2/13/2019
Brittany’s Story:
Upon being listed for transplant, a transplant patient must agree to take medications every 12 hours for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, while treating a patient, the insurance company’s pharmacy benefits manager’s (PBM - 80% Chance yours is Optum RX Express Scripts, & CVS) and PBMs owned mail-order pharmacy that PBMs force us to don't have to agree to the same terms and conditions as many patients experience delays in receiving life-saving medications. Allowing coverage only for life-saving medications shipped by mail is unnecessarily life-threatening for many.
Delays in medications for a transplant patient can be life-threatening. Not taking medications can lead a patient on a downward physical and emotional spiral of transplant rejection and another transplant isn’t guaranteed. Many transplant patients are not only protective and fighting for their lives but the life that lives on inside of them.
Brittany, a heart transplant from Florida, stated
“So I ordered my Envarsus (transplant medications) on 02/07/19 with a promised delivery date of 02/13/19. Why did I get a call today at 5pm from Briova saying that the delivery date was changed to 02/14/19? I don’t have enough meds to hold me over until the 14th! Who changes the date a day before delivery? I’m tired of UHC forcing me to deal with this. I’m a sick person and I’m grieving my mother’s death." In the past, Brittany was able to fill her medications at her trusted hospital pharmacy.
Sadly, many transplant patients are now forced into risking their life due to unnecessary delays due to forced mail-order pharmacy. Receiving life-saving medications through the mail can come with risks and is unlike anything else shipped by mail. Mediations are stolen, lost, misplaced, mishandled, lack of face to face consultation with the pharmacy who fills these medications. There are many additional risks that no one should have to take.
I recently spoke to my sons’ transplant nurse about this issue. She said, “In the past, we could write a prescription and the patient would have it in the medication filled in 30 minutes.” Now, it’s taking 5-7 days and sometimes it takes over a week to receive these same medications. I recently asked Florida's State Board of Pharmacy, “What would happen to me if I delayed my son’s medications and didn’t give them to him in time?” What would happen to a nurse if they delayed a patient’s medications for days? Why are the PBMs and their mail-order pharmacy held to a different standard?
We deserve face to face consultations with the pharmacist who has filled the medications and to be able to receive our medications the safest way without taking all of the additional risks that come along with mail-order pharmacy. We must fix this!
Thank you,
Loretta Boesing
Email: stopmandatorymailorder@yahoo.com
Facebook Page: Issues With Mail Order Pharmacy
Twitter: @BoesingLoretta