At 9 a.m. I was emptying the dishwasher when the phone rang. Mom’s Urologist. The test from a few days prior showed an infection and he was calling in a prescription to CVS pharmacy. I needed to go there to pick up a routine refill the pharmacy had called about on my way to get Mom to a hair appointment and to a different doctor to follow up on a cold and chest congestion. No problem.
I headed to Mom’s, 30 miles away. Went into the pharmacy. No prescriptions ready under her name. A computer search found the routine refill. They had called for the OK to refill but the message that hubby relayed to me didn’t include the request to call back.
Back in the car i left a message at the Urologist’s office then picked up mom. Haircut, lunch out, appointment with a different Dr. and back to CVS. The refill was ready but no new. UHG! Back in the car. Left another message. I finished the grocery shopping quickly, leaving mom and her caregiver in the air-conditioned car.
On the way home, a one-mile drive, I called the office again and got a real live person! When I explained that the Rx still was not there I was told, “Hold on. The office manager is going to go ballistic.” Luckily I was on hold and missed the fireworks. Coming back on the line I was very nicely told that the office manager had spoken directly to the pharmacist and he did have the Rx and would I please go back to CVS and if there were any problems to call them from there. I dropped mom, the caregiver, and the groceries at her house and headed back to CVS.
I did something unusual for me. I raised my voice. Not shouting, but louder and using a no—nonsense tone. I saw a head pop up and something was said to the clerk. She asked me to take a seat and said that the pharmacist would be out to talk to me.
The pharmacist came out and confirmed who I was and asked if I had Mom’s insurance card. Luckily, when she got a new card I kept the old card (same numbers). After confirming who was who the pharmacist shook his head. Mom’s name begins with an “M” but they had written down “N.” Her birthdate is 1912, but they had written down 2012. I’m guessing the doctor give the year as 12, not 1912. With both the name and birthdate incorrect neither would show up in a computer search.
Shortly the Rx was ready and I was on my way. Once more I called the doctor’s office and explained what had happened. Their advice was to always call them from the pharmacy if there are any problems. My advice to them was to be sure the name and birth date were correct.
I had a car and cellphone and was easily mobile. What if I had been the person who was ill and had asked a friend to pick up the Rx, or the doctor’s office had been closed, or I had to use the bus or Access system and wasn’t able to wait around while the mystery was solved?
So mom got her Rx, she is feeling much better, and, blessedly, even in rush hour traffic I just made it home in time for a 6 p.m. conference call.
Every Day Is A Good Day. VJ
everydaywithvj 