Posted by joe schmoe on July 18, 2012, at 19:00:00
I was shocked recently to discover my insurance is now forcing me to either order any medication they consider a "maintenance medication" (which includes anything you take regularly, like antidepressants) from them by mail, or else. They will pay for three fills at a walk-in pharmacy, and from then on, will never pay for it again unless you get it by mail order.
I find this most upsetting, as not only does mail order remove control over exactly what you're getting (I have had some bad experiences with certain generic manufacturers), but it also means the medicine will be delivered by mail (or UPS or whatever), which at this time of year where I live means potentially sitting out in 100 degree weather for days at a time in the sun in the back of a truck, where temps might well go over 140 degrees. Could anything ruin meds faster?
It has always been my assumption that drugstores get their meds delivered by distributors using climate controlled trucks, since when I special order something they get it the next day.
I would be interested in anyone who can shed light on the heat issue as it affects meds you get from a pharmacy vs mail order. Am I right in thinking pharmacy meds have not been exposed to days of high heat in transit?
Anybody else running into this "forced mail order" with their insurance for maintenance medications? I have never encountered this before or even heard of it. I would imagine the pharmacies are upset about it.
The irony is it would actually be cheaper for me to buy it at Walmart without insurance than get it through the mail via my insurance.
In the past insurance companies have tried to get me to go mail order to save money, but it was always voluntary, and when I raised the heat issue, they never had an answer for me. Nobody seems to talk about it.
poster:joe schmoe
thread:1021704
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120718/msgs/1021704.html