[techgirl12]

so the other day it was time to update my prescriptions and I ordered them through walgreens.
we do the 3 month ordering because it's cheaper and easier.
One of the prescriptions I had to reorder was my lantus. I get to walgreens and they only gave my one vial. I was suppose to have 3. Apparently I ordered with the wrong number, so they went back and "fixed" it.

When I got home I realized I only had 2 vials. I quickly called and spoke to the pharmacist that talked to me at walgreens. She said that because my doc has it prescribed as "up to 20 units a day," I only needed 2 vials for 3 months (each vial being 100units/mL or 1000 units). I told her that's not true because they expire after 28-30 days! And she was like "yea but I can't do anything about that." I was like "umm okay..." and she was like "have a good day." and hung up.

I was so upset... my mom came in and she asked what was wrong. I told her what the pharmacist had said and started crying and told my mom they were denying me something I needed in order to live! Then she became frustrated and called walgreens back. Spoke to the pharmacist and she explained the same thing to my mom. My mom had to practically yell at her that because the vials expire after 28-30 days I need to throw them away and thus I need 3 vials for 3 months. Finally after looking up my original prescription and being on hold for like ever she said "ok so we'll give you a 3rd vial but you need to order with that number from now on..."

She wouldn't even apologize

At least I got my 3rd vial...

anyone else have bad experiences with their pharmacy?

[Funnygrl]

I've routinely used insulin past 30 days. I HATE wasting insulin. You have a point though, and they should have given you 3 vials.

[xMenace]

No. My pharmacy is exceptional as I think most in Canada are. They actually carry all the stock I need: insulin, pump supplies, test strips, whatever I need. I walk in, order, wait maybe 20 minutes, and leave. If I call it in I just pick it up. I've NEVER had to order anything, ever.


BTW being away at school you should have extra supplies anyway.

[vulnerable26]

Yes, I have problems with them everytime I go. It is usually over test strips, I have a script that says to test 10 times a day, each time I go always a problem. Always involves lots of paperwork and security reasons/fraud I have to fax a paper to heardquarters each time, with a written note from my Dr saying I am a T1.

Last time was my lantus similar to your situation...Next time I am at the Dr's and get a new script I will be going to back CVS or somewhere else...

[DCaplinger]

Mine complained about my script for 8 tests a day at first. The Pharmacist was like "It seems a bit excessive for a Type 2", I was like "Yep, that would be excessive for a Type 2... so it's a good thing I'm a Type 1." He was like... "Oh." and filled it with no further comment. LOL.

My problems aren't with the pharmacy, it's with the Doctor's office. At this point, I'm about >.< that close to firing my Endo and just letting my PCP handle everything. There isn't much more that my Endo can teach me at this point, and he's gotten non-responsive to any of my inquiries.

Regards,

[jillrapp]

I'm a type 2 and sometimes test 8-10 times per day, it depends on how I'm feeling and how I've reacted to a certain food, or excercise, etc. Why should it be up to anyone but me (us) how often I (we) test? This is our health, our bodies, and we have to live with the consequences not anyone else.

Sorry for the rant, I just get so frustrated...... geeze!

[teleman]

My pharmacy is about to lose my business.
Last week they screwed up my prescriptions for the second month in a row. I get my Lantus and Novorapid on the same prescription. They gave me the Lantus but not the Novorapid. They insisted that they gave me the Novorapid. They did the same thing this month as well as my Ramipril. I also bought syringes. I asked for the BD 1/2 cc syringes with the short needle. They gave me 1cc with long needles. I don't have a lot of body fat so I really prefer short needles.
Next month Pharma Plus won't be seeing my business.

[DanG]

I suppose I could also rant against the situation, but I guess I feel like perhaps offering a bit of understanding of what their perspective MIGHT be. I have no idea if this could be their perspective, but...

I wonder if these people are trained in old school practice, such as testape for blood sugar spills. That might explain their reasons against 8 to 10 blood sugar tests per day. I don't know. They know strips are expensive - I wonder if corporate gets rebate on skimping to customers?

I also offer my perspective on blood sugar tests. If I have no manner in which to compensate for what the test will read, I don't do a test. I test prior to taking mealtime humalog, because it allows me knowledge about how well I can or cannot eat. If I am high, I can't eat as much. I try to limit myself in taking insulin... because... just because. Really, I preload and take humalog for breakfast and then the rest of that syringe goes to work with me and that is all I have with me, so I adjust the things I can to work inside the constraints as I see them. High bs and I can't eat as much as I brought to work - good ole pbj, some chips, some kefir, a cookie, a grapefruit.

As to the limit on lantus vials - I use all the lantus in the vial. 20 units per day should give you 50 days from one vial. I can get 40 days per vial, so I get more from each pharmacy order if I use the whole vial down to the last drop. I practice what you do - obtain 3 vials for the 3 month period, but use the entire contents of the vial - because I can, and because the expense of this is not to be dealt with flippantly - this is an expensive lifestyle, insurance or not. Oh, well, life happens. Death is part of life.

[Mich]

Techgirl, She should have apologized. What would it have cost her? It may have kept a guaranteed customer.

In my book, a pharmacist's job is to fill their customer's scrips. I realize it takes specialized knowledge, but so do other jobs. I see a pharmacist as a knowledgeable customer service representative of their company. I won't go into Walgreens, bad prices and poor service in my experience.

Note to all who deal with drugstores: Talk to your doc. Be specific about what you need. If you need three months at a time of a prescription, be specific. One bottle per month because they expire in 28 days. An extra box of sets every now and then to cover the accidents such as doorknobs, travel or infections. Refill your prescriptions a week early so you have time to fix problems.

It's a coldhearted system here in the US and if your doctor won't back you up, get a new doctor. You sure don't need to be worried about running out, keeping a set in for a few extra days or having to use bad insulin.

She says sweetly, stepping off her soapbox.

Mich

[Scratch]

You should have been given 3 vials.

But and this but isn't to excuse the pharmacy's mistake, but to provide you with a way of building a reserve of insulin. Currently I'm taking about 20u of Lantus a day although at times my Lantus has been as low as 14 units. I've had vials last me 60 days and I just recently finished off a vial that went 50 days.

The 28 day vial expiration exists not because the insulin goes bad after the 28th day after puncture, but simply because that's the length of time that the pharmaceuticals will conduct tests with the vials monitored and under controlled conditions. In that way, it is known that the insulin in the vials will be good for those 28 days, but there doesn't exist any scientifically controlled measurements following the 28 day mark. For that reason, people are advised to chuck the vials.

I looked in the fridge. I've got a nice little 5 vials of Lantus in reserve right now which I wouldn't have if I tossed every vial on the 29th day.

[lorkatz2004]

I was throwing away my Lantus too after 28 days!!!! The diabetic instructor told me the lantus is only good for 28 days and to throw it away........something about it is not as good as. I think she said it looses its potency after 28-30 days.

So, I really hated to throw the vials away that is not used............you still use them for how long after the 30 days??

thanks
Cathy

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by lorkatz2004

I was throwing away my Lantus too after 28 days!!!! The diabetic instructor told me the lantus is only good for 28 days and to throw it away........something about it is not as good as. I think she said it looses its potency after 28-30 days.

So, I really hated to throw the vials away that is not used............you still use them for how long after the 30 days??

thanks
Cathy

My opinion of that based upon what I know and the data I have from the diabetic experiment of myself is that it's a bunch of hooey that vials should be chucked on the 29th day. That said, my data isn't data done with rigorous testing procedures and protocols, so I can't make any guarantees.

But so far as I've been able to observe, the Lantus has not lost potency for me after the 28th day. Now I've had days where my control was off, but then I've had days where my control was off long before the 28th day. And many times after I've had a bad control day while using a vial past the 28th day the days afterwards revert back to normal control. I believe the most reasonable explanation is that my metabolism was doing something different, not that the Lantus potency was variable.

Of course, if you feel more comfortable in tossing the vial and sticking to the 28 day rule, feel free to do so.

[sugardumplin]

Hey- I have to brag about Walgreens.

The customer service is awesome. They know me by my name. I pull up and I don't even have to tell them who I am. They always help me with any questions I have, and they have gone above and beyond the call of duty for me. I tried switching to WalMart recently for lower prices, but landed back at Walgreens less than a month later. The lines at Wal-Mart was rediculous. I can drive thru Walgreens.

I have brought my pharmacist sugar free hot cocoa in a jar at Christmas time and I have brought him dark chocolate from time to time when I pick up my meds. He is awesome and I don't know what I will do if he ever leaves.

I am sure pharmacist feel under appreciated at times. Maybe you should praise your pharmacist today. Build a relationship with them. And maybe things will change for u on future med pick ups

[Siri]

I too just had a fustratiing experience today with my pharmacy....they don't have any of my glucosee test strips left.....this is the 3rd day I have gone back in order to fulfill my prescription.....I'm running out of time I told them....I fly half way round the world tomorrow and need them in order to stay alive!!!! They said the manufactoror hasn't sent them so thats that.So now I have to drive around my city in a very fustrated mood to try and get my test strips in time before i fly tomorrow.......oh and to top it off I was sooo upset I went hypo (

[Erin]

This is not to excuse the pharmacist, but really the doctor put too much faith in pharm-techs.

Doctors really need to write scripts so they are idiot proof. Lantus 1 vial per month. Lantus 3 vials for 3 months. Something like that. The pharmacist does not need to know how many units of insulin you take, just how many bottles to put in the bag. Giving too much or the wrong information just gives the pharmacy and the insurance company ammunition to try to rip you off.

I always tell my doctor that my pharmacist is an idiot, even though I now go to a different pharmacy with a very good pharmacist. It just makes things easier if the scripts are impossible to debate.

As per using Lantus past the 30 day mark... I did this, and it does loose potency after a while. But I could get a good 40 - 45 days out of it, no problem.