PBM Watch: Is the honeymoon over with ES?

From an Duane Tron, January 30, 2008
Subject: Be careful what we wish for!

Everyone is raving over Express Scripts and the wonderful service and on and on. I just called Express Scripts early this morning to find out that my blood pressure medication I mailed in nine days ago was just received and typed in the system yesterday. They didn't offer to ship it overnight or anything like CareMark would do. No! They told me it would be three to five days before I receive it since the pharmacy just entered the information yesterday. That will make it over two weeks from the time it was mailed for refill. Oh! I have to call my doctor this morning as soon as they're in and try and get a prescription for a ten day ?? supply from a pharmacy to get me through since I took my last pill yesterday morning. Let's see that means I'll have to drive 25 miles to pick up the prescription, time calling Express Scripts, time calling doctor (long distance) to explain, time driving to get it, time waiting on it, cost of gasoline and on and on. I NEVER had a problem like this with CareMark!

Were the people at Express Scripts nice? Yes! Did they offer to ship overnight and get it resolved? No! I told them it was blood pressure medication and I need it today. They told me to call my doctor and get a ten day supply to get me through. Oh! I also forgot I have to pay my doctor an additional ten dollars to call in a NEW scrip because of the failure of MY provider to ship my meds in a timely fashion and this is my responsibility and fault and not that of the doctor. Be careful what you wish for because you might get it. I sure hope this isn't the beginning of my Express Scripts nightmare! Did anyone among the anti-Caremark crowd ever check and find out that CareMark was ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among all of the suppliers in the country last year? I seriously doubt it. I mentioned on here numerous times that I never had any problems with CareMark and was totally satisfied. I guess that now that we have a new provider it's my turn in the tub, Huh?! Maybe the next one I send in Express Scripts can take a month getting it filled. I have four prescriptions where I have about a month's supply left so I had better send those puppies in immediately if I want them before I actually need them?