Pharmacy slowdown/issues.

[Karl_K]

Have you noticed a delay in getting prescriptions filled in your area?
Due to our insurance we use a branch of a big chain pharmacy and they say they are 5-7 days behind on filling prescriptions and due to shipping issues they are out of some common medications at every store in the area. They have also lost a lot of staff to other stores or pharmacists did not renew their contracts for another year.
Have you noticed anything in your area?

 

[seaurchin]

Wow, that's ridiculous. Would it be possible to ask your physician for samples or something like that to get you through?

 

[Matata]

CVS, Walgreens, Sav-On etc, in my area have reduced their hours and days of operation due to staffing shortages. Some of them are closed the entire weekend. So far I haven't heard anything about drug shortages.

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

You can also try CVS or Walgreens mail order...

 

[Karl_K]

Wow, that's ridiculous. Would it be possible to ask your physician for samples or something like that to get you through?

I am personally ok with the delay, I am ahead on most of them, and the other I can just take 2 pills of my old script/bottle to make it the same strength as the new one.
I'm just curious if other areas are having issues.

 

[dk168]

I am in UK, and the situations will be different to other countries.

However, at the start of the pandemic and lockdown back in March 2020, there were horrendous queues and delays at the 3 pharmacies in the town where I live.

Some of the issues were related to shortages of pharmacy staff due to going off sick due to Covid-19.

Other issues included patients demanding to have their prescriptions earlier than normal due to panic.

The normal timeframe for the pharmacy that I use for repeat prescriptions is 1 to 2 days for the script to reach the pharmacy after making the initial request with my doctor's surgery, for the script to be dispensed in up to 4 days; excluding holidays and weekends.

In addition, quite a few people were requesting further supplies long before they ran out, again, due to panic, that further added to the strain on the pharmacies.

Having worked in retail/community pharmacies in the past, I know by first hand experience what it could be like, and have always planned to request for further supply up to 2 weeks in advance before I run out.

It used to be just a week, however, I had an incident of one of my diabetic medication being out of stock once since lockdown in March 2020, and decided not to chance it again.

I am only on 2 regular medications for my Type 2 Diabetes, and have not had any other issue apart from that one incident, and count myself lucky in that respect.

The procurement department of our NHS demanded a number of months of supply in stock prior to Brexit to ensure supply continuity. I believe the healthy stock situation for medicinal products at the beginning of 2020 had helped with minimising supply issues during lockdown.

DK

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

a lot of medication is imported here
imports of everything are a bit hit and miss
it does get priority though

Gary had to switch to a different eye drop because there was none in the country of his type for a while
thankfully the. chemist handled all that

i see a lot of job adverts for pharmacists and the one next to my work no longer opens on Sat morning

evidently durring lockdown chemists shops did a bit of a starve because people wern't going to the doctor so there was a lot less work for the local chemists

 

[YadaYadaYada]

My husband is on Janumet and they were out so he had to wait an extra day to get his refill. This was Walgreens, he had just switched from CVS.

 

[Karl_K]

a lot of medication is imported here
imports of everything are a bit hit and miss
it does get priority though

same in the US the majority of pills comes from India.
Some of the US companies also have production in Mexico.

 

[Calliecake]

i haven’t seen any problems near where I live KarlK which is a little over an hour from you. If you have difficulty getting a drug you could always use the pharmacy I use. Although it does concern me that if one pharmacy is having an issue with a drug others will probably have the same issue. if you run into problems please let me know. I would happy to track down pharmacies in my area to see if they have what you need in stock.

@smitcompton , This goes for you as well. If you run into difficulty I can always help you track down what you need and deliver it to you.

 

[missy]

Yes this is definitely a concern. Like you @Karl_K I try to have a bit extra if possible but that is not always possible.

Hoping everyone who needs their meds can get them in a timely fashion and can get the medical care they need in a timely fashion. That, IMO, is certainly a big concern during the pandemic.

Look at the fallout of people who died because they couldn't get medical care because Covid patients took up all the hospital beds and resources. People died of things not related to Covid but indirectly due to Covid.

Pandemic surge causes major shortage of a drug that treats rheumatoid arthritis and severe Covid-19 | CNN

Renee Melendez is frustrated with the unvaccinated for more reasons than just the renewed spread of Covid-19, she said.

www.cnn.com

Drug Shortages in the US: What the FDA Is Doing - Page 3

www.medscape.com

 

[Arcadian]

I did have some issues with one of my meds (estrogen) so I switched to compounded which gives 90 days versus 60.

 

[Karl_K]

i haven’t seen any problems near where I live KarlK which is a little over an hour from you. If you have difficulty getting a drug you could always use the pharmacy I use. Although it does concern me that if one pharmacy is having an issue with a drug others will probably have the same issue. if you run into problems please let me know. I would happy to track down pharmacies in my area to see if they have what you need in stock.

@smitcompton , This goes for you as well. If you run into difficulty I can always help you track down what you need and deliver it to you.

thanks I will keep that in mind.

 

[m-cubed]

Have you noticed a delay in getting prescriptions filled in your area?
Due to our insurance we use a branch of a big chain pharmacy and they say they are 5-7 days behind on filling prescriptions and due to shipping issues they are out of some common medications at every store in the area. They have also lost a lot of staff to other stores or pharmacists did not renew their contracts for another year.
Have you noticed anything in your area?

Same here. No issues until just last month, and now CVS is taking days to fill scripts that would be ready in an hour before.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

same in the US the majority of pills comes from India.
Some of the US companies also have production in Mexico.

i never trought of that with you guys too

here to stop hoarding/ panic buying you can only get one repeat at a time so with Gary im back at the chemist every two weeks which is a PITA it feels like

 

[Arcadian]

Ok well another issue. If you have thyroid meds, you may not get the full script. I'm lucky to have some backup on hand. Its only levoxyl but still...... They could only fulfill 15 days, not the full 90.

 

[Karl_K]

Ok well another issue. If you have thyroid meds, you may not get the full script. I'm lucky to have some backup on hand. Its only levoxyl but still...... They could only fulfill 15 days, not the full 90.

From what I can find out online.....
Last time that happened it was hurricane damage in Puerto Rico. No word on what is causing it now because its not on the fda official list yet. There are other makers that sell it under different names that may or may not have shortages.
Its also on the walmart $4 list so they may have some as they buy massive amounts at one time.

 

[oakleaf]

Due to flu shots and now COVID boosters, pharmacists are doing 50-100 vaccines a day on top of their usual workload without any extra help. They might also be doing covid testing, again without any extra help. Chain pharmacies are usually understaffed so many pharmacists are exhausted and at their breaking point.

 

[Karl_K]

Sent them in online Monday early in the am for refills and they are still in process and I also found out they messed up a couple prescriptions, so I dont have as much ahead as I thought I did.
A medication I have been on for years at one per day is all the sudden 20 for 30 days on the last 2 refills and I didn't notice because I was ahead.
I just toss them all in a bag and grab a fresh one when its empty and im doing my pill box.
I'm still good on that one for a bit yet but its going to use all my ahead pills.
They also messed up my pain meds because they refuse to fill my entire script at once and sent a fill request for a very small amount rather than a months supply and I can only get so many refills in a time period so its probably better to wait even if I'm in ton of pain from my shoulders and waiting for cortisone shots on tue.
Cant risk getting put on the junkie list.

I have so had it with cvs.
What sux is we really like the people working there they are really nice, much more so than the Walgreens across the street.

 

[Karl_K]

Well 1 week and 2 days later they filled the scripts I requested and no notice they were done.
I checked this morning and they were not ready then.
Got the shots in my shoulders today and really sore tonight but should feel better soon.

 

[missy]

So my pharmacy closed their sterile lab leaving me in a huge quandary. This injectable med is only compounded in one pharmacy in the country. I cannot get it anywhere else and the sister pharmacy they are sending all the RXs to only ships to their state and is not licensed in other states. OMG. I need this med and it is an awful situation. The pharmacist there said just find a friend in their state who they can ship it to. Like that is so easy. But thank goodness for true friends @Austina. Now my big worry is they are waiting for the ingredients to compound this med and it is not a given they are going to be able to actually make it for me. So I am worried sick. Literally. Covid is far reaching and affecting so many beyond the disease itself.

 

[missy]

Well 1 week and 2 days later they filled the scripts I requested and no notice they were done.
I checked this morning and they were not ready then.
Got the shots in my shoulders today and really sore tonight but should feel better soon.

I am relieved for you @Karl_K. It is a hugely stressful situation not to be able to get your meds. Meds that are needed desperately. Very glad you got what you needed and hope you feel better soon.

 

[kgizo]

I’ve used this in the past. Not sure if it’s still relevant, but FYI in case you find it helpful:
www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

@missy I'm happy to help if you need it to get your meds. I haven't experienced any slowdown in getting meds, and there are several mail order compounding pharmacies. Just say the word!