2011-05-11

Further Adventures in Canadian Health Care

Tonight, after two weeks,  I am finally going to be able to get a re-fill on my prescription for test strips.

I originally did not get a new prescription because I missed my April appointment with the specialist. (I was out of town on business.) No problem, though, I still had plenty of strips.

Then I attempted to refill the prescription. First, I called the pharmacist and
asked whether I had remaining refills. She assured me I did.

When I arrived at the pharmacy, they informed me that I actually did not have any refills. I told them that I called beforehand to ask and wouldn't have wasted my time refilling my prescription if I didn't have any refills. The pharmacist said, "I agree with you." What? Then she said she would call the doctor to refill and then call me when it was ready.

...No call, for a week.


So then I called the pharmacy later and asked them if they could contact my doctor for a refill. They said yes and that they would call me. No call for a day.

Then I called the doctor's office, and they said sometimes that happens when the doctor hasn't seen you in a while. And they tried to give me a fax number to give to the pharmacist. I said, "Well, wait a minute. I'll take that fax number, but how will I know if the doctor will refuse to fill the prescription?" She asked me when my next appointment was. I said July. Then she checked to see if she could get me in any earlier. She said the earliest available appointment is October. Then she said, "I'd keep your July appointment if I were you..." (no kidding) "...so I think the doctor will refill your prescription."

O--kayyy....


So then I called the pharmacist again and said I have been waiting to hear back from them. They said they haven't heard back from the doctor yet. I gave them my doctor's name and the fax number. The pharmacist said that they would fill an "emergency prescription" for me.

So all that, and I still don't have my actual prescription!


Nothing in the USA equates to how bad this system is.

No comments:

Post a Comment