My doctor writes me [Prescription #1] in late June, which I fill at [Pharmacy #1]. [Prescription #1] has zero pre-approved refills. I’m also referred to a specialist to get [Prescription #2]. My doctor later sends an email passing my care entirely on to the specialist (which I’m okay with).
I have my first appointment with the specialist in mid-September, where we discuss her taking over [Prescription #1]. She does ask, but I’m not due for a refill at the time so we don’t do one. Due to convenience and a tight schedule that day, I fill [Prescription #2] at [Pharmacy #2], another branch of the same chain as [Pharmacy #1]. [Prescription #2] has three pre-approved refills.
About six weeks later, I’m due for the refill on [Prescription #1]. I call the specialist’s office to ask about the process. I’m told to just have [Pharmacy #1] fax over the request.
I call [Pharmacy #1] and give them the fax number for the specialist. It slips my mind for a couple of weeks until I get an alert saying it’s delayed.
I don’t want to panic, so I wait a few days to see if it will un-delay itself. I’m still good for meds. After a week with no change, I call [Pharmacy #1]. It’s now three weeks since I put in the refill request.
[Pharmacy #1] simply hasn’t heard back from the specialist, despite sending multiple faxes. I explain the whole situation about the doctor switch, and they confirm that they sent the faxes to the correct specialist. They send another fax while we’re on the call.
The next day, I call the specialist’s office to see if they have any information on the delay. I explain the multiple faxes and the doctor switch, and they inform me they’ve only received the fax from yesterday.
I’m told it’s a two-week turnaround. After the fortnight is up, [Pharmacy #1] still hasn’t heard from the specialist. I call the specialist, and I’m told again to just have [Pharmacy #1] fax it over. I tell them I won’t have any meds left to keep waiting like this. I’m brushed off and told that the pharmacy can extend it at their own discretion
I call [Pharmacy #1] and have them extend the prescription. I’m told the extension will be for one month, which will get me to my next specialist visit with a few days to spare
I pick up the extension, and it’s only for two weeks. I call the specialist one more time, and I now learn that they returned the paperwork two days after receiving that lone fax weeks prior.
I get into another fortnight of musical faxes and another pharmacy extension. In the midst of this chaos, I now need to refill [Prescription #2].
I call [Pharmacy #2], and the refill on [Prescription #2] is ready in two days. I stop in to pick it up.
Me: “Hi. I’m here to pick up [Prescription #2] for [My Name], please.”
The pharmacist confirms my information.
Pharmacist: “Okay… It looks like there’s a second one for you here, as well.”
Guess where [Prescription #1] ended up?
In the end, I got my meds, and having them at the same pharmacy makes sense, but I don’t know how nobody — me included — thought to check which pharmacy the specialist’s office sent the paperwork to.