Today I experienced an issue with their service that I find highly concerning and discriminatory.
As someone with a degenerative neurological disease, I rely on my prescription to manage my condition. Due to a backorder at my Walgreens pharmacy, I went through the arduous process of locating a pharmacy with the medication in stock. After calling over 20 Walgreens locations throughout Houston, I found that the Pasadena location had the medication available.
I had my neurologist transfer the prescription to this Walgreens and called to confirm that they received it. A pharmacy technician assured me that they had the prescription and would have it ready within an hour. However, during my commute to the pharmacy, I received a call from a pharmacy employee snarkily telling me that they would not be filling the prescription due to the fact that my doctor is not local to Pasadena.
I made it to the location and attempted to discuss this policy with the pharmacist, hoping to gain understanding and find a resolution. However, instead of engaging in a constructive conversation, the pharmacist displayed dismissive behavior and cited an arbitrary local policy as justification for refusing to fill the prescription. The pharmacist's assertion was that there is no real doctor-patient relationship in virtual settings, so he chooses not to fill these controlled substance prescriptions. I explained that I see my neurologist in person at a specialty clinic in Dallas, and the neurologist sends in my refills. He responded that the distance between the pharmacy and the doctor implies that I'm a Teladoc patient, so he chooses not to fill the prescription, and the state board will back him up on that decision.
I am deeply troubled by the pharmacist's lack of compassion and understanding, especially given the gravity of my medical condition. It is unacceptable that patients in need of vital medication should face additional obstacles due to arbitrary and discriminatory policies. read more