AARP Pharmacy

Frank of Jackson Heights NY writes (8/24/02):
I am an 80-year-old, 18-year member of AARP and a customer of its mail-orde rpharmacy in orsham, PA. from which, on May 09, I ordered by phone -- and received by mail a few days later --the initial unit of a renewed prescription item called "pentazocine," a narcotic analgesic and, of course, a controlled substance.

On June 28, I called the pharmacy's 800 number to request the first of five refills, but the shipment got lost, stolen or perhaps was never sent at all. However, the pharmacy has now billed me for it and, in so doing, is implying that I am a liar and a thief. Meanwhile, since June 28,when I was promised, but have never received a duplicate order, I have initiated some 10 calls to pharmacy numbers, only one of which was returned following my doctor's personal intervention.

Eventually I did get, on July 23, some 26 days later, a shipment containing a partial amout of the urgently needed medicine, but this was billed as refill #2, not the lost refill #1. Hence, the "liar-thief" implication. On August 09, frustrated by lack of cooperation from evasive order-takers and unhelpful supervisors, I managed to get through to the chief pharmacist in Horshm to inform him that I'd written a detailed letter of complaint and wanted to mail him an undated dratft for his comment and, perhaps, resolution of the problem, before sending it to AARP higher authority. I mailed the letter the same day. Unsurprisingly, there has been no response to it, not have I been able to reach the chief pharmacist even to obtain acknowledgement.

So, the matter remains unresolved and the reasons for what is clearly bizarre and unprofessional behavior cry out for a rational explanation.

Withdrawal symptoms including agitation, anxiety, increased level of unrelieved pain. Frustration, inconvenience, time wasted in attempts ro communicate and unscheduled doctor visit to obtain a substitute prescription to be filled at added expense locally. Potential injury by falsely billing me for an unreceived item.

Frank of Jackson Heights, NY writes (8/24/02):
I am an 80-year-old, 18-year member of AARP and a customer of its mail-order pharmacy in Orsham, PA from which, on May 09, I ordered by phone -- and received by mail a few days later -- the initial unit of a renewed prescription item called "pentazocine," a narcotic analgesic and, of course, a controlled substance.

On June 28, I called the pharmacy's 800 number to request the first of five refills, but the shipment got lost, stolen or perhaps was never sent at all. However, the pharmacy has now billed me for it and, in so doing, is implying that I am a liar and a thief. Meanwhile, since June 28, when I was promised, but have never received a duplicte order, I have initiated some 10 calls to pharmacy numbers, only one of which was returned following my doctor's personal intervention.

Eventually I did get, on July 23, some 26 days later, a shipment containing a partial amout of the urgently needed medicine, but this was billed as refill #2, not the lost refill #1. Hence, the "liar-thief" implication. On August 09, frustrated by lack of cooperation from evasive order-takers and unhelpful supervisors, I managed to get through to the chief pharmacist in Horshm to inform him that I'd written a detailed letter of complaint and wanted to mail him an undated draft for his comment and, perhaps, resolution of the problem, before sending it to AARP higher authority.

I mailed the letter the same day. Unsurprisingly, there has been no response to it, not have I been able to reach the chief pharmacist even to obtain acknowledgement. So, the matter remains unresolved and the reasons for what is clearly bizarre and unprofessional behavior cry out for a rational explanation.

Withdrawal symptoms including agitation, anxiety, increased level of unrelieved pain. Frustration, inconvenience, time wasted in attempts ro communicate and unscheduled doctor visit to obtain a substitute prescription to be filled at added expense locally. Potential injury by falsely billing me for an unreceived item.

We would suggest that Frank send a copy of his letter to the Pennsylvania State Pharmacy Board and to the Federal Trade Commission.

Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy
Melanie Zimmerman
Executive Secretary
124 Pine Street, P.O. Box 2649
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649
717/783-7156

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