got there 2. On another occasion, i was prescribed something for 90 days. the bottle i picked up from the pharmacy was a 30 day supply so i called the pharmacy to ask for a refill, as the prescription mentioned 90 days supply. The pharmacy mentioned that i need to get a refill presciption from my PCP, becuase though the prescription says 90 days, it does not authorize any refills. I went personally to the medical center to ask for a prescription. i also actually wanted a copy. Again i got a very curt reply . "Ask the pharmacy to fax us the request and we will fax back". Though finally it took 3 calls and 3 days to get a fax back. Also i was not given a copy of the prescription. The earlier was taken by the pharmacy for records. my question/doubt here is : is this the mandatory procedure. or can the patient be handed over the refill prescription Few other questions: Why does the nurse/assistant have to be so curt. Why does it give me a feeling that they are trying to "shoo" off people, to show that they are very busy (which i doubt they are). Why do i get the feeling that i practically have no personal relationship with my PCP and cant even go over to ask for a presciption, or even simply call for a simple question.

regancolston1214 User is Offline

Posts:210

09/01/2008 6:40 AM	Alert
WOW, I am so sorry for your experience. It sounds like it is time to get a new PCP. I go to Dr. Steokman over at Agave Family Physicians, and they are wonderful!!! The office staff is a dream,and they are very fast in getting you an appointment.

iluvmaricopa User is Offline

Posts:73

09/01/2008 12:44 PM	Alert
Oh, so u do agree that i am having a hard time and its just not my imagination/interpretation.

just a girl User is Offline

Posts:216

09/01/2008 6:16 PM	Alert
Sorry that you are having trouble. Sounds like whomever you are talking to at the office has a stick up you know where. Your PCP should be able to give you the shots. If they don't have them on hand, they can order them. If they won't order them, the health dept. should have them and give them to you. Sometimes they do them for free. I'd check around. As for your prescription. There are a few reasons why you would have only been given 30 days when the rx was written for 90. MANY insurances will only allow a retail pharmacy (walgreens, cvs, frys, etc) to give you a 30 days supply. Many require you to use a mail order facility in order to get the full 90 days at one time. If it was a controlled substance (c2 drugs in particular), if the dr writes for 90 days, but the insurance only allows 30, the pharmacy can only fill 30 and you lose the remainder because those drugs cannont be refilled. But if it was, say thyroid medication (just as an example) if your insurance will only allow 30, then you would still have 60 valid pills left on the rx and essentially that would mean 2 more refills. I'd find out more information from the pharmacy. Also, most insurances won't let you refill a rx before over 3/4 of it is gone. So if you picked up your rx on monday and wedesnday you were calling for a refill, that would be a no go. You'd have to wait at least 3 weeks before getting a refill. I'd ask to speak to the pharmacy manager about those questions and the office manager about your dr office concerns. good luck

pissedparent User is Offline

Posts:355

09/01/2008 8:49 PM	Alert
That's too bad, unfortunately the new shots were just implemented by the FDA and she probably didn't know about them. They hate it when someone calls and knows more than they do but there was no call to be rude. I agree with going to Agave, they are really good there. And now that you get get labs done right on site it is even better.

TheBoymaker User is Offline

Posts:855

09/02/2008 12:15 AM	Alert
My honest answer is that your PCP's office is unprofessional and the nurse is rude and that you seem to have taken it personally. She doesn't have to be curt. She chose to be. This is what insurance companies have wrought. I have experienced it also. If you wish to stay with your PCP, then speak with him/her personally about it at your next visit. Ask for direct numbers, including fax, and the names of those who you need to contact for specific things. Don't be intimidated. You are their customer and are entitled to a level of respect. Make their business your business. As for the pharmacy, your doctor generally has an idea of what each insurance company will allow as far as meds go. I suspect that insurance companies want to give as little at one time as possible in case the meds change. In the future, you may want to make sure that he/she is familiar with the rules before writing the 'script. It's a small question that may save you time down the road.

`cos everybody hates a tourist Especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh. Yeah and the chip stain and grease will come out in the bath...

iluvmaricopa User is Offline

Posts:73

09/04/2008 11:08 AM	Alert
Thanks all. I would keep all your suggestions in mind. As for my plan for prescriptions , i was more or less aware of it. its just that i thought going personally would speed up things. I did not expect to be "shooed" away or a curt reply. thanks all. I am still open for suggestions

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