Annoyed I JUST WANT MY NEEDLES

[IrishJoe]

I feel horrible and angry and sad and annoyed.
I JUST WANT MY NEEDLES - I only need them to LIVE

I went into my pharmacist today to ask for some needles as I run out on Friday. They couldn't find me on the computer which was confusing as i was in yesterday to get glucose strips.

Then I am told that they cannot give it to me without a prescription and that without a long term illness number I would have to pay

However on a previous occasion I was told that it was ok while the LTI was getting sorted and that they could just backdate it.

This didn't wash today for some reason. I suddenly didn't exist on the machine, or on their other pharmacy's computer (I used to go to that one before for other things before this one which was nearer opened) I was told to go and come back with my prescription and also that I'd have to pay for them $.$ (also I am a student with no job no transport and i live in the country :( )

I left appearing quit chirpy but quite annoyed. My prescription as it turns out was sent along with my LTI form to the county offices. So then I rang the doctor to ask them to fax out my prescription (as the doctor would have a copy of it ;) ) but the receptionist wanted me to go and start making a list of everything on my prescription and how much i would need. I hung up as I didn't want to shout at her. I also nearly broke the phone :mad: and had a huge cry.

I don't understand. 1 day the pharmacy are helpful and will supply things and say don't worry we'll backdate it and it will be ok and then different day different staff and 'sorry we can't give you anything without a prescription and if you have no LTI you have to pay :eek:

Anyway my mum then gave them an earful. 2 raving Irish people > than 1 so its sorted. But I wish they'd've just listened to ME in the first instance - I'm the diabetic one and I am an adult supposedly but I have no independence anymore and its really annoying.

[Jan B]

Joe,

I'd be screaming along with you. This reminds me so much of something that happened to me when I was 23. The pharmacy wanted to see proof I was a diabetic (insurance wasn't going to pay anyway). When I showed them my medic alert bracelet, they said . . . "anyone could have one of those made". I was 8 months pregnant, and in desperate need & they were trying to make sure they didn't sell needles to a drugie, because it wasn't a great neighborhood. Anyway, I left stomping away and slammed the door in a huge huff.

My dad called, raised he__ and it was all straightened out.

I hope once you have established a relationship w/the pharmacy you choose to do business with, you will be treated with total respect and regard for your health.

I feel for you. I'm sorry this happened.

[davef]

Joe,

That's a bummer. Sounds like some one in the chemist screwed up. When I applied for my LTI I was able to everything I needed there and then from the chemist and they simply back dated it when the LTI arrived (only took a week to get mine). It is best, if you can use the same chemist all the time, that way you build a relationship with them. Do you have a DPS (drug payment scheme) card, if not get one, they are free to get and if you end up sick and it's not covered by your LTI it will be covered by the DPS. Under the DPS you pay a maximum of 90 euro per month. I *think* if you are not working, what you do is get your mum/dad to apply for the card and at the sametime apply for everyone in the house. I did this and have a cards for myself, wife and two children. The 90 maximum applies to us as a family, it's a godsend as my daughter has asthma and each month we have to get inhalers, tablets and now with the summer "here" my son and daughter have prescriptions for hay fever medication, so at most we pay 90, otherwise I'd be broke, well I am broke but I'd be selling my diabetic body ;) to pay for medicine.

Also with a DPS card, any chemist can check what you have been issued that month, with or without the LTI card.

Good that you got it sorted out, pity you had to go through it in the first place. Is the chemist you went to part of a bigger group, many of them are, in which case a polite but strong letter of complaint might be in order.

BTW, with the LTI, not sure if it's the same in Louth as it is in wicklow, but what I do (at the suggestion of the chemist) was staple my doctor's prescription to a page in the LTI book, rather than filling in the pages of the LTI, it's just easier if your prescription changes.

[IrishJoe]

That's a bummer. Sounds like some one in the chemist screwed up. When I applied for my LTI I was able to everything I needed there and then from the chemist and they simply back dated it when the LTI arrived (only took a week to get mine). It is best, if you can use the same chemist all the time, that way you build a relationship with them. Do you have a DPS (drug payment scheme) card, if not get one, they are free to get and if you end up sick and it's not covered by your LTI it will be covered by the DPS. Under the DPS you pay a maximum of 90 euro per month. I *think* if you are not working, what you do is get your mum/dad to apply for the card and at the sametime apply for everyone in the house. I did this and have a cards for myself, wife and two children. The 90 maximum applies to us as a family, it's a godsend as my daughter has asthma and each month we have to get inhalers, tablets and now with the summer "here" my son and daughter have prescriptions for hay fever medication, so at most we pay 90, otherwise I'd be broke, well I am broke but I'd be selling my diabetic body to pay for medicine.


yeah we have a DPS as my dad has asthma. There are jsut 2 of them they are local but we used to go to the other one as the 2nd one is only opened a couple of months. It was just the schitzo response. 2 different people I guess. It was quite vexing. Especially when you need things to LIVE you want to be able to get them at will without hassle. Kinda like air or water from a tap, you want it to be there if you need it ya know ? I guess it was one of my big fears with diabetes, the reliance on something that you can only get from limited places. And then of course it DOES happen. Thankfully now though so hopefully it will be sorted.

[Tattoo azz]

Joe, you're a star for keeping your temper under control.
Why are there so many idiots around? If it's not jobsworths in the workplace then it's prats in the pharmacy's. Glad you got it all sorted joe but you shouldn't have been thru it in the first place.

[Kat]

You know, I think diabetics and other people 'like us' should run pharmacies. Huh!?

[did2007]

You know, I think diabetics and other people 'like us' should run pharmacies. Huh!?
and doctor's offices.

[EazyE77]

You know, I think diabetics and other people 'like us' should run pharmacies. Huh!?

and doctor's offices.

I am soooooo on board with this! Where do I sign? lol:D

[DCaplinger]

I get so tired of hearing "It's too soon, the Insurance company won't approve it". I keep telling them, "Who cares? I didn't ask you if the insurance company was okay with it, I told you I need my supplies. Fill the order, the doctor prescribed it, I'm here for it. I'll deal with the insurance company (or rather, my attorney will) later." I'd love to have them say no to that. My attorney would too. We're just itchin' for a fight. LOL.

Regards,

[Jan B]

Wouldn't it be great if healthcare was truly about health care instead of it all being about insurance, money, etc.?

I was so disillusioned many years ago when my dad explained to me the business side of a hospital and how it effected the care different people got. I really did think that when you went to a hospital, everybody there wanted to heal you and that was all there was to it.

[Scrabblechick]

Ran into the "it's too soon" thing for insurance and strips. So I had to fork over $98 for the darn things last month.

Eeerrg. At any rate Joe, glad you got it straightened out.

[IrishJoe]

well i got that too. that if I had no LTI form/number/card then I would have to shell out €50 for some insulin! Yet the first time I went in I was told it would be ok until I got up and running and the day before I had gotten 100 test strips (also about €25 for 50 if I'm not mistaken) and she said she'd backdate them...

it was just the total schizo response that got me.

I did loose my temper with the doctors receptionist though. I had to hand up rather than cry or shout at her.

Now however they cannot order my stuff fast enough ! :cool:

[MaireC]

That's terrible Joe! It took me nearly 3 months to get my LTI book - what they don't tell you sometimes apparently is that if you send it to the wrong office they'll just throw the form in the bin - nice!
I was lucky that the pharmacist I was dealing with knew my sister and my family (we're long time customers:) ) and he gave me what I needed. I didn't mind paying for the glucophage or my bp tablets, but when it came to the strips he refused to let me pay and just put it on 'account' until the book came through. In the end, it took a phonecall from him to set things right (and through some fast talking managed to get my blood pressure tablets put on it too!). Like davef, I got mine within a week - you might want to try phoning them and seeing what's up with your application.

My problem now is that because I'm only on 1 metformin pill a day, and they give me a full box, I don't get a box a month. And for the past two months I've had to argue with them to get my metformin. Stupid woman wouldn't give it to me last month and I had to demand to see the owner this month and state my case! Even though when I'm getting the prescription I always state exactly what I want on it. Sadists. Sorry - that's a rant for another day :D

[davef]

I didn't mind paying for the glucophage or my bp tablets, but when it came to the strips he refused to let me pay and just put it on 'account' until the book came through.

My problem now is that because I'm only on 1 metformin pill a day, and they give me a full box, I don't get a box a month. And for the past two months I've had to argue with them to get my metformin. Stupid woman wouldn't give it to me last month and I had to demand to see the owner this month and state my case! Even though when I'm getting the prescription I always state exactly what I want on it. Sadists. Sorry - that's a rant for another day :D

Holy cr@p MarieC, is your Glucophage on on your LTI prescription? I have everything on my LTI, Glucophage, Strips, Lancets and my BP medicine (Enap). At one point I was using all the lancets and told them I didn't need them one month, chemist said take them, stock pile in case the whole HSE Vs Chemists thing gets worse. So I have a stock pile of both lancets and strips now. Perhaps I'm just really luck with my chemist in Bray, but they wouldn't let me pay for anything until the LTI card came through.

[teleman]

In 1980 I bought Insulin at a Pharmacy and after I got in the car I realized I needed syringes.
I went back in to the Pharmacy and asked to buy syringes.
The pharmacist accused me of being a drug addict and refused to sell me syringes. Since it was late and the only Pharmacy open I was insistent that since I had just been sold insulin by this same person it made sense that I would buy syringes in order to use the insulin.
The idiot physically threw me out of the shop(I had just broken my arm that afternoon so force was the last thing I needed) and called the police.
He told the police I was a drug addict and was trying to get illegal drugs and needles by robbing him.
The police said the guy was an a**hole but they couldn't do anything other than to get him to back off on the false accusations. I ended up getting a couple of syringes from the hospital that had just put a cast on my arm.
There are some real idiots out there.

[MaireC]

Hey Dave,
Yeah, everything is on it now, but if I were to get a box of the glucophage a month I'd be knee deep in them by now :) I get everything monthly - except for the lancets because they last forever with me, and the glucophage. I definately get the strips every month because they are ****ed expensive and if the HSE vs Chemists thing gets worse I'll be broke! ...again, that's another rant for another day. Well, the next time they refuse to give a member of my family some medication just because they have an LTI book...

[pokie]

I HATE how insurance companies try to micro-manage our diabetes care. I use two types of needles; pen needles and syringes. Inevitably, when I go to get my scripts filled, the insurance company bounces one or the other back and says I have already filled that for the month because their system can't differentiate between the two types of needles. My pharmacist always handles it for me, she is a saint, but should not have to waste her time every month going over the same old thing. We need these things to LIVE; don't jerk us around, please!!!!

[IrishJoe]

I did mention that the doctor put down a VIAL of insulin and the novonordisk pen that needs the catridges right ? but the clever pharmisicst had the cop on to get the right ones !!

(and through some fast talking managed to get my blood pressure tablets put on it too!). Like davef, I got mine within a week - you might want to try phoning them and seeing what's up with your application.

WHAT !!!! WHAT !!!! :eek: :( :mad: !!!

its a bit late.. if it doesn't arrive next week i'll have to crack some skulls via the phone!!

[MaireC]

Seriously Joe, get on to them! And make sure you sent it to the right office. I got it out of the horses mouth, so to speak, that they will bin the application form if it's sent to the wrong branch! That's what took the 3 months with me. I'd sent it to the Limerick branch instead of the Clare one (because I was diagnosed in the Limerick Regional Hospital and go to the Diabetic Clinc there too - plus I got confused...). There's no friendly cooperation in this game. Hound them till your fingers bleed from punching the number into the phone, and your throat is hoarse from giving out. You need your LTI book! It's too expensive otherwise! Especially when the scheme is there for people in our situation.

Fight Fight Fight Fight Fight!:D

[Noturningback]

In 1980 I bought Insulin at a Pharmacy and after I got in the car I realized I needed syringes.
I went back in to the Pharmacy and asked to buy syringes.
The pharmacist accused me of being a drug addict and refused to sell me syringes. Since it was late and the only Pharmacy open I was insistent that since I had just been sold insulin by this same person it made sense that I would buy syringes in order to use the insulin.
The idiot physically threw me out of the shop(I had just broken my arm that afternoon so force was the last thing I needed) and called the police.
He told the police I was a drug addict and was trying to get illegal drugs and needles by robbing him.
The police said the guy was an a**hole but they couldn't do anything other than to get him to back off on the false accusations. I ended up getting a couple of syringes from the hospital that had just put a cast on my arm.
There are some real idiots out there.

All I can say is - wow!

IrishJoe I think you had a right to be angry. If it makes you feel better, I went balistic at a Burger King for putting mayo on my burger. It was a long hard day and when I got home and found mayo on my burger - after asking for no mayo - I lost it. I drove back and gave them an earfull and a half. Okay, I was young and easily angered. That has to be one of my most embarrassing moments in hindsight.

~Danielle