(Snippets from the frontline)
Jumping through hoops
Healthcare costs continue to escalate, and hand-in-hand is the rising price of drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies justify expense at Congressional hearings, while behind the scenes patients and doctors jump through hoops attempting to obtain life-sustaining medication.
One of my patients has a heart condition, and because of costs, signed up for a national pharmacy. Initially, I wrote a prescription with pertinent data including birthdate, address, and diagnosis code.
When it came time to renew, I personally called the midwest pharmacy laboriously providing all patient information. Finally, I was asked for her apartment number, but it was not on the medical chart as she had just moved. “Can’t refill it!”…and hung up. That unsuccessful attempt took 27 minutes.
On the same day, a bedridden, pain management quadriplegic required a refill of his opiate patch. Routinely for years, this was refilled once a month. That Friday afternoon, his local pharmacist called and said the insurance company needed “prior authorization.” Never had to do it before. With the weekend, they would not approve the medication until Monday. He went through withdrawal on Sunday.
There is no justification for these callous and shameful acts of greed.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
Thanks for the update. I’m guessing these new requirements are due to some government attempt to put through a new policy without the public knowing about it. I appreciate you for letting the community know about this.