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Brian of Gurnee IL (05/14/08)
After recently changing employers, I was required to use Express Scripts for mail order pharmacy services (a different provider than used by my previous employer). This required changing from my previous brand of glucose test strips to OneTouch strips. I had my physician complete a prescription for the strips in a generic fashion (simply specified as OneTouch test strips) so I could obtain a meter that would work with the strips supplied to me by Express Scripts. Express Scripts, after acknowledging receipt of the order on 4/22 and shipping the strips on 5/5 with my receipt of the strips on 5/8 (rather lengthy compared to other mail order pharmacies), shipped strips that would work with only the OneTouch II or Basic meters. Neither Express Scripts nor any local retail pharmacies stock these older meters (only Ultra meters and later versions are stocked in retail pharmacies and Express Scripts). After several conversations with Express Scripts Customer Service, I was made fully aware that Express Scripts would not accept return of the strips for credit or exchange the strips for those that work with available meters. My local retail pharmacy (Target) was able to provide an Ultra meter, free of charge (Target obtains the meter rebate from the manufacturer thus providing the customer the service of not having to pay and then apply for a rebate). Express Scripts has offered to sell me an Ultra meter (for an out of pocket cost of $65 USD) to work with the Ultra strips that I have had to now order from them. Express Scripts Customer Service is refusing to assist me with obtaining a Basic meter so that I can at least use the original strips that they had sent
$50 USD out of pocket expenses for strips that cannot be used with available meters.
Amie of Larchmont NY (04/30/08)
I joined my husbands health care plan during the 5th month of my pregnancy. Unfortunately that plan includes Express Scripts as the prescription provider. I sent the prescription for my prenatal vitamins in the mail as instructed. I was called by Express Scripts 1 week later and told that my doctor need to prove that it was medically necessary for me to have the prescription! I told them that I was almost 6 months pregnant and that the prenatal vitamin is necessary for my baby to grow properly and they still insisted that the doctor needed to prove it!
So i called my doctor, gave him the information he needed in order to have my prescription filled and he complied. A week after that, they called to tell me that the prenatal vitamin was discontinued by the manufacturer and that the doctor would have to send another prescription for something different. I informed them that I had gone over 2 weeks without a prenatal vitamin and that my baby needed them asap. The express scripts representative said that it was not their problem and that I would have to bring the issue up with my doctor. I swear you would think that the doctor wanted to prescribe methamphetamine to me, not a prenatal vitamin!
Then when I logged onto the website to pay my bill (as the recording says when you call the express scripts number) I found out that since my husband is the primary account holder, that I cannot pay my bill online. Only his accoutn balance will show up. I only found this out after calling the 800 number 4 times to try to tell someone that there was a problem with our account online. I was told that that is just the way it is and I will have to send a check instead of being able to pay online. I haven't had to write a check for a bill in years! Express Scripts is a terrible company that does not care about their customers. I wish I could convince my husband's company to drop them for a better plan!
Roberta of Coram NY (04/26/08)
I have been forced to use Express Scripts for many years. With a heart condition, high blood pressure, and rheumatoid arthritis, I take 11 prescriptions every day. I have had nothing but aggravation with this company since they took over for CFI. The employees are all incompetent, the customer service reps are ignorant, and the procedures and practices of this company are unethical and devious.
Worst of all, they do not care to do anything at all to get necessary drugs to the patients. I do not want to file any legal action -- what I do want are addresses of the appropriate goverment agencies or pharmaceutical associations. I would like to file complaints against this company. I believe they should not be able to get away with being so sloppy with people's medications. They should be forced out of business - or at the very least, they should be in trouble.
I have a heart condition and high blood pressure. This company has caused me nothing but aggravation, and worry that I will receive my life-saving drugs. My blood pressure goes up everytime I put new prescriptions in the mailbox. I know there will be problems - as always.
Tammy of Adamstown PA (03/17/08)
I take 19 pills a day, and 2 of these are narcotics, so I cannot get the prescription for 90 days filled on them. I can only get 75 days' worth. I was told on the phone on March 10 that if i mailed the scripts express mail overnight and pay $16.25 to mail it that way, that they would get it on March 11; and they would be mailed out to me by Friday or Sat. On March 14 or 15 I would have them. Well its now March 17, and I am being told they don't have the scripts in their system. And it is now going to take another 7 to 10 days for me to get the meds. Today, March 17, I am out of the meds that they were to be filling. I had to call the doctor to get emergency scripts for 2 out of 3 scripts that they are to be filling. I had 4 heart attacks in Sept of '07, and I have ulcerative colitis, so the meds needed are for my heart and the chronic pain from the colitis. Here I sit, scrambling to get the emergency scripts from the doctor's office.
If this is the way they work, I will not be using the mail order from them and will take the time to go to the drug store to get my meds. At least there I know that they be filled with no hassles. This company should not even be around if this is the way they do business. If this business is ranked 3rd in the US, then how many businesses are there for mailing prescriptions? Must be only 3.
My doctor is 45 minutes away from me, and the pharmacy is another 40 minutes. Their incompetency cost me much wasted time on the phone since Thursday, March 13 until Monday the 17th. I wasted a lot of gas driving around to get prescription and to get it filled.
Dorotha of Santee CA (02/28/08)
Since Jan 08, my husband, Steve, and I have been having continuous, frustrating, annoying feeling of TOTAL LACK of professionalism this pharmacy staff has shown in accidentally losing FAXED in prescriptions from our Doctor's office. It has happened not once BUT TWICE in the last two months, each time we the consumer (patients) must wait additional time (up to and including a month) waiting to see if our prescriptions HAD EVEN been received by this Pharmacy then supposedly once received, immediately noted to our accounts.
My husband was in our Doctor's office watching his prescriptions FAXED with a confirmation only to find now going on three weeks that this PHARMACY cannot find any records. Today I again had to place a call to my family doctor's office and instructed them to fax over again (this is the THIRD TIME) once of my husband's medication and two of my prescriptions. WHY with such a LARGE Company as they claim to be that the patient has to suffer for their lack of better control as to quality and response for their selected Pharmacy? At least I do get some help when I place a call to the customer service Dept BUT I having worked in the Customer Service Field for over 30 yrs. I completely understand the CS trying to assists me BUT they are only looking at a computer screen, they do not have a LIVE PHARMACIST that can find the prescription and tell them if it is filled or not. Their CS is doing a fine job BUT their choice and maybe their LOCATION of the Pharmacy they are using STINKS.
STONG SUGGESTION: Either HIRE more personal that can actually receive and process ALL FAXED IN PRESCRIPTIONS and get them out in a timely basis and enter the information immediately so all concerned (Customer Service Representative, CONSUMER DOCTORS etc.) will be updated and happy to continue using EXPRESS SCRIPT system. So far this company gets a BIG F for receiving and filling prescriptions, I assure you if there was another by mail prescription company I can use I would do so in a heartbeat.
If these issues do not change we will start looking for another Prescription group which will give us immediate service and our prescriptions on a timely bases. It costs us not only money but calls I have to place if not once a week but sometimes two or three times in one day! Being without our medications may cause us further extended MEDICAL SERVICES which may cost this company too. We are both retired and we have better things to do then spend our time either on the phone with your CS or our Doctor's office finding out when and if our refills have been FAXED.
Alexandra of Danvers MA (02/08/08)
I had my doctor's office fax a new prescription for Humulin N insulin as the old one had just expired. As I do not really trust Express Scripts, I called to confirm that the FAX had really arrived. I was sent from person to person, and told that the FAX would take 72 hours to show up in the system. It is now over 72 hours, and NO sign of the FAX. I called my doctor's office again, and they confirmed that the FAX had been sent. I called again today and the doctor's office called in the prescription which Express Scripts claimed would be sent. It still doesn't show the prescription online. They are apathetic and disorganized. What company can't confirm the arrival of a FAX? What company takes over 3 days to put it in the system?
I used up over 20 minutes on my cell phone. I am a diabetic and had to go buy a bottle of insulin ($25.00) just to tide me over. Good thing I did, or by the time Express Scripts got done, I would be suffering from high blood sugar and the various effects it has, and the effects of anxiety and furious frustration that result from dealing with them. Their system is so broken that they endanger the lives of their customers.
Debbie of Medford NJ (02/06/08)
My mother sent a prescription to AARP Pharmacy for a medically necessary drug she regularly takes. Over a period of 4 weeks she and I repeatedly called their number at 800 289-8849 to check on the status of her medication. Many different answers were given including: We do not have you in the system. We have expedited the order and you should receive it soon. We are processing it now. We can no longer find the prescription. We cannot find your mother in the system. I see all the notes regarding this matter, but we do not have the prescription in the system; it can't be found.
All of these sequenced replies conflicted with one another. Now she is out of medication and at her wits end trying to get an emergency supply from her local pharmacy. After purchasing drug insurance with AARP, they sent her 2 membership cards: 1 for Medicare RX, and 1 for AARP Pharmacy services-Express Scripts. It is grossly misleading and confusing as she did not know which card she should use for her mail-in prescriptions. She used the AARP Prescription savings card-Express Scripts, and the above situation unfolded.
My mother is emotionally distressed and desperate to get emergency medication in the next day or two. Four weeks were wasted trying to get 1 prescription filled. AARP Pharmacy services repeatedly lied regarding the status of her prescription and gave different responses on different days. AARP has misrepresented themselves to the elderly and made an already difficult medicare prescription drug program completely unworkable. As part D is a requirement of medicare, we purchased insurance through AARP-United Health Care that has been detrimental to her health.
Sonya of Bronx NY (01/25/08)
On 1/7/08 I sent 3 prescriptions in to be refilled. A week later I received a letter stating my account was being transferred to Medco. I called Express Scripts and was told all my prescriptions would be transferred. I called 3 or 4 more times still no transfer. I called on the 1/19/08 they said they would transfer my meds. within 48 hours. Today is 1/25/08 they still haven't transferred anything. I called again on 1/25/08 and was told we transferred everything on the 14th we cant do It again. This Is untrue because on the 19th they still hadn't done anything. I ask them to please transfer my meds, they refuse and state have Medco call us of course Medco says they must contact them. They refuse to make one phone call to Medco so I can receive my meds. I even asked them to return the refill request to me so I could send it to Medco myself, they refuse.
I have epilepsy, myasthenia gravis and a brain tumor. I need my medication its that simple.Without the tegretol I will have seizures and without the mestinon I will have severe muscle weakness and respiratory distress among other things
Charles of Sharon MA (11/15/07)
Since 2004 I have taken Ambien tablets. My pre-authorization expired 5/2007. I switched to a generic equivlent and was provided with 2 weeks of medication.
I was forced to pay a full copayment for a 2 week supply of tablets, The procedure that the drug manager utilizes causes extreme hardship for the patient, perscribing DR., and local pharmacy.
Frank of Philadelphia PA (10/19/07)
Express-Scripts shipped a prescription to me for Lomotil on 09/27/07. I take this medication for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Because it's listed as a controlled substance, they required UPS to get a signature from me at delivery.
On 10/01, UPS made their first attempt while I was still at work, then some time after that, UPS lost my package. Then I phoned Express-Scripts to get a replacement shipment.
The first week, Express-Scripts said that they wouldn't ship a replacement because UPS might still delivery the original package.
The second week, they promised me they would send out a replacement, but then decided to hold it until UPS returned the original package. They never told me that they decided to hold it.
When I called them the third week, Express-Scripts promised that they would send a replacement, but then called my doctor to get approval first. Again, the replacement was being held up, but no one called me to say there was a problem.
At various times during this three week delay, I spoke with Express-Scripts Customer Service Representatives. They would each promise me something one day, and the next day when I called back to check on it, I would talk to a different Rep and there would be no record of what happened the day before.
Also, their Reps would tell me things that made no sense and so I knew could not be true.
For instance, when one Express-Scripts Rep offered to arrange a 10-day supply of my prescription through my local pharmacy, and I mentioned that I would have to pay my usual copay for just a 10-day supply, the Rep told me that my local pharmacy would pro-rate my copay and I'd only have to pay part of it.
Through this entire process, if I were to check their website for the status of my shipment, Express-Scripts would post nothing to indicate that there was any problem with the shipment. To this day, 10/19, that shipment looks fine on their website, and I'm not one day closer to getting my medication. My doctor just had to fax them a new prescription! Why? I have NO idea!!!
Rina of Concord CA (10/18/07)
Express Scripts, mailed to me at home 2 prescriptions without my authorization, request or approval. AARP membership #xxxxxxxx - They used that membership to ship those medications - They claimed that the doctor initiated the order; his office gave them the names, and the dosages of Atenolol & Diovan w/hctz - each 90 tablets $28.57 & 90 tablets $240.65.
I have requested the mailing labels to send the medications back to them, but they denied the request because they claim it is a legitimate authorized/approved medication and that I'm responsible to pay them. They are also threatening that if I return them via regular mail, they will send them back to me again and also they will tame me to collections for the $269.22.
I said to them that since I did not authorized and do not subscribe to their mail order company, I do not nor will I ever nor have I ever subscribe to their services that I'm not responsible. They insist that I owe them the money.
I have spoken with the doctor's office and they claim that they did not authorized any medication through Express Scripts.
The doctor's office knows that my coverage for health insurance, medications, etc. is through my employer' coverage, Aetna. The prescriptions mentioned above were already filled by my regular Aetna Mail order services. They have original prescriptions from the doctor with his signature and my authorization to charge the costs to my Visa on file with them.
Express Scripts, Angela & Tim, have mentioned having a written request faxed from the doctors office to them and refused to give me a copy of it. I think the whole issue is bogus and they have used some sort of dishonest approach to get the information and took it upon themselves to fill the priscriptions and mail them to me.
I have never given them my information; it is a surprise to me as to how they have a profile on me without having given all the data myself.
I know AARP has some information on me because I subscribe to their magazine and information network they provide to their members.
Sidney of Charlestown IN (09/19/07)
I have had 4 prescriptions for Lantus sent to Express Scripts over the last 6 weeks. They have zero management oversight and refuse to send my insulin. My physician now refuses to send anymore prescriptions to them. I have a 2 day supply left. Messages to the supervisary staff have never been answered.
Without this medicine I will die.
Joseph of Melbourne Beach FL (09/05/07)
Our company just moved to Great West health insurance who uses Express Scripts to fill mail order prescriptions. After being assured calendar year deductibles that had already been paid would carry over from the previous insurer, we learned that it was not true. Then when a prescription was ordered, instead of the cost being subtracted from the deductible, Express Scripts ignored the charge and the next prescription was billed at the full amount also instead of the copay amount. Numerous calls to Great West and Express Scripts resulted in conflicting statements and doublespeak. Express Scripts simply stole my money and now I am held hostage, because I have no way to mail order prescriptions from another company.
Chris of San Benito TX (04/25/07)
Prescription faxed on 4/2/07. When I started calling to check on order, according to pharmacy they never received it yet when I finally got to speak to a supervisor I was told they (pharmacy) faxed a verification of address to my physician. When I questioned why the pharmacy would do this when supposedly they had no record of prescription, supervisor became defensive. My Physician ended up calling rx directly into pharmacy on 4/13/07, which I was told would process in 3-5 days. It is now the 25th and I still have no prescription. Again dealing with pharmacy reps and supervisor gets no where. Extremely poor customer service and quality of care. Filed complaints thru Express Scripts Patients Response Officer and my insurance co.
Faith of Walpole MA (03/17/07)
I have Cystic Fibrosis and I take 13 to 15 meds 4 times a day. My husband has 4. I had to take on Express Scripts Jan 2006 I had the hardest time getting my pills in my house. They have the worst customer service ever. It took me 3 months to get the meds in my house. They admitted to making mistakes after it was done. I have never had anything happen smoothly with Express Scripts, except for them taking my money. I went to the web site to renew my pill giving a correct amount of time to refill having them shipped here. No can't be done have to get new scripts. Do they tell you that no.
The web site says one refill. So I faxed the scripts nope not good enough. Have to have the doctors office fax them again. Then I talk to two managers one above the another and they still don't do what I asked. I wanted 11 of them sent over night at their expense $18. Did they do that NO of course not. They send 9 of them regular mail and 2 over night. I am holding my breath I don't run out of pills. May none of the employees never have an illness they need meds for.
If I don't have my drugs to keep me healthy I end up in the hospial for 10 days on intervenes antibiotics.
Ann of Austin TX (02/28/07)
I have long-term prescriptions for several controlled substances (Ambien and Xanax). Express Scripts has made it nearly impossible for me to renew these prescriptions on a regular basis and maintain an uninterrupted supply of medication. My doctor typically writes a prescription for a 90 day supply and 3 refills, enough for year. But Express Scripts will only honor one refill. Then they require me to go back for another prescription. Furthermore, on at least three occasions when my doctor faxed a renewal prescription, Express Scripts claims they never received it. When I contacted them by phone today (2/28/07) they claim they never received the fax my doctor sent on 2/19 (I have copies of this fax to verify that it was indeed sent). Furthermore, the representative I spoke with told me that faxing prescriptions to them was not recommended, in spite of the fact that they recommend this on their website.
Jennifer of Hanover PA (11/14/06)
My sister in law and I have the same name, I am Jennifer B and she is Jenny B. We both use Express Scripts. We work at different places but both in the same town. She has received prescriptions from them with warnings about its interaction with a drug I take. Now I have a charge on my credit card for one of her prescriptions. I have been calling Express Scripts now for 2 months trying to get this charged reversed to no avail. They are ridiculous!
P. of Wells ME (11/05/06)
I changed jobs, and my new company uses Express Scripts to fill ongoing prescriptions. When my doctor sent a prescription for Cymbalta to Express Scripts, they did not ask whether it was a new prescription or an ongoing one -- it was new to them, but I have been on it for more than a year. Instead of Cymbalta, Express Scripts sent fluoxetine (generic Prozac). Since the generic name for Cymbalta is duloxetine, it was close enough that I did not catch the substitution until after I had taken two of the pills. No one called me to ask if this substitution would be OK. My doctor was called, but was given to understand that Express Scripts had communicated with me. The result was that I took an inappropriate psychoactive drug without properly tapering off the previous drug.
I became very weepy and irritable, and began having suicidal thoughts. I lost sleep and performed poorly at my job until I caught the error and the right medication was provided.
Carole of Lancaster PA (10/23/06)
I had been taking a prescribed 10mg dosage of Lipitor for one month. Sent medical prescription for Lipitor 10mg dosage to Express Scripts from physician. They sent Zocor 20mg. for one month. Change was made without authorized contact to me BUT with separate letter stating why they denied request and lengthy statement of appeal process.
It necessitated my return to physician to obtain another prescription for Lipitor. I believe a Congressional review of the practices of Express Scripts and their income from Medicare should be investigated. Also the quality of pharmacists should be investigated.
Robin of Salt Point NY (09/01/06)
Prescription came with lid off and medication capsules destroyed. Called express scripts and was told they would send a replacement and, with replacement, a fedx return label. Did not receive either. When I called back, I was told I needed to mail back damaged meds first. I pursued with pharmacist and was told I needed a brand new script. I was told express scripts would need to receive back original damaged meds, then they would request script from doctor, then replacement would be mailed. They stated there was no way to expedite. In their system, they have stated, patient returned prescription because generic. Nowhere in their records do they indicate the meds were damaged because the lid was never put on.
I asked that they correct records to state the reason for the return is damage. They stated records couldn't be changed. One of my early calls, CSR stated that I was not the first person that day to call because the lid was not put on, and meds were damaged.
Summary: 1. Lid was not put on meds. 2. CSRs do not know procedure for replacement 3. CSRs do not know written script is needed for C2 prescriptions. 4. FALSIFIED records 5. Unwilling or unable to correct records known to be false. 6. Still unresolved; still waiting for prescription.
Ram of Sacramento CA (08/19/06)
i sent my 4 prescription medications and sent me only three. when i tried to check with them,, express script stated, we may not have received your priscription. after 10 minute of argument, they we will check into this matter. after two weeks no answer-- absolute negligence.
Gary of Gautier MS (08/05/06)
No response from getting prescriptions sent through mail until I called our Congressman office. Wife's blood sugar getting too high and not getting her or my prescriptions from a month ago from Express Scripts except for double talk.
Yes! Our blood pressure increases during stressful phone calls to them, for missing prescriptions and 3 times the extra cost at a local drug store for the actual prescription that we should have gotten from Express Scripts that we are already paying once for! We are retired and get an argument from them but no results untill I get mad enough to call Mississippi Congressman's office to complain. My blood pressure goes up. Is this part of their plan? (To try to cause strokes and actually causing high sugar and blood pressure readings) That my good doctor is trying to prevent!) My wife's sugar and mine are under care of this company that we are giving $175 a month to, so we can not get anything but an augment which is taking it's toll. We have to further spend MORE money at local drug stores and pay 3 times the price for our drug care that Express Scripts is GETTING PAID to provide through the US Mail. What a Crime! Larry King we need you!
Richard of Yonkers NY (04/04/06)
I received a letter from Express Scripts on April 2rd stating that they would not dispense Protonix, it was not covered. Attached to the letter was my prescription dated Feb.23rd. Six weeks to tell me I wasn't going to get my meds. Since then I have mailed in a prescription for Previcid, they won't fill that one either. I've mailed 2 seperate scripts for Aciphex and their web site shows no information on either. The site also states that they will respond to emails within 24hrs. They do not respond in 24hrs or 24 days. They just don't respond. I'm a Nynex retiree and until this year had Medco, never a problem. I wasn't even told my plan was switched until I no longer could login to Medco's web site, called them and was told I was no longer a member.
Joanne of Upton MA (02/23/06)
I make the 40 minute call to help me with anything, logging on to do refills online, so I don't waste time on hold. Trying to get help for 6 months with this. still can't log in. rep are rude and not informed about pretty much anything and I just keep getting transfered to different people. If I go to a local pharmacy to fill meds I have to pay full price according to our plan so I really have no choice to call. It is really the elderly I am thinking about who can't navigate this system. I run a medical office and see this everyday.
I wait until i'm out of med to refill because i can't bear to make the call. I see elderly not getting meds at all because they can't use their horrible system.
John of Camden NJ (01/17/06)
I had ordered a foot cream Econizole Nitrate from Express Scripts through AARP Pharmacy Services in 2003; which I paid for by credit card. In 2005 Express Scripts sent me another bill stating that I had only paid for one order and that I still owed them for one order. I called the number given me and was told by Amanda (rep) first that I did owe Express Scripts; she went away from the phone and came back and said I did not owe them; she went away again and came back and said I might not owe them; she went away again and when she came back, she told me I did owe them.
Then she said if I were to pay them today by credit card they would call off the collection agency that they had sent after me for the amount of $71.05. Which I paid by the credit card I always used for these transactions and then called to dispute the charges with the Card company. The card company charged back that charge to Express Scripts in Dec of 2005. Shortly, after that I am again receiving billings for the amount of $71.05 from Express Scripts. Throughout all of this I have had contact with AARP member services to express my aggravation with Express Scripts and their obviously wrongful billing. NOTE, the only thing they have is one of their computerized bills and NO OTHER information.
I have been spending exorbitant amounts of time trying to deal with this situation and have found no resolution. Express Scripts is on auto pilot and Paz is not at the helm. As a Senior Citizen on a very limited income and one who retains ALL bills and info back to 1969, this situation has caused me to be more stressed; which is not good for one who is a diabetic.
Doug of Nampa ID (01/06/06)
In Dec of 2004, we received a prescription order from Express Scripts for a prescription my doctor had taken me off of in late November. The doctgor's office did not fax or call in an order to Express Scripts, which we verified with them upon receipt of the prescription package. This company mistakenly sent a prescription we did not order. We did not even open it, but sent it back to them.
We got the prescription back again with a note saying we still had to pay, and that the Health & Safety Act would not let them accept back dispensed medicine. We have been disputing the $80 order since Dec. 2004 with numerous phone calls and letters, but Express Scripts just ignores our complaints. They have recently sent this to collections. We have sent our documentation to sall parties involved, and have asked them to at least provide evidence that our doctor ordered the prescription, which he did not do since he took me off this prescription in Novemeber of 2004.
How do you fight a company that is in error but won't do anything about it? Our credit is impeccable and we have never been in collections. Does this not tell you that we are legitimate law-abiding citizens who do the right things, and pay our bills which are legitimate? This is completely wrong for a company to send a prescription not ordered, then do nothing about rectifying it. To me it appears like a scam. They figure we will eventually tire of the fight and give up and pay. We won't. We do not owe any amount for a prescription we did not order! Is there some agency we can contact to file further complaints against the unethical practices of this company? Because they are so very wrong, I would rather go to jail (whcih would be a great injustice) before I will pay them a cent for something that was not authorized or ordered.
This is over $80. But in principle, we cannot pay for something we did not order. The damage is in the fact that they will not listen to our complaints, and have sent it to collections. We have excellent credit, always pay our bills on time, and do not want this tainting our good standing. A company cannot just send an unauthorized order to someone's home and EXPECT payment, then send it to a collection agency, ignoring our pleas for some assistence in the matter, then start adding on interest as a threat to force payment. This is highly unethical!
Linda of Irvine CA (12/09/05)
I have had several bad experiences with Express Scripts service. My most recent has been an inability to get refills on prescriptions. Several times I've sent a prescription in that has 3 refills listed and they will fill it but list it as 0 refills. Then I start calling to try to get the refill quantity corrected. I spend 30 minutes on the phone each time and nothing ever happens. No one ever gets back to me as promised.
I make copies of the original prescriptions now as this has happened so frequently and email these to them and again nothing happens, no reply is ever received. Another problem I've just had is they've sent me a one month refill instead of a 3 month refill. Again, I've been on the phone & sent emails to their customer service with no response. They have charged me for the entire 3 months & the invoice listed the 3 month supply. I don't know what else to do to get service out of these people.. Am currently looking into Californias state law and complaints departments.
The latest prescription that I can't get refilled through them is for albuteral - a preventative for asthma. If my husband runs out of this, it will mean an emergency room trip for the next asthma attack. I guess we will have to go see the doc again to get a new script even though he just wrote a years supply prescription for us. As if the medical system wasn't painful enough without having to deal with incompetence at the pharmacy.
Phil of Hilton NY (07/21/05)
I was shorted 42 pills on my order of Lipitor and Express Scripts refused to make up the order forcing my doctor to give me samples so I did not have to incur the cost of additional medicine do to Express Scripts mistake. They have no complaint system.
Wanita of Baltimore MD (07/18/05)
The company my husband works for recommended this year we use Express Scripts mail order service to save money on our prescriptions. I signed up the family and recieved several orders from them. The last order I got had an error. Lipitor 10 mg. was delivered instead of 40 mg. I called the customer service # and was told they would research the problem which they did. They contacted me and said the script from the Dr. was for 10 mg, I would need to call the Dr. and have them fax a new script for the 40 mg. I asked the agent if they would take the pills back and I was told they would send a return envelope with the new script and I would be refunded.
The new script came, the return envelope did not. I called and asked that it be sent and was told by customer service rep Miranda they do not accept returns. I was then transferred to Supervisor Cindy F. (she does not give out her last name)Who informed me they did not fill the script in error and had no intention of refunding my money or taking the return. Now, had I been at a regular pharmacy and noticed the size of the pills to be wrong they would have fixed the problem and I would not be out $48.23.
A local pharmacy would have also called me to find out if the strength of the drug was changed by the Dr. I explained this to Cindy F who just said she was sorry there was nothing she was going to do. I told her a huge company that makes millions of dollars should take the loss to keep customers. She said to me why should we take the loss, we didn't fill the script in error, go to your Dr. and try to get the money from them. I think this is sad, this huge company could care less about me and my little $200.00 a month. The only thing I can do about it is not use them anymore and tell other people what happened.
$69.98 is the cost of 90 tabs of 40 mg Lipitor at 1 pill per day, at this rate therapy costs 0.78 cents per day. $48.23 is the cost of 90 tabs of 10 mg lipitor at 4 pills per day, at this rate therapy costs $2.14 per day, for 22 days. The actual loss is $29.92 ($1.36 difference in cost of the mg. times 22 days of therapy)
Mary of Denver CO (06/22/05)
I ordered 3 prescriptions through Express Scripts in December and requested that they be sent to a temporary address over Christmas vacation. I never received the prescriptions. When I called Express Scripts after numerous attempts to reach a live person after being on old eternally, they told me they would cancel to order, no problem. I called back and attempted to order another order. They said they would send them. When I never recieved the 2nd order, I called and she told me I had an outstanding balance for the $210 prescriptions I never received in December. She told me it was out of her hands and gave me a Fed Ex tracking number to see if I could track the package that way.
When I called them they told me it was delivered in December to someone signing with the initials TAM. I have not idea who that is. I sent a letter explaining my situation and received no reply just numerous invoices for the missing prescriptions. When I called today and talked to a billing manager, she told me that I had 60 days to contact them about the missing prescriptions and that I did not. But I did contact them in February. In fact the initial person who answered the phone even said that there is a recorded conversation in their records that I called in February. But now they are saying that I did not contact them until April and there is nothing I can do about it.
I am probably going to be strong-armed into paying $210 or it will be negatively reported on my credit.
Marissa of Freeland MI (02/11/05)
The current prenatal vitamin I'm taking was reformulated and Express Scripts (E-S) told me I'd need a new Rx for the vitamin. So far, it's been a 2 week process that has consisted of 4 emails, 4 phone calls to E-S and 3 phone calls to my doctor's office. I don't understand the problem, but they claim this process is supposed to be easy and it has been anything but. They have faxed my doctor Rx requests twice, and my doctor has sent them back. Yet, E-S still has nothing registered in their system. I also asked my doctor to call the pharmacy directly, and there still has been no registration of my Rx in their system.
In addition, this is not the first time I've had this exact same problem with E-S. The first time was 2 years ago. It was also filling a new Rx, where I had to mail in twice, and had my doctor fax in twice and call in once, the Rx to E-S before it was finally registered in their system. At this point, I've had it. Their customer service has been terrible, implying that there's nothing more they can do. The Rx isn't in their system. I'm getting no real support, service satisfaction or assistance from them. All I've received is there's nothing more we can do and you'll have to get a Rx from your doctor. There's been no acknowledgement so far of the 2 weeks of hassle I've gone through, or the fact that I've gotten Rx's from my doctor and had them sent in according to their easy steps and still nothing.
I've read other complaints regarding E-S concerning similar dissatisfaction and want to make people aware of the problem. Maybe then they'll realize that they're easy system isn't so easy and there are flaws that need to be addressed.
The Rx I'm waiting for is certainly not life threatening as some medications might be, however dealing with E-S has proven to be quite a hassle. Especially the implication that there's nothing they can do and somehow the problem must lie on my end, (with myself or with my doctor's office) is very frustrating. Certainly with the amount of problems I've had, there must be some sort of improvement that could be made on their end.
Ann of Fitchburg MA (02/10/05)
I ordered a refill of my Paxil prescription 2 weeks before my other one ran out. By 12 days later, this first order was not received; I spoke with a rep and she said a second would be delivered to my door. On the date the order was supposedly delivered to my dcoor, according to their tracking records, I was at home and received nothing. As a result of this error on their part, I stopped the Paxil too abruptly and had to see my doctor for the myriad symptoms I experienced. They were not pleasant symptoms as Paxil has a short half life, I understand. My doctor said I should have called her for another prescription sooner but I was awaiting the 2 orders from Express Scripts that never arrived! My VISA account was assessed $10 for the co-pay even though I never received the pills.
Audeane of Twin Falls ID (02/02/05)
I have ordered drugs from this pharmacy for two years. I was under the impression that they would be much cheaper because Mutual Of Omaha (my medicare supplement) paid a portion of the cost. I ran out of Zocor and called pharmacies in my town. Much to my surprise, they were all cheaper. I was paying $350.47 for a 90 day supply. My local pharmacy sold me the same amount for $199.50. I have also obtained Paxil (Paroxetine) from Express Scripts for two years and find I can get a much better price at my local pharmacy. I feel ripped off.
Obviously I have spent much more in two years than was necessary, and I admit that is my consequence for not shopping around. However, it makes me extremely angry that Mutual of Omaha is willing to pay those inflated prices and then allow Express Scripts to pass on an inflated price to the consumer. Insurance companies seem willing to pay whatever the pharmacies demand and then our premiums continue to rise and drugs continue to go up. No wonder people are going to Mexico and Canada.
O. H. of Garden Grove CA (12/05/04)
In November I called Express Scripts to refill a prescription on which my bottle said I had one refill. When I tried to order the prescription I was told there was no refill. I called Express Scripts and told them I should have a refill on file. After checking they admitted they had inadvertently deleted the refill that should have been on file. They stated they would contact my doctor and send the needed medication to me immediately. It is now December and I never received the prescription believing it was in the mail.
Today I called Express Scripts to be told that they had called the doctor twice and had not received a response. The result is I am completely without my diabetes medication. Should I go into a diabetic lapse I will hold your company responsible. I have explained to my family what has happened and what actions they should take. Even though I also hold my doctor responsible for not responding to you, your company was negligent in first deleting the refill order and should have been persistent until they got the needed prescription. Since I have been taking this medication consistently for two years with your company, they should have made arrangements for me to get an immediate temporary prescription. They never informed me that they were unable to get a response from my doctor. I find the irresponsibility of this company appalling.
Having been without my required medication I am at risk for repercussions due to my blood sugar not being kept under control.
Lorraine of East Meadow NY (5/3/04):
My 6-year-old diabetic daughter was denied coverage of a potentially life saving medication, Glucose Gel. Glucose Gel is an oral blood glucose altering agent, which is needed in the treatment of a severe low blood glucose level. When my daughter was first diagnosed I was given a copy of the New York State Law that protected our rights from the insurance carriers. I have had to refer to this law several times over the past few years and it has in the end given the insurance carrier no choice but to cover the equipment and medications that my daughter's doctor has prescribed.
Express Scripts is contracted by the New York State Nurses Association. The NYSNA pharmacy directer is Linda Whelton. I have been told by Scott Hustad of NPA Express Scripts that Glucose Gel was not covered because it is an over the counter product, yet they do cover other over-the-counter products such as alcohol pads. Then I was told that it wasn't covered because the contract that was signed between NPA and NYSNA wouldn't allow it. I find it hard to believe that a contract between the above companies can supercede N.Y. State Law.
Fortunately, I have the financial means to purchase this product. I also have a secondary insurance carrier. I don't believe that my secondary insurance carrier should be responsible for covering products that my primary insuranc has a legal obligation to cover. I feel that NPA and NYSNA should be held accountable not only for my claim but for the cliams of all the other diabetic clients that have been denied proper coverage.
Kevin of Lancaster PA (1/2/04):
I am an insulin dependant diabetic using a Metronic Insulin Pump. I have been trying since December 15th to get supplies from Capital Blue Cross/Express Scripts. First they didn't have me enrolled so I enrolled over the phone. Then they needed my doctor to call in a prescription which his office did on December 16th. Express Scripts claims they did not receive the phone call so they faxed to his office a request for the prescriptions on December 22. The doctors office filled in the form and returned it to them on December 22 but they did not received it so I contacted the doctors office and asked them to refax on December 23 which they did but Express Scripts did not log it into their system until December 24.
I called them today January 2 and spoke to Nadine the supervisor and was told that they do not know when our order will be filled since they have to order the supplies from Medtronics in California and they don't know when they will receive them. They cannot tell me when the order was placed with Medtronics or give me any estimated time of arrival for my supplies. I am down to 3 days supplies and I know if I call Medtronics and pay cash for these supplies I can have them in 24-48 hours.
What takes Capital Blue Cross/Express Scripts so long to get supplies? I asked them that and the only answer Nadine could give me was that I need to forget about dealing with Medtronics and concentrate on dealing with Capital Blue Cross/Express Scripts. Since this is a medical plan from my employer I have no choice but to use it. In the meantime I am out of supplies and don't know what to do. Why are these people at Capital Blue Cross/Express Scripts allowed to get away with putting life sustaining medical supplies off like this.
Carlotta of Chapmansboro TN (7/20/04):
This is a prescription company that my insurance company recommended to us to get prescriptions refilled if we wanted to pay a lesser co-pay. Turned out that this was a BIG mistake. I have tried for 4 months now to get "in writing" the actual cost of the cancer medication (Nolvadex) that I had filled with this company. This is a cost I need to turn into my insurance company, yet they (Express Scripts) will only give me a verbal amount. They refuse to put anything in writing and their Customer Service people continue to hang up on me when I ask for this information.
The prescription I am speaking of was a 90 day supply of Nolvadex, and they have told me so many stories (lies) about why they cannot give me this information...and I have (over the last 4 months) grown so tired of having to talk with them and deal with their hanging up on me, and promising me that they would send me the information I need. They keep telling me (after I ask for supervisors, etc) that the thing I need in writing is an "EOB". And then they say they will have to send me the paper work to fill out and sign to get this "EOB", which I have done, yet they still won't send me the information I have requested for the last 4 months.
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