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Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,491
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist

Walgreens annoyed me last year when I was getting ready to go on a two week business trip.

 

I have 2 issues that crop up occasionally with spasms in my neck and sciatica.  Sitting a plane for 6 hours is one of the triggers.


So before I left, my ortho called in Naproxen and Motrin for me (10 pills of each).  The pharmacist refused to fill both.  He said I had to choose.  He was not the pharmacist I usually see when I pick stuff up.  So I had to have my doctor's office call them to release the other one.

 

It would be great if one of them worked for both issues, but that's not how that works.

 

And then the kicker in all of this is that they (Walgreens, the drug company or the insurance company) REQUIRE a minimum of 30 pills, so the doctor had the change the amount.

===================================
QVC Shopper - 1993

# IAMTEAMWEN
Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist


@151949 wrote:

I just got a call from Walgreens. The pharmacist informed me that because I am on metformin I need to be on a statin drug.I told her No I don't - my total cholesterol is only 121. Heck , my cholesterol is what a person on statins hopes to achieve. She said it doesn't matter - any diabetic under 75 years old is supposed to be on statins no matter if they need it or not. I told her no I don't and that this conversation was over. 

For a long time now I have found that I feel the standards of caring for diabetics is very questionable. They have lowered the FBS number to a very low number(95 unless they lowered it again this year) after decades of it being a standard that FBS of 110 is the normal and you medicate those with FBS of 140.  Now the standard is to give statins - which can cause some people some pretty significant side effects -when they don't even have high cholesterol. ANYTHING TO MAKE A BUCK. 


 

@151949  Since when does a pharmacist overrule a doctor's orders, unbelievable!  I would NEVER go on statin's, I take aspirin and that will have to do.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist


@151949 wrote:

@Sooner wrote:

@NYC Susan wrote:

@VaBelle35 wrote:

@Cakers3 wrote:

I don't understand what the big deal is about this-other than this incident has shown up on a diabetes help site. 

 

The same situation-the pharmacist only recommended, not prescribed.

 

So I guess it's a common incident-and not a whoop do. 

 

 


That's interesting.  If I were a doctor, I would be annoyed that Walgreens is asserting themselves in patient care like this.

 

As a patient, I would be annoyed if they did anything other than say "hey, we want you know about this.  Here's a sheet of paper to talk to your doctor about."


 

Exactly.  They may have had her best interests at heart, but it was handled inappropriately.  

 

 


Do you really think we have enough information to know exactly what happened and in what way and context this actually happened?  Aren’t we jumping to a lot of conclusions?  Have you had a pharmacist call just to recommend a drug?  

 

I have had them call about a prescription then started talking to them. Are calls like this common in your area?  If so that is different. And uncalled fot

 

 


Oh for cripes sake - the phone rang - it was Walgreens - not the store - it was from their home offices in Indiana. A person said the pharmacist needed to discuss my Rx with me and would I please hold on - she kept me waiting for about 5 min which had me Po'ed to start with - then when she got on she starts with the Oh how are you feeling today. I'm calling because I have noticed on your drug profile that you are taking metformin and here at Walgreens it is our policy to inform you that any diabetic who is under 75 years old needs to also be taking a statin drug.We'd like to notify your PCP that he has to order you a statin drug per the newest guidelines from the ADA....


 

 

@151949  Since when do pharmacists order a doctor to prescribe a drug, unbeliebable!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist


@loveschocolate wrote:

#FIRSTWORLDPROBLEM


 

 

@loveschocolate  What a darling dog in your Avatar, yours?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,256
Registered: ‎05-11-2012

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist

@mousiegirl, no. Wish it was my dog! That’s Norbert. He has his own Facebook page. He’s so cute! ❤️

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,091
Registered: ‎01-02-2011

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist

[ Edited ]

My pharmacist called me a few weeks ago to question me on my meds and how I took them.  The call surprised me and then annoyed me.  The pharmacist seemed uncomfortable.  I questioned her as to what specifically had prompted the call.  I was told the questions were from the insurance company and I chose not to continue the call.

 

I came close to starting a thread on it but didn’t.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 25,929
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist

[ Edited ]

@tansy I have recently been prescribed a controlled substance - Tramadol, so when they said can you hold on for the pharmacist - she wants to talk to you about one of your prescriptions , I assumed it was gonna be about that drug.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,457
Registered: ‎08-28-2010

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist


@151949 wrote:

@qbetzforreal wrote:

@151949 wrote:

@Sooner wrote:

@NYC Susan wrote:

@VaBelle35 wrote:

@Cakers3 wrote:

I don't understand what the big deal is about this-other than this incident has shown up on a diabetes help site. 

 

The same situation-the pharmacist only recommended, not prescribed.

 

So I guess it's a common incident-and not a whoop do. 

 

 


That's interesting.  If I were a doctor, I would be annoyed that Walgreens is asserting themselves in patient care like this.

 

As a patient, I would be annoyed if they did anything other than say "hey, we want you know about this.  Here's a sheet of paper to talk to your doctor about."


 

Exactly.  They may have had her best interests at heart, but it was handled inappropriately.  

 

 


Do you really think we have enough information to know exactly what happened and in what way and context this actually happened?  Aren’t we jumping to a lot of conclusions?  Have you had a pharmacist call just to recommend a drug?  

 

I have had them call about a prescription then started talking to them. Are calls like this common in your area?  If so that is different. And uncalled fot

 

 


Oh for cripes sake - the phone rang - it was Walgreens - not the store - it was from their home offices in Indiana. A person said the pharmacist needed to discuss my Rx with me and would I please hold on - she kept me waiting for about 5 min which had me Po'ed to start with - then when she got on she starts with the Oh how are you feeling today. I'm calling because I have noticed on your drug profile that you are taking metformin and here at Walgreens it is our policy to inform you that any diabetic who is under 75 years old needs to also be taking a statin drug.We'd like to notify your PCP that he has to order you a statin drug per the newest guidelines from the ADA....


Your first post left out a lot pertinent information.  Readers were led to believe that some random pharmacist contacted you and told you that needed to take a statin, when all the call was about informing you of the new guidelines which were posted on this thread at #7.  You may need a statin.  I agree that is between you and physician, but all Walgreen's was doing was sharing information.


SMH

 


Seriously though, you're shaking your head?  Too funny.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,053
Registered: ‎07-20-2011

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist

@GenXmuse Thought I would see if you are all better. How are you doing? Take care.

Happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life.
Valued Contributor
Posts: 618
Registered: ‎12-06-2015

Re: Call I just got from a Walgreens pharmacist

 

 

 


@151949 wrote:

@tansy I have recently been prescribed a controlled substance - Tamoxafen, so when they said can you hold on for the pharmacist - she wants to talk to you about one of your prescriptions , I assumed it was gonna be about that drug.

 

 

Tamoxifen is a hormone blocker, it is not a controlled substance.