Va Meds By Mail Still Suck

[Pete53]

This morning at 8:34 AM the door bell rang. Wife and I were drinking coffee in bed reading newspaper. By the time I got to door the FedX man was leaving. He saw me and brought back my Overnight delivery signature required delivery of Insulin. I have gone over this with VA Pharmacy and they promised to quit doing this as if I don't answer the door and many times I will not the meds go back to warehouse that is hot and can ruin the meds.

The Pharmacy promised that they would quit doing this as we always will have someone check on mail even if we are out of town. Also had a new med that took over 11 days to get to me. If the VA can have community clinics why not community pharmacies?

This time I think I will write a letter to the VAMC Director and ask for a response.

I can count on Xanax being late every month. I also know that hydrocodone will be late more likely than not. Funny most of the other stuff comes early. If it does not come they treat me like its my fault. I am just pretty frustrated.

I know that it works for some here but not so good for me.

[john999]

Pete

Your hydrocodone being late is an issue that will ring your bell if you have been taking the drug for a period of time. If you take it every day then if you miss a day you will probably start to go into withdrawl. I am on percoset and I have a back-up supply that I saved by not using all they gave me. If there is some problem and I don't get my meds for a few days I will have symptoms. If you take the drugs as directed you will still become tolerant over time. I just got an ear full form private pain doctor about taking percoset as VA prescribed it. He says I am becoming addicted by taking it as directed by the VA. My only realy problem is that I can't get doctors to prescribe me something besides morphine or methadone. If you have chronic pain that means you have pain that does not go away. The private doctors are so paranoid about getting in trouble for perscribing oxycontin it is pathetic. In Florida a guy was arrested just for having more oxycodone than the law said he should have. He did not sell the drugs or abuse them. He just had them and he went to prison. Imagine the chilling effect on doctors who prescribe for pain in my state. They tell you just get injections and nerve blocks. If that does not work too bad. I bet Texas is the same hardass on what they consider drug abuse. The concensus seems to be that if you take narcotic pain meds you are an addict.

[danang_1969]

I had the same problem with both the meds you named last year. At one time I ran out and after a week of none and many phone calls to the VA clinic and pharmacy, faxes and gripping, they called in a week supply script to my local walmart pharmacy unitl I had time to receive the VA pharmacy order. It was a simple fact of miscommunication between the recptionist answering the phone, the phyician assistant, the doctor signing the script and the pharmacy filling the order. I haven't had anymore problem since then.

[ruby]

Pete,

Not sure if your having a problem or my Fedex guy is doing something wrong. I have very nosy and scary dogs they always leave my packages and run from the door. My dogs hit the glass window hard enough that they actually cracked one of them.

They always leave them, I get my drugs from 3-10 days from the time I re order them. Including my insulin. They recently have been putting my asthma meds in a cooler. Then the next month they are delivered in a package. Who knows if they are suppose to be refrigerated or not.

Talk to the Fed ex guy and see if they will just leave them. My xanax is left at the door also.

Ruby

[Berta]

ANY med problem- make sure you contact Pharmacy and then the director of the VAMC-either email them or snail mail them as well as by phone- so you have some hard copy documentation- I think they could have killed a WWII vet years ago whose meds they sent to my husband instead-he made 3 trips to the VA and they wouldnt give him a refill-

I saw his name on his meds when the coroner asked me what the VA had been sending to Rod.Same med -much different dosage-

At first I thought this is what killed Rod-the higher dosage- but the VA actually stated eventually this was the right dosage Rod should have gotten for 6 years.

Definitely complain to them about med problems.They like to blame the PO but the PO doesnt fill the med mailers.

[halos2]

Was put on fentanyl for pain and hydrocodone for pain 6 yrs ago...private Dr va won't order these for me so I private pay for these all of the time. Fentanyl requires a hand prescription every month...original Dr wanted to wean me off fentanyl, as he didn't want hassle with State on him for ordering it all the time...worse withdrawls ever...tried myselfto wean off too and was jumping out of my skin and the crazy leg syndrome was terrible, so my private dr said take it as ordered for your pain and I will prescribe it every month.

No need to be in so much pain you can't half as* function. Don't want to have to up the dosage but it is probably inevitable. The VA sent me Motrin, yeah right just like in 1985.

[John752]

I've had a few problems, too, but one of the best things that ever happened to me was the result of a pharmacy mnistake. I ran out of my antidepressant (Nortriptylene). The pharmacy mixed up the mailing label, sending it to a town I never lived in. I had taken that med for years, and was worried I would go back into a major depression. That was 5 months ago. Not only have I not had any depression, my mind has been clearer than it's been in a very long time. I'm able to work, to write, think, do all kinds of stuff I didn't have the mental or physical energy to do before. I don't recommend anyone go off their meds without their doctor's supervision, but from time to time, I think it's a good idea to question your doc about whether some meds can actually be causing more problems than they're helping to alleviate. For me, I'm just glad that pharmacist screwed up.

[Pete53]

Nortriptylene is a very harsh medicine. I took it for awhile its old and cheap so the VA likes it. Lots of side affects as you mentioned. I am glad that it worked out for you.

Still it usually is not a good idea to go off a med like that.