A couple of weeks ago I started the third round of my parasite protocol. Each round lasts about 8 weeks. I got all of the meds ready to go. The only one that wasn't complete was the Albenza. That falls as Med #3 in the protocol. The pharmacy gave me a partial script. It was written for 28 pills and they only had 20. This has happened before with the Ivermectin, which is Med #2, but there was no problem. I had the full script by the time I needed it. When we checked on it this morning we were told that they were unable to get the remainder from the manufacturer. Then, it was up to me to call around to the local pharmacies to see if they had it. I called every one and heard the same story. Either they didn't have it, couldn't get it, or it was on backorder. I found out from a local Rite-Aid that there was one 30 minutes away that had 12 pills. Score! Bottle those puppies up and slap my name on 'em! End of story, right?
Sadly, and most discouragingly, no.
When I called to ask about the aforementioned pills, I was told that if the former pharmacy had billed for them that I would not be able to get them. At first, I thought they had because I read the wrong claim on the benefits statement. I read the claim from round 2. I quickly called the pharmacy back to tell them and they were already talking to my original pharmacy. Apparently, they were not going to turn over the original prescription to Rite-Aid. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Isn't that the way these prescription transfers happen? This is not my first rodeo. I was on hold for 20 minutes with a pharmacy tech relaying the message because the pharmacist was on another line trying to figure it out. She said my original pharmacy said I didn't have refills on it. I told her that I didn't need a refill, that I was only after the 8 pills they owed me from the original prescription.
As an aside...I'm very detailed and explicit when I ask for things. I never mentioned the word "refill" one time. I don't know where the breakdown in communication was but, let's be real. I know what I called for and it wasn't a refill.
I told her that I was given a bottle with #28 printed on it, scratched out in ink, and #20 written in. They owed me 8. It defies all logic to give a patient 20 out of 28 pills and then refuse to hand over the script for the remaining 8 to the ONE pharmacy in town that happens to have them.
Honestly! Do you see how confusing that is? I made no less than a dozen phone calls today and who knows how much time I spent on hold. But...I got them. The precious 8 pills. People tell you that, in life, you have to pick your battles; however, in Lyme life...you have to fight every one of them.