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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Pick One, Any One

I get paid to fill prescriptions. (Actually, we don't get paid until you actually pick them up and pay for them, but you're smart enough to understand that.)
I don't get paid if you don't pick up your prescriptions.
I don't get paid to return it to stock and reverse the claim from your insurance.
I don't get paid more if you come in after 2 weeks and decide now you want it after I reversed it.

I also don't get paid if you have me fill something, then decide you'd rather have it somewhere else. I also don't get paid to reverse this claim either.
I had a guy call to verify we had refilled his prescription. He asked about the copay, if it was ready, why he was taking it, asked a few more questions, then thanked me for my time and said he'd be down shortly to get it. Fifteen minutes later we get a call from a competitor. He wants it there. Why? It's the same copay. It's not already filled. It's not billed to his insurance. It's here. It's waiting for him. For us to reverse everything, transfer everything, then for them to fill everything for him is going to cost him more time. If you wanted it there in the first place, tell me that while you had me on the phone. I could have reversed it while I was talking to you. The other pharmacy could have transferred it from me. They could already have begun the filling process. You wouldn't have to wait for all of this. Yet I keep coming back to "it. was. already. filled. and. waiting. to. be. picked. up"!
It's like ordering a pizza from Domino's, calling back to make sure it was done, adding an order of boneless wings, then driving to the Pizza Hut next door and placing a carryout order at the counter. No logical reason for it.
I believe we should be able to bill for "services rendered". We filled it, billed it, and counseled on it. Then we reversed the claim and returned it to stock. The insurance is only paying one pharmacy (not mine) for the entire package.
The average cost to fill a prescription is $10. Now that is $10 WITHOUT any pills in the bottle. Never mind the cost of what we actually "dump" in there. It takes as much work to reverse everything. I suggest we bill the patients a $30 return-to-stock fee. That's $10 for the initial fill, $10 for the reversal process, and $10 for extra processes (answering the phone after the automated system called you to tell you why it called you, counseling you on medication you are not receiving, etc.)
Unless your doctor calls to tell us HE changed your medication, then let's post this sign:

"All prescriptions NOT picked up in 13 days will be subject to a $30 restocking fee. This fee will be charged directly to you and will not be reimbursed by your insurance company. Any prescriptions sent to us by your doctor that should have gone to another pharmacy will be charged the same fee (same amount of work)."

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