a tale from the land of phone phobia (cross posted from twitter)

[sasha_feather]

So, I have phone phobia. I used to consider it mild, but these days it's a real problem. Here is an example.

This afternoon, I finally got myself to make a phone call to refill my Enbrel. This is my main medicine for RA, which I take once a week. I'm out and due to take my next dose on Saturday, so, I know I am running late on this.

I had to leave my apartment and stand outside to make the call, due to cell phone reception. Then I had to wait on hold for about 5 minutes.

When I finally spoke to someone she said that Thursday is the last day they can mail out refrigerated products and it's too late to send it now. So it will get sent on Monday. Can I come pick it up tomorrow?" I ask, as the specialty pharmacy is in town and I have a car.

"Your insurance locks you into the mail order system, and we don't have an option for pick up," she said. Even though this would save them money by not having to pay FedEx. There is also no online re-order system. You have to call. So, fuck me I guess.

I feel bad about myself when stuff like this happens: I feel irresponsible for not calling sooner. I feel like there is something wrong with me that I can't seem to make a simple phone call. But-- if there were an online form, I could do it in 2 seconds. And driving to pick up the med (before they changed the system) was not usually a problem for me unless I was very ill.

The medicine comes in a fairly large, styrofoam shipping box with ice packs and bubble wrap inside. My last one, I returned to a random pharmacy after taking my med out. But I imagine that most people throw all this material away. It's hard for me to imagine how the insurance company is possibly saving money with this system. My own health care is suffering because of it. I *also* don't get the interaction with a pharmacist that I would get if I picked up the med myself.

What a fucked up system.

Comments

[ninamazing]

Ugh, this is such bullshit!!! It sure is a fucked-up system! And I have felt so, so similarly to this when I've waited until the last possible moment to call for a refill only to realize that the last possible moment actually already passed me by. I'm sorry. I really hope you can get through the weekend without too much pain. :(

[sasha_feather]

I don't always notice a big difference when i do or don't take my Enbrel, w/r/t pain. But it seems like I *should* be taking it weekly, as instructed, etc; I mean RA is a kind of scary disease in some respects. It just doesn't make sense to me that they make it harder for patients to get meds. Sigh. Thanks for the sympathy/empathy. <3

[the_rck]

I expect that it's cheaper for meds that don't require refrigeration. My guess is that they're looking at the cost of shipping, say, levothyroxine or oral contraceptives.

Our insurance keeps trying to push us to mail order for maintenance meds. Fortunately, it's still optional as long as we're willing to refill monthly instead of every 90 days. It costs more in copays, but I like knowing where my meds are and that they won't sit on my front steps, and I like having all prescriptions at the same place because sometimes the pharmacy spots a drug interaction that the prescribing doctor didn't. Our preferred pharmacy is at the place where we buy groceries and is on my husband's way home from work.

[sasha_feather]

I also like the idea that meds aren't sititng on my front step.

I take a number of other meds and get them from a different pharmacy-- a local independent one that I like supporting. But the Enbrel is apparently in another category.

[jesse_the_k]

Probably the money help from the mfgr is part of the picture in terms of them deciding to use the same distribution system for everybody.

And yes, it sucks like whoa.

A trick I've used for shitty phone calls: ask a friend to do it! If that's not possible, then pretend you're doing it for a friend.