my first supplies order through mail order

poodlebone · #1 (**permalink**) 07-25-2006, 08:35 PM

I had been having problems with the pharmacy I usually get my strips/insulin from, so last week when I saw my CDE I had her write new prescriptions for me. She's a nurse practitioner, and they can write prescriptions in New York.

I had wanted 2 vials of Humalog a month and the way my primary care doctor wrote the last prescription, the pharmacy told me I could only get 1 vial, or I could get 2 and pay a double co-pay. The previous month the pharmacist decided, on his own, that I didn't need 300 test strips and gave me only 200 and made up a bunch of lies.

So, my CDE ended up writing for 3 vials of Humalog, which is really overkill, and 400 test strips a month. She wrote the scripts for a 3 months supply. I mailed them to Caremark last Monday after my appointment. I checked the web site several days ago and saw that they received them, my order was in progress, and the amounts listed were what my CDE wrote for. I checked again yesterday and saw that it had shipped overnight via FedEx. I had them shipped to work and we got a FedEx delivery around 12:30, but not my package. I was worried and called FedEx and I was told that it was probably on a different truck/route and was scheduled to be delivered by 3:00. That driver did show up at 2:30 and I was worried, thinking my insulin had been sitting in a hot truck since yesterday.

I opened the box and there was a thick, insulated plastic envelope inside. Got that open and there was a big gel pack, still about 80% frozen solid. The vials were in a plastic bag on top of the gel pack and both of them were wrapped in bubble wrap inside the thick insulated envelope. My strips were in the bottom of the box, under the envelope. I got 9 vials of insulin, 12 boxes of strips just like my CDE wrote for.

I had an insulated cooler bag at work so I put the envelope with the gel pack inside that, instead of in the work fridge. The gel was still half frozen by the time I got home at 8:30 tonight.

I'm very happy with my first order; I got everything I need; and I saved $20 and don't have to worry about it for 3 months.

Keezheekoni · #2 (**permalink**) 07-25-2006, 09:44 PM

That's great to hear a good story like that! I'm hoping that the company my insurance uses works the same way. I don't even know the company, you have to order through Aetna's website... I'll be getting those scripts done sometime next month.

statdeac · #3 (**permalink**) 07-25-2006, 09:48 PM

Cool. When i was first dx'd in 2000, the mail order copay for 90 days supply was actually less than a single month copay so it was a no-brainer. Now it's closer to the same, but I still like having stock on hand!

poodlebone · #4 (**permalink**) 07-25-2006, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikki

That's great to hear a good story like that! I'm hoping that the company my insurance uses works the same way. I don't even know the company, you have to order through Aetna's website... I'll be getting those scripts done sometime next month.

I have an Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield plan. I can access the pharmacy by logging in to their site or directly through Caremark. The timing isn't bad either, just 8 days from the time I mailed the prescriptions to the time I received my order. I started getting my non-diabetic prescriptions last year because two of them had a $25 brand name co-pay, so saving $50 every 3 months was worth it.

I have been very lucky with my insurance. It's an HMO and I was nervous when I first switched to it from our other Oxford PPO plan, but it's so much better than the "premium" Oxford plan.

JediSkipdogg · #5 (**permalink**) 07-26-2006, 03:29 AM

Mail order is the greatest thing and these days they package the supplies so nicely they could probably sit in the blazing heat for 2 days and the ice would still partially be there. I'm glad you got your supplies and that your first mail order was successful. Too bad mail order doesn't save me money, all it does is make ordering supplies easier since they fill the script exactly as it states and don't question needing so much (the pharmacy always questions why I use so much and has to call for authorization to fill it they say.)

BriOnH · #6 (**permalink**) 07-26-2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poodlebone

I opened the box and there was a thick, insulated plastic envelope inside. Got that open and there was a big gel pack, still about 80% frozen solid. The vials were in a plastic bag on top of the gel pack and both of them were wrapped in bubble wrap inside the thick insulated envelope.

Very cool. I always wondered how they would mail me insulin in this heat and not have it go bad.

notme · #7 (**permalink**) 07-26-2006, 11:08 AM

I have had nothing but problems with mail order Rx, but I hope you have a much better experience. The latest was my insulin arrived in a package with gel packs as well. The FED EX guy left the package on my door as I did not get to the door in time. It was 114 degrees outside and the insulin boxes at the top of the package were warm. The boxes at the bottom of the package were cool from the gel packs. I marked the boxes that were warm with a red pen and will try them first.

If an error is made by mail in Rx companies they will not take returns. My doc made an error on my Rx that she faxed and I was held responsible. The Rx company said that they could not take returns of insulin and my doc said....oops. I have had Rx's expire with no warning and then when you try to get them rushed through the re-order process it takes weeks.

Now my doctor refuses to fax to Express Scripts at all. She says it takes so many tries (not enough fax machines at Express Scripts) that it is not cost effective to have someone trying and retrying to get faxes sent off. Now I have to get a written and mail it to Express Scripts and it takes longer.

I hate mail in......

Sorry to be a downer on the subject. I really do hope it goes much better for you.