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Caremark - Changing Prescriptions

Caremark Rx • Changing Prescriptions • Delivery Problems • Refusing to Fill Prescriptions • Shorting Prescriptions --- News • Caremark Settles Drug-Switching Charges • CVS, Caremark Rx Agree to Merge • CVS In Merger Talks With Caremark • Feds Side With Whistleblower In Caremark Case • Pharmacy Benefit Managers Scrutinized • Class Action Filed

Conni of Chesterland OH (3/9/04):
I have had a problem with Caremark for at least 5 years. I take a few high priced medications that they continually would try to change every time I needed a refill. They would call the doctor's secretary and get them to ok a change in the actual drug to another less expensive drug, the dose, the refill amounts, the actual number of pills they would send. They make the secretary or the doctor feel like their is no option but to change the medication. I have called my doctors and their secretaries and complained to them but there is always someone new or a reason why Caremark gets away with this.

Over the years, I have called SBC Connect, and SBC who is our company providing the insurance coverage. There is a tidy little game going on that they all blame the other two parties, and pass the buck and get nothing accomplished for the consumer. I was told to write "daw" on my prescriptions and then they could not change them. Then the new game was they were not sending generic, even thought I wrote on the order form to send generic if possible. So now instead of paying a $20 co pay, I am charged $95 on one, $53 on another and $186 on another. Then when I told them I don't want the non-generic drug, they tell me they can't return the medication, and I just have to pay the full price.

I run a business of my own, and deal with all kinds of problems all the time, but I am so unbelievably frustrated and upset by them I can't even tell you. No one should have to go through this constantly. I am unfortunately chronically ill, and must take lifelong medications. I have no other alternative to this and don't know if I can continue to deal with this.

I have been without several of my medications for weeks while trying to figure out this problem. One is a circulation medication I have been without for months while I wait to get this problem fixed. My health is definitely affected by my continued problems with Caremark. My doctors are constantly aggravated with Caremark because of being hounded by them to change my prescriptions to something that costs SBC and Caremark less. My business is suffering from time lost by its owner working on Caremark Issues instead of business.

Gregory of Chicago (2/6/04):
I have had to use Caremark as my employer's PBM for about ten years now. There have seldom been extended periods of time without any problems. Caremark has a serious problem with notifying participants of changes, order status, etc. Most recently, effective with the 2003 benefit year, Caremark instituted a Formulary Listing with a tiered co-pay structure. The 2003 Formulary Listing contained no HIV medications. Anyone requiring HIV meds had to pay $80.00 per three-month mail order supply. The standard co-pay for meds on the Formulary was $40.00.

I could not find a lawyer to pursue the issue and Caremark/SBC did nothing but point the finger at each other. It was even stated there was no "standard of treatment" which was the reason for their exclusion. Effective October 2003, HIV meds were on the Formulary. There was no prior notification that this would occur. I placed my last order for 2003 at the end of September. As of this date, Caremark is still saying that I owe them for past prescriptions.

Richard of Afton TN (9/21/03):
I have been mistreated many times. They have a promise that they will not change the prescription if doctor signs it "dispense as written." They say they will notify the doctor and consult if medication is changed. They have changed my prescriptions medication and the amount without contacting my doctor. They have mislabeled my medication and taken 5 weeks before I received my medication and have told me that the mail took a week and half before it reached them.

I take my prescriptions to the post office because of the fear of someone stealing it out of my mailbox. They sent me medicine that had made me throw up blood, because of my ulcers. After being notified by phone, doctor's signing prescription dispense as written and again on the forms we send in, it has a place for drug allergies and health conditions. On this form that I sent off for my 540 pills of Vicodin, I wrote that "I could not tolerate the generic brand of Vicodin that they sent me in June, because they made me throw up blood after 2 weeks of use." However that I could handle the Watson brand, Loratabs and brand name vicodin. I also put that I was allergic to aspirin and that I have bleeding ulcers. I put what the doctor told me.

He also told me to call before I mailed the prescription in. He also wrote me a prescription of 60 Loratabs to take to my local pharmacy to get filled until I get my mail-in order, which I refilled again on Aug 28th. But I had to call Caremark first to notify them about my stomach problems.

My Loratabs ran out on Sept. 8th and I received my mail-in order on Sept. 15th. But when I opened the package, Caremark had sent me the generic Vicodin brand again, the brand that made me throw up blood after being notified what they had done to me. I called them the same day and they said they would have it taken care of by Wednesday.

They sent FedEx to come to my house to get the generic vicodin Tuesday at approx. 3:30pm. Wednesday came and no medicine so I called them and they said they could not send them until they get the generic Vicodin. I checked the tracking number from the shipping ticket from FedEx on the internet before I called them and it said the medicine arrived at their dock at 7:30 am Wed. so I told them it was there and they said they would check and call me back. They call back 30 to 45 minutes stating that the new prescription had not arrived from the doctor's office because FedEx didn't pick it up Tuesday. But they made sure to come by my house to get the medicine Tuesday.

Thursday came and I get no medicine. Friday morning comes no medicine so I call and they said it would be ready. They call me back around 2:00 and said they could not ship it because I needed to pay $240.00 before they ship it, but I explained that I had met my $1500.00 co pay and the other medicine that came Monday the 15th I did not pay for.

I told them I was not paying for it and hung up. I call them back 15 minutes later and told them to put it on my MasterCard because I needed the medicine because I was in great pain and been out since Sept the 8th, she said they would ship it right out. It is now Sunday and the Caremark website states that the order is still being processed.

I have sent several emails telling them about the pain that I am in. They have not offered calling a local pharmacy for me to pick up some medicine to last me until my order comes. Also other times they have approved for me to go to my doctor to get another prescription written due to their slowness. But I have to set up an appointment, drive out of town and pay the doctor money. Where are they saving me money?

I am in chronic pain and been on disability since Jan 2001. Had neck surgery last August and need another again on my neck. I have had ten surgeries to my left median nerve, where the nerve was severed when a stick went through my left wrist and the last doctor that operated informed me that the nerve was damaged so bad that I would have severe pain for the rest of my life.

I am also suffering from chronic migraines from a vascular malfunction on my brain stem. So 4 or 5 days out of the week I spend in the bed. I use a 75 mg Duragesic pain patch along with the Loratabs that I take to help me with the pain. Since I haven't had my medicine since Sept 8th I have lost a lot of sleep. I can't eat, my nerves are shot, ulcers. I am cranky and hateful because of the lack of sleep and scared that Caremark is going to ship another mistake. Lost 7 pounds.

I think that something needs to be done to Caremark before they hurt someone else, not just me.

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