New Clinic Messed Up My Hormone Prescription

[Guest nova]

It seems like it's always just a matter of time before the next "problem" with my transition. I had switched clinics several months ago because my therapist and I felt I was being under-served. My new gender specialist suggested that I should switch to the estrogen patches instead of the injectable kind. Also, my medical insurance had decided to raise my co-pay and the pharmacy wouldn't let me refill my liquid delestrogen prescription until I paid a retroactive recalculation of copays amounting to over one thousand dollars. I could have taken the refill and paid cash at another pharmacy- I guess- (the refill: $237.99 plus 18.00 for syringes) but my new clinic found a third party to fill the patch prescription for almost nothing! My new gender specialist wrote a prescription for the patches for the equivalent dose of injectable I was taking. But somehow the prescription got "entered wrong" and the pharmacist felt that it was for too much so she decided to change it without talking to the doctor OR me. She filled it for half the required dose. As it turned out, some technician had first entered the doctors order wrong -28x's the required dose! and this head pharmacist saw it and changed it to half the necessary dose. After a bunch of phone calling by me, we finally got it straight, but the pharmacist never called -she refused to call- the doctor.

When I was getting ready to have surgery, I had to pay cash for a few cheap last minute prescriptions -valium and vicodin, and I went to a pharmacy that I had never been to before. This pharmacist couldn't make out some writing and she got on the phone right away, and kept calling for 20 minutes until she got through to my doctor's office. I don't know . . . why would one be so willing to be helpful, and one refuse to be cooperative? I was just about in panic mode with this hormone thing.

[Carolyn Marie]

Nova, I'm certainly no expert on such things, but it seems to me to be totally wrong, and possibly against professional standards, for a pharmacist to

change a dosage on anything without getting an OK from your doctor. If she wanted to be a doctor, she should have gone to medical school instead of

pharmacists school.

I would change pharmacies if it is feasible, and if not, you might consider making a complaint with the pharmacy board. What she did is not only wrong,

it could have had serious effects on your treatment.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest nova]

Carolyn, yes I agree. Who does she think she is to override a doctor's order?? Without even talking to the doctor. On the printout the pharmacy gave me, they called it a "correction"!! I am taking the printout with me to my doctor next week.

[Guest doodle]

That is messed up. I had a pharmacist change a prescription. on me. It was suppose to be enough estrodiol for 3 months and I got only one months supply. I called the store and she told me I wasn't allowed to have that much and wouldn't give an inch. I have been going to the same pharmacy for a long time my doctor sends us there. I complained to him and it never happened again. Some people are just stupid and mean.

Kelly

[Guest nova]

Update. My doctor went out of town after I talked to her about it, and another doctor left a message on my phone saying the dosage was fixed. They're going to mail it to me. Alright! But this morning my doctor was back at the clinic and left me a message that said, "What prescription are you talking about?" So now we are just playing phone tag. At least I have enough prescription to last until I see her in a couple of days. . . . I need a secretary.

[Guest Donna Jean]

Nova, Honey.....

That sux...pure and simple....

I would think that a druggist would lose their license for changing a doctor's perscription..cut and dried!

I've had a druggist give me the wrong medicine before..took it out to the car and was going to take one...looked really different, so I went back in and asked the drugist...he turned as white as a sheet..

"Did you take any of these?" I hadn't...It was for low blood pressure and raises your pressure...I have High Blood pressure...it could of killed me...

I would pursue this, Honey...a druggist CANNOT arbitrarily change your scrip! NADA! ZIP! NO WAY!

I hate this kinda stuff..

Good luck, Baby!

Donna Jean

[Guest Joe Cool]

Nova,

I am so sorry! This kind of stuff is so frustrating!! I hope that this gets worked out quickly. You could always report the pharmacist the licensing board. I hope you are feeling better!!!

Joe

[Guest Soph]

Actually, Donna Jean, a pharmacist CAN change the prescription without the consent of both the doctor and you. Legally, that is. Normally this just amounts to changing to generic drugs to save you money, but it really increases the chance of terrible screw ups (as in your case) and is not explicitly following the advice of a real expert. Pharmacists have training, but I'd rather have a doctor tell me what I ought to take instead of someone who went to college for 4 years.

I think thats terrible, what happened to you, Nova. So much red tape is involved in transition, and I HATE bureaucracy >_<

[Guest sarah f]

I agree and think you should take it up with the pharmacy board. They don't have the right to lower your dosage without consulting your doctor first. You definately need to change pharmacies.

Love,

Sarah F