Express Scripts Reviews

1 week later, when I tried to make a purchase, my debit card wouldn't work. My account had been overdrawn because Medco had filled the Rx for brand name and charged me $463.00! When I phoned and spoke to another Rph (PJ **), she stated that I had requested brand name-not the MD, so they filled it with brand and charged me full price.

I spoke to my Dr.'s office and they told me, they had faxed over a new Rx for brand name only. So, now I have two, 90 days' supply of this medication. The Rph also admitted the original Rx was signed on both sides, and even though generic was crossed off, they "believed" the Dr. had written for generic.

I've had my Rx Tech license for 17 years and would never have made such an error in translating an Rx. This company is incompetent and I'm filing an appeal as well as writing numerous complaints to help others from making the mistake that I made. Allowing Medco access to my bank account and improperly filling medications. Don't sign up for auto pay! Due to Medco's inability to read an Rx, they've charged me $463.00, overdrawing my account, and now I will am unable to attend college this quarter because the money was going to be used for tuition.

OnFriday, September 3, 2010, Medco needed to talk to the doctor for more information regarding the dosage. PCP's nurse was on the phone with Medco most of the day getting everything needed to set up. I set up an account on the computer to follow the tracking of this medicine we so urgently needed. Because of the Labor Day Holiday, we understood that it would take a little extra time. According to the website, shipment was set for 9-9-10.

Then we received one more call from Medco on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 asking for payment. We paid $303.00 plus we gave more for overnight shipping. Once again being guaranteed that they have Foscarnet. This person said she would try and have the shipment rushed. She said that once payment is made, meds are shipped. On September 8, 2010, I called and confirmed that shipment will be on 9-9-10 and guaranteed that they had Foscarnet. On September 9, 2010, I called and was told that they have it and shipment will be in about 2 1/5 hours, and that I should call back then to check. Three hours later, I was told that they have up to 8:00pm to ship, and again I was guaranteed they had the med and that it would be shipped that day.

On September 10, 2010, as per the website it was not shipped, shipping date was now 9-10-10. More phone calls and more assurances later, I was told that it would be shipped that day, and it was just a glitz in the system. I asked to speak with a Supervisor, who told me the same thing that they have Foscarnet. The supervisor did do more checking for me after I called 3-4 times that day.

On one of these late afternoon calls trying to reach the supervisor, I once again went through the automated system, got someone who I, once again, had to explain everything to, while insisting to talk with the supervisor. He told me the shipping date was set for next Tuesday, 9-14-10, making it two long weeks for the medicine we so desperately needed, the medicine we were guaranteed they had, and the medicine we paid extra for to have shipped overnight.

I finally got to this supervisor, and I believe her name was Dominic. And she gave me the terrible news that there is no Foscarnet, and they never had Foscarnet. We were waiting for the company who has stopped making it for now to start making more and then get some to Medco. The only way you can understand just how extremely cruel this is is to know the back ground of what this man has been going through for the past 7 months. He has developed a strain of HSV2 that we have seen many, and I do mean many, doctors, and tried so many creams/ointments that we have lost count.

Yes, he has taken meds. orally and has had IV treatments. Finally one of the many cultures were sent to a lab in Alabama where they discovered the only medicine on the market that would help on this strain of HSV is, you got it, Foscarnet! We were told by our local drug companies that Foscarnet had been taken off the market for now, that the company who makes it may start producing it again in late Sept or Oct., but most likely it would be Dec. If then, if ever. A doctor told us that it is out there, we just have to find it. So I proceeded to, what I thought Medco who guaranteed they did have it and that we could get it.

Because of Medco's lies, we have been delayed in an effort to proceed with an experimental drug. The pain, stress and depression of the past two weeks are indescribable.

Fifteen days since, still they are not shipping the medicines because they want know correct information regarding ** from my doctor. I don't have any more medicine, between my doctor's office and Express Scripts bureaucracy, I am suffering without my medicine. I have a very bad experience with Express Scripts. I am diabetic and after paying a premium of $1000.00 a month, I have to suffer without medicine. I would appreciate that someone can help me in this matter.

Medco said there was nothing I can do, I cannot send the prescription back, it is my doctor’s fault and I just have to pay it. Even though when I asked their pharmacist point blank "does the medication exist exactly as is written on the prescription?" They said, "No!”) And now I have no choice because I am held hostage by Medco and I am forced to use them unless I want to pay more for my medicine!

This was on a Thursday. Saturday morning after, I went online to pay my rent and found that Medco had taken the money again! I angrily called them back and was told it could take up to 5 days to get the funds back into my account. Due to their incompetence, my rent was late and I had to pay an additional fee of $50! I have an outstanding prescription for glucose test strips. I was instructed to go through my local pharmacy for the first fill since I had none. Because I went to CVS that Medco then canceled all my refills! I now have to get another prescription from my physician and wait for them to come in the mail! They not only mess with your finances but they are messing with a person's health! If I had a choice, I would never have Medco! This has caused late payment to my landlord, anxiety and stress due to my illnesses, not to mention multiple calls with more undue stress!

My complaint is being part of Medco means you cannot use your local pharmacy and therefore not receive the usual service and advice on options that a CVS or Walgreens may provide. Who at Medco makes the decision to force generics on people? Is there any medical experience involved in this decision or is it purely financial? It seems that unqualified people are making decisions on the medications I take. This seems wrong and should be investigated. Whilst Medco may argue they are not forcing certain medications on people, I think they are well aware that their pricing is in fact doing it for them. Using the generic gives me mild joint ache and a burning sensation in my stomach. I can afford to pay the $500, but this is not a long term solution. I have already started investigating how to fill my prescriptions online from Canadian or Mexican companies.

If you do not hang up, they bounce you to the next person. Now my experience with this med is the last time I did not have it to take. I had to go to the hospital and get 2 pints of blood because of the bleeding so that is where I will be if they want to reach me with one of their letters. The stories go on and on, a new one for every time you need your meds or refills. I would give anything to just go to my local drug store and get what I need and as it should be but if I do I will be charged twice for that one med. I hate Medco

When the Cozaar arrived, the co-payment was $75 for a 90-day supply instead of $25 because the brand name is now considered a non-preferred product. Medco decreased the co-pay to $37 after I called to complain. The stated policy of Medco is to charge $25 for a 90-supply of the brand name of a drug. Medco could not explain why Cozaar was non-preferred instead of brand name.

Merck, the pharmaceutical company that make Cozzar also make the generic version. In fact, to simplify manufacturing processes, the generic and the brand name versions are the very same pill, which is not the usual case for generic medications. I did not know this information until after taking "Cozaar" for the last two months. In this situation, the brand name version should not even exist anymore--the shape of the pill was changed to match the generic version because it is the same pill. In this situation, the pricing distinction between brand name and generic should be removed as no physical or chemical distinction exists. Both Merck and Medco should be investigated for defrauding and overcharging consumers. I paid $65 too much for the medication and spent a great deal of time trying to resolve the situation.

For every 3 months. This caused a chain reaction to my account. We were charged with insufficient funds several times. I called express scripts to see why they took $266.43 from my account that I had not authorized. They told me that the doctor had ordered generic brand and that is what they charged for it. I explained that I was told it would be $10.00 for a 3 month supply and that was all that I authorized. They said it was so fault of theirs and they would not dismiss the charge and they would mail me the prescription.

It turned out that there are a couple of generic names for the medication but this was not explained to me nor the doctor I told them that I did not want the medication but they mailed it to me anyway. I did not even open the envelope; I just sent it back to them and called again to let them know that this is not the Medication that I wanted. They mailed it back to me again. I mailed it back to them. I found out that they destroyed it.

I turned this over to my bank as fraud and they investigated it. They found it to be of no fault of mine and had the company to return the funds into our account and the bank took off all insufficient funds. I thought everything was taken care of until express scripts then started billing me directly. I called them several times to resolve this but they would not do anything.

I sent them letters explaining the whole situation but only to find out on 7-30-10 I received a notice from a collection agency that it had been turned over to them. This is where we are as of now. I cannot believe that they are doing this. If you go to a drug store and find out that your medication is too high then you simply ask them to put it back and that is the end of it. I would love to be a part of a class action suit or anything that I can pursue this matter with.

I talked to the pharmacist and I was told they made a mistake and it would ship tomorrow. A week later, still nothing and when I call again, I am told another story. This happens over and over every single time. I have resorted to rationing my meds several times and have been sick from lowering the dosage to meet their delivery dates, only to find it still has not shipped. They count wrong, they lie, and are dangerous to deal with. If I didn't have to use them I would not. I suffered mental distress, physical sickness, and inability to function at my job because I am on a lower dose of medication than I should be. I worry about what the stress of this every month is doing to my health.

I forgot about it until today, July 14, 2010. I called this date and explained that I had spoken to Cindy who would try to resolve the concern. I spoke to Rick who put me on hold and then I was cut off. Calling back and going through the whole concern, I spoke to another agent who told me that my claim was too late for any action. I never ordered the drug from Express Scripts as it was hand-filled originally by Walmart.

This is a completely unsatisfactory response. The drug was never received by me. There was no way I could know that it was sent until I got the statement date 1/01/2010 to 5/31/2010. Express Scripts seems not to be an upright company. GHI paid $214.08. I paid $71.36 for a drug that I never received.

First, the reason my prescription was submitted late was a miscommunication with my doctor and I accept responsibility for this error. Second, when I contacted your customer service center all they could do was reiterated your policy that Medco has eight days to respond to a faxed-in prescription. I understood this, and asked if processing could be accelerated. I would be willing to pay an additional fee and of course pay for expedited shipping. I was told there was nothing that could be done and Medco has eight days to respond to a faxed prescription.

So my expectation was that my prescription refill would not get to me before I ran out of my current supply; so I resolved to get a small prescription from my doctor to bridge the gap in time from the last dose of my last prescription fill to when my current refill request would arrive. When the pharmacy called Medco they refused to pay for the prescription fill. When I then called Medco they said there was nothing they could do and I needed to have the pharmacy contact them.

Third, your customer service department lied, because I was standing in front of the pharmacist when they called back and Medco again refused to pay. So, as I am told by my doctor that this is a prescription that should not be interrupted, as hard as the personnel at Medco pretended to be unaware, I found it even harder to believe that nobody at Medco references the facts about the drugs they sell. I can’t understand that missing multiple doses of some drugs can be seriously problematic. At this point I realized that to make sure I can continue to take my regular dose of this medication, I am going to have to buy this prescription myself. I am upset and discouraged that Medco couldn’t seem to assist me with this situation, so I filed a grievance with your customer service representative.

Fourth, during the four-day process prior to closing this case, you claimed to have tried to contact me, which is probably true, but you called my home only during the day time hours while I was a work. You never called my home in the evening; never sent an email; never contacted my work phone. Overall, they didn’t try very hard, which is starting to appear like a trend.

I am in the business of Customer Service. I have been for thirty years, and since from a service perspective Medco seems sadly behind the times, allow me to point out a few things. Think of it as me taking the opportunity to set some Customer Expectations, even if Medco isn’t interested listening. First, over the telephone, I have found your Customer Service Staff to be professional and polite. Second, it appears your customer service staff has no real time contact with the rest of your organization; they clearly had no way of assisting me if they wanted to.

You have missed a marketing opportunity between you and your customers if you can’t resolve an issue like this even for an additional fee. Since your customer service staff did not intend to ever approve payment of my medication, regardless of how many times my pharmacy called them, they have an obvious lack of training, and access to people that can provide resolutions, as I feel safe in assuming, Medco's customers are in desperate need of.

Third, if you can’t approve payment of a prescription, don’t lie about it. Again real time contact with someone with even a moderate amount of authority could have resolved the issue. Fourth, (really?) you gave these four whole days before sending me what appears to be a form letter, once again stating Medco’s obligations for filling my prescriptions. Which leaves me with the impression that Medco doesn’t really care as long as they are paid? More importantly, now you can’t hide the fact that grievance resolution at Medco is a productivity gate that is measured by management. How fast can you close a grievance? Cathy ** can do it in four days without ever talking to the customer.

Fifth, Medco isn’t the only mail order pharmacy in the world, but because of the contractual nature they have of acquiring customers, i.e. lowest bidder, perhaps Medco employees are convinced they don’t have to offer any real service beyond the filling of prescriptions. After all, once my employer signs on the dotted line Medco must have to figure all these employees and families are pretty much locked in whether or not you give them quality service. If your indifference should cause a few employees to miss work because they didn’t get medications they need, well you can always have Cathy P., send the employer a letter stating clearly that Medco has eight days to fill a faxed-in order.

Someone needs to investigate and I intend to do my part. It's an emotional distress at a time when I have just been diagnosed with a serious illness. These people define the word pathetic.

What a horrible company. They are incompetent (lost faxes from a doctor 3 times! ) liars (different stories from different people). How the Department of Defense could have renewed their contract with ES, expanding the offered services is a mystery. I suppose it will be necessary to look at political contributions from the company's executives and Board of Directors to see how such a corrupt and immoral company is still allowed to operate. There needs to be a class action suit against this company -- and a 60 Minutes report too, to make sure nothing horrible happens. We will order the meds from a Canadian pharmacy and pay for it out of pocket.

The first involves problems with Medco's address software system. I am a dependent on my husband's insurance, so we both use Medco. We use exactly the same address but my husband always gets his medications on time and at the correct address while my medications are often delayed and sometimes even sent to another address! We live in North Carolina, but years ago we made an extended trip to be with our daughter in California for the birth of her first child. I arranged for most of my medications to be sent early to me at home, but one medication had to be sent to our daughter's home. That grandchild is now five years old and occasionally our daughter phones me to say that one or more of my medications have arrived there and that she will send them overnight to me.

I have phoned Medco about this problem many times over the years. Each time, I reach a pleasant customer service rep who apologizes profusely, informs me that the California address cannot be removed from my file but that he/ she, the rep, had made a notation on my file so the problem would never happen again. But, of course, it does. I often get an automated phone message from Medco saying that I must telephone back to verify my address. When I call back, I finally get a live person, and tell them my correct address for the umpteenth time. I am sometimes told that their computer program won't accept my address and gives them an "invalid" prompt. Each time I tell them that this is the address given me by the post office and that it is exactly the same address that Medco uses to send my husband his medications. As obnoxious as these repeated phone calls are, I worry when I don't get them because that means that my medications are being sent to California again.

The second ongoing problem I have with Medco is regarding their "appeal forms." I have had to change a number of my medications to conform to the list of medications covered by my health plan. One of them, however, I cannot change. Because I have not only allergies but also bronchitis and asthma, I need Fexofenadine, which is not covered. I have tried each of the "approved medications" suggested for me by Medco, but they are not effective enough, so I wind up having asthma attacks, bronchitis and sinus infections. My doctor wants to communicate with Medco about this, but they said I had to fill out an "appeal form."

This form is not available by fax, by email, or by download from the internet. It must be requested from a customer service representative and then mailed to me. I have been requesting this form for over a year. Each time, I reach a rep who apologizes, of course, and promises that the form will be sent out within 5 to 10 days. Each rep tells me that they don't actually send the form but they "push a button" that instructs someone else to send the form. But it never arrives. I now think that if there actually is an appeal form, the Medco policy is to repeatedly ignore requests for it as long as possible. If they wanted the appeal form to be available, it would be among the forms they have available on the internet. And if they did send it out when requested, I would have received at least one by now.

Anyway, I just talked to them today after they have sent back my claim 3 times and they have no record of it! They want me to re-file. I talk to someone different every time and get a different story every time. They will not let you speak to any supervisors. And recently, I just had my son's script filled and he was charged full price because he didn't sign up for mail order. Isn't that extortion? If his benefits cover his prescription co pay how can they do that? They told me that our plan doesn't cover his refills. My insurance company says that it is not true. How do they get away with this? What about people who are old, uneducated or handicapped having to deal with this. This company is making way too much money because people just give up instead of fight.

The doctor wrote a prescription to be filled at my pharmacy from the Activus brand which I had to pay full price for and was monitored for a three month period by my doctor. We found that, that brand worked. I then contacted Express Scripts and spoke with a pharmacist and they told me the doctor needed to rewrite the prescription and write dispense as directed with the NED number and doctor name, the doctor did this the next day and faxed it to them. I waited two weeks and contacted Express Scripts back, they told me it was in the process but couldn't tell me when I would be expected it. I have still been having to pay full price for it when I have insurance through my wife's union Labor National Health and Welfare fund. The prescription was costing me $10 which is now costing me $60 per month for 30 days instead of $90. In the last couple weeks, we have contacted Express Scripts a few days a week, have spoke with many people for hours at a time. They said it would be overnight-ed, and it was not. The prescription was written out properly and Express Scripts doesn't know why it hasn't came.

We have left messages for them to contact me and have failed to do so. And I have still not received my prescription, in the meanwhile we have made several calls and messages to my wife's insurance Labor National and have failed to received calls back from them as well. I pay for this insurance and feel that something needs to be done about this issue. Due to my wife's insurance I have no choice but to use Express Scripts. And they will not allow an emergency supply through my pharmacy even it's due to their mistake which makes it to where I have to pay full price continuously for this medication. I hope you can help me with this situation. Still to this day no medication or returned phone call. I am now in the process of having to pay full price for this medication. Thank you in advanced for ready this letter. All the money paying for full price. The trips to and from and on the phone with the doctors and pharmacies. And time off of work due to this issue.

I then checked again the next day and all information was gone. Someone had gone in and removed my order. After calling and asking about this, the operator had no idea and asked me to hold. I was put on hold for 18 minutes. A person came back on, said his name was Michael and he was a pharmacist. He was very rude. He accused me of trying to get my pain medication early and he was not going to fill them.

After I explained to him that I was not trying to get my medication filled early, I was just wondering why they disappeared off their website. He again accused me of trying to fill early so I asked my husband to explain why I called (at this point, I was crying and very upset). He flatly told my husband that Express Scripts will not refill my pain medication, and as far as he was concerned, not now or even when they were due to be filled, and hung up.

I am very concerned. My pain medication are all that allow me to function. I cannot get out of bed without them I called today, 6/25 2010, and spoke to a "Robin" and explained first that I was not calling to get my medication early. I just need to know how to get the 2 prescriptions returned to me so I can see my doctor before I run out and before the 30-day grace period ends and the prescription expires (NJ law says they must be filled within 30 days of the date they where given).

She informed me it will take 48-72 hours before someone in the pharmacy will receive her request, and then 2-3 weeks before I receive them in the mail. I will be out of my medication by then, and now have to make a new appointment and see the doctor and explain everything to him, and pray he believes me. Also, their dates for new refills do not match my dates. I received 3 months of pills; last refill was April 27, 2010. They say I can’t get a new refill until August 27 and September 3rd, April to May, equal to 1 month, May to June + 1 month June to July equals 1 month. My prescription should be filled in July not August or September as they claim.

I need someone to help me here. I am not a drug seeker. I have a very legitimate health condition. Prior to using Express Scripts, I used only 1 other pharmacy to fill my prescription and only if they didn’t have my medication did I use any other, and that’s only if they sent me to them. I need someone to help me. I will run out of my medication before they will return my Rx. My husband will lose a day’s pay to take me to the doctors. We can not afford him to do it again so early.

The day after the doctor changed my meds, I got the mail order supply delivered. I immediately called the company to tell them that the doctor had discontinued this treatment and that he had chosen another drug. They would not allow me to return the drug or to refund my co-payment. If the drug was only $10 or $100 I would just pay the price and throw away the unused drug. However, $190 is too much just to throw away. I have made 6 calls now and submitted 3 email requests and I keep getting the same response, "It was not their error in shipping and therefore they can't refund the money.”

I explained I would much rather wait until the night before I run out of the drug to go to the local pharmacy and have it refilled then, instead of trying to time my medical needs to their shipping schedules. I am reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. I wish I could find an attorney that would file a class action suit on all of our behalf to make them understand that the refunds they should make would be small potatoes compared to the potential awards by a jury. I am fighting a life threatening illness and am hoping that the new treatment, if I can afford to pay for it, will work as the doctor expects.

I was charged about $50 more co-pay each time because of Express Scripts's failure to notify. This was a hardship, and no apology was offered. Another time, ** was switched to generic and automatically sent to me without my refill slip being sent in. Thus, I had to pay a much higher co-pay. Express Scripts definitely needs to do a better job contacting patients and doctors regarding these changes which incur hardships on higher co-pays. Forget the bothersome shipping dates and reminders for refills. I'll take care of that!

Since when can a pharmacy management dictate patient's care? He has been on both of these medicines for over 4 years and thankfully has not suffered any attacks or any hospital care, thanks to this maintenance program. So now that a new company, Express Scripts has taken over, Jesse can no longer receive both of his absolutely necessary medications because someone without any medical schooling has decided so? I am ready to scream, sue and also contact all of the news media out there! Hopefully, someone will care enough about the children who have serious illnesses and take care of this. I have been in contact with a supervisor at Empire (Daisy at 1-800-431-1914) , and she cannot even understand the problem with getting both of these medications approved simultaneously for 1 year at a time!

To top it all off, I went to the pharmacy to refill my prescription today (long story short, the generic the mail order pharmacy was using didn't work so I resumed refilling at a store) and the claim was denied, because I had been sent this prescription recently. Never mind that the prescription has in fact changed, they still denied it. Express Scripts is trying to stick me with the co-pay for medication I did not order. Possible damage: compromise of my health because I am unable to obtain the correct medication.

After writing one letter, they sent notice that they were sending a three month refill. I did not request a refill. When it arrived, I took the original unsealed bottle of medicine and placed it in a priority mail envelope along with the refill which was still unopened in their own mailer. They received it and signed for it. The signature was a J. W. Medco refused to refund my $15.00 and after billing me $96.26 several times they turned it over to a collection agency. I am out $15.00. They have the medication. Now I have to deal with Transworld Systems collection agency.

I had all my non control drugs refilled okay. The problem is with the 2 controlled. I had to mail them an original Rx for both which they say that they received. They now have filled one, but the second one is out of stock and back ordered. They have no idea when it will be in stock so they said 2 weeks ago that they are mailing the original Rx back to me and I can pick it up at a local pharmacy. It has been 2 weeks and I still haven't gotten it back.

I am in Alaska and I have about a week of meds left. They could care less about my problem and will only say that they will look into it. I must now tell my employer again that I am out of meds and must fly back to Anchorage and attempt to get my upset Dr to call in an Rx to a local pharmacy and me pick it up and then fly back. It is just so dang exhausting dealing with them. I am 3,000 miles from home and can't go anywhere and deal with it. I always have to dump all of this on my poor wife and I know she is tired of it. I will never use them again and I feel lucky that I have a choice and can decide to purchase locally.

This delays my ability to get my prescription filled and causes me to have adverse affects from not filling my prescriptions. I have spent several hours on the phone with getting any resolution from their claim department. I am having stress from the same problem month after month. I do not believe Express Scripts wants to pay any claims and uses every possible means to not pay.

Monday, May 17, 2 doctors faxed 3 prescriptions to them at 1-800-905-9815. Today, Friday, May 21, soon after 4 PM local time, their automated phone system called to say they had trouble filling one of the prescriptions and to have my doctor call them. There was no way to know which medicine was a problem. I emailed them the names, phone and fax numbers of both doctors and suggested they do the phoning. Of course, offices are closed until Monday, May 24. I tried to “copy” my health/sickness plan, Empire MediBlue HMO and found their website was down.

We have been told that the prescription for ** has no record of prescription, that the doctor's fax machine does not work. There are no notes of previous calls, that would be 72 hours and will be contacted on progress. The doctor did not verify the patient or prescription. I told ** was received and verified by the pharmacist. It was being formulated. I received automated call verifying the prescription. Today again, the doctor did not fax. They have no record of previous calls or fax. I would like to know the doctor has faxed numerous times the prescription on his letter head. Where is the prescription?

Last Tuesday, I went to pick up a new prescription of a blood thinner at my local pharmacy and was astounded to find out that it is now $800. With my network discount, it is $700. So as soon as I got home, I called Express Scripts to inquire as to why it was so insanely expensive. The woman explained to me that I hadn't reached my deductible and until I did, it would be $700. I was depressing but easy enough to understand. So I asked if there were any other pharmacies where I could find the same product for less. She said, well if you buy it from Express Scripts, you can get a 90-day supply for $471.17. Now, I verified twice with her because that seemed far too good to be true. Ninety days, a three-month supply for half of what I paid for one month. So I had my doctor's office call in the prescription.

On Friday, someone from Cura-Scripts, Express Scripts sister company, called to confirm my address and information. When I asked if it was a 90-day supply she said no. When I asked how much, she said that it was $700. So I said, no, it's supposed to be 90 days for $471.17. She said that the orders she had were for 30 days. I cancelled the order and then tried calling Express Scripts who were, of course, by then closed.

So Monday morning, I called the number that Israel gave me on Friday. I spoke with Chris who told me that he couldn't help me and I needed to talk to Cura Scripts, their sister company. He transferred me to Yashira at Cura Scripts (a company that I have no idea who they are, where they are or even why they are involved). Yashira tells me that my injectible is a specialty drug and that Express Scripts is only allowing a 30-day supply and if they told me I could do 90 days then they can override it so I need to talk to them (the company that just transferred me to Cura Scripts). So I have to hang up and call Express Scripts back.

This time, I talked to Victoria and I immediately requested a supervisor. Victoria was reluctant to give me a supervisor. In the meantime, after two hours of the runaround, I reached my absolute limit for frustration and started crying. She gives me to a supervisor who I didn't catch her name. I told her what's going on and ask her why, if the communication problem is between Express Scripts and Cura Scripts - why am I the one getting the runaround. It's an internal communication problem. She agrees and she goes to look into it and immediately hangs up on me. I waited five minutes, get some water, blow my nose, etc.

Victoria calls me back and tells me that the reason I can't get my 90-day prescription for $471.17 is because of my deductible so I needed to call my insurance company which makes no sense whatsoever.

So I called Cover Colorado admin by Rocky Mountain Health Systems and asked for a supervisor. The receptionist that I spoke with was again reluctant to give me a supervisor. Again, I'm in tears and at my absolute wits end. Finally, she says that she'll transfer me and puts me into Kim ** voicemail. I left a rather frustrated voicemail and all of my information but no one has called. I have no idea what to do. I make approximately $1000 a month. After my insurance premium and my prescription, I have $0 left. Zero. If anything happens to my husband, we lose everything and I will be faced with choosing to not take the blood thinner and having another miscarriage - likely in my second trimester or being homeless.

For now, aside from the ridiculous amount of stress and frustration on an already high risk pregnancy, I guess I've learned not to buy from Express Scripts especially after reading all of these consumer complaints. I just wanted an answer and that's all.

A week later, I still had not received my medicine. I called Express Scripts and asked about the status of the medicine. I was told that there was still some "information missing" on the pre-authorization form. I called my doctor and they said they had faxed all of the required information and they were NOT going to call Express-Scripts back. To make a long story short, after at least 5 calls to Express Scripts and at least two calls from my doctor to Express-Scripts, I still have not received by **.

I think it is a sad time, when doctors can't prescribe the medicine they think is best for your health without jumping through hoops. Again, it has become money "thing" versus what is right for the patient. At this point, I've very disgusted with my experience with Express-Scripts.

So basically, they are holding onto the medication longer and not having to pay the pharmacist for the drugs, so you are basically not getting your 30 days of meds. Now I get 90 the first 11 days, then 60 for the next seven days and then 90 again or the next 11 days. Oh and the leftovers from the three scripts total up to one day of meds. So there is your 30 days! You also can't pick up the medication any earlier than the day before it is due! Thus making your life a nightmare. I am going to the pharmacy three times a month for this medication and I have five other scripts that all end on different days.

Yes, it is really a mess. Every time the doctor wants to change the dosage, he has to go through hoops and it takes a long time to get approval. This is a narcotic prescription but I am following all the guidelines and see my doctor as scheduled. I am also tested to make sure I am on the therapeutic dose. I just love the 23 day counting backwards concept, it makes no sense to me why now all of a sudden they change the rules to make it more difficult to get your medication.

I am now paying three co-pays for one 30 day supply. I have to get three scripts every month and make three trips to specific pharmacies since this is a special order med and not every pharmacy has it or wants to even deal with it. The stress level that I am under from all this has caused me to have multiple panic attacks, headaches and nausea. I am so worried that I will run out and start that sick withdrawal process that every month I am on the phone with Medco, the pharmacy and the doctor's office over and over. One call to Medco lasted one hour and 45 minutes. This is the worst company I have ever dealt with when it comes to filling my prescriptions.

I received my first mail order delivery, prescription number, Rx# 996984651 from Express Scripts in the second or third week of August, 09', the prescription was processed on August 10, 09', Invoice #1832645 and my account was charged $50. At this time, a payment was not yet made. Delivered to my apartment was a 1 month supply of **. At the time, I did not know that the one 1 supply was going to be an issue/problem. I received another prescription in early September and then had an interruption in my plan because there was a balance from 9/3/09, of $50. The charge of $50 had carried over from August because they were unable to charge my debit card without my consent. I gave consent and was then charged.

At some point between my 1st and 2nd delivery, I created an online account with Express Scripts so that I could get automatic refills and not have to deal with them on a monthly basis. I set up automatic refills on 9/3/09. An online account was the most convenient way for me to receive notifications for my refills and bills. After creating the online account, I received the following notifications from Express Scripts about my prescription: "Refill Reminder" on 9/3/09 and then "Refill Confirmation"; "Order Shipped" on 9/26/09, 10/16/09, 11/15/09, 12/11/09, 1/8/10, 2/6/10, 3/5/10, and 4/6/10; "Auto Refill will be processed" on 10/8/09, 11/5/09, 12/3/09, 12/31/09, 1/28/10, 2/25/10, 3/35/10; "New Order" on 11/13/09 and 5/1/10. I admit that it was my fault that I did not check my bank account balance on a daily basis and did not notice that my account was being charged $50 every month by Express Scripts.

On 5/3/10, after reading the "New Order" notification sent on 5/1/10, I logged into my online account and looked at my payment history. It was then I saw that I had a $200 charge on my account. I was very confused when I saw this amount. In Dec. 09, the debit card used for this account had been cancelled. I expected there to be at least $100 owed but not $200. The whole point of me using the mail order service was to pay $50 every 3 months, not monthly. I immediately contacted customer service about this since I was not even notified that my account balance was $200. They continued to send my prescription, so I did not realize my account wasn't being charged. They told me that they allow up to a $150 balance forward before contacting a customer. $200>$150.

My prescription was just $50/mo, so it took 4 months for me to discover the problem, what about someone whose prescription is $10/mo? It would be a year and 3 months before they are notified! At this time, I asked why my balance was so high and 3 times the amount I expected to pay. This is when the supervisor told me that my prescription plan didn't apply to the mail order plan because my script was written out for a 28 day supply instead of a 90 day supply. All they would have had to do was contact my doctor and ask permission to switch to a 90 day supply or notify me. Why did they not tell me this when I first switched over? It defeats the purpose of mail order service! I was under the impression submitting my prescription was all I had to do. I feel taken advantage of and misled by the mail order service. I feel this is a violation of trust. Using the mail order service has benefited me in no way whatsoever. In fact, it has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress and has made me think twice about ever using mail order service for anything. I paid the same amount of money for this service that I would have paid at the local pharmacy but I just had to wait a month to get the prescription.

Now that I've gained control over my multiple symptoms and I am able to last an entire work week without getting sick, MEDCO has started disapproving some of my medications. I understand they're not even an insurance company, but even if they were, that still that doesn't make them doctors. Many of my medicines cannot just be suddenly stopped and their refusal to refill my Rx is putting me in potentially life-threatening situation. When I get to the pharmacy counter and have to walk away with nothing means I have to suddenly stop taking that medication. This has happened too often on weekends, and thus, I'm unable to call my doctor until the first business day. In the meantime, I'm left without critical medicines that I have been on for more than a year.

I feel not only helpless but quite frightened at the prospect of developing complications from being suddenly withdrawn from some of these medications. This is unacceptable and defeats the purpose of critical health care for someone as sick as myself.

My husband has had laser surgery and other experimental surgeries for esophageal cancer and pre-cancer condition. The generic does not help with his Barrett's Esophagus, reflux diagnoses. After several years of problems with Express Scripts, I asked both the doctor and Express Scripts to flag my husband's records, so that he would never be sent a generic for Prevacid. Express Scripts lost two of my husband's prescriptions and refuse to send a 3rd, because the dosage was incorrect.

I spent a month back and forth with the doctor and Express Scripts. It seems to be a game. Express Scripts claim they faxed the doctor about the dosage on April 13th and got no response. Express Scripts said I should call the doctor and have her contact them. I called the doctor's office and they said I should call Express Scripts back and tell them to contact the doctor's office. I would be given samples to "hold over" until the medication arrived. Then I would contact Express Scripts and be told the doctor had not sent the prescriptions.

At the same time, I ask my doctor to write a renewal of my medication. She will not give the patient a written prescription, but will call or fax the pharmacy. I called Express Scripts and was told they had received a prescription for 4mg dosage of Wafrin, instead of 7mg dosage that I have taken for the last two years. Express Scripts said, "You can call your doctor and get her to call a local pharmacy for a month's supply, until we can get the order for the other 3mg and send it out." When you do that, of course, you pay the same co-pay as you would for a three-month supply.

I saw a skin doctor and asked her to call the prescription in to Wal-Mart for a $4 medication I could pick up immediately or the next day. I made a trip to Wal-Mart the next day, no prescription was received. The doctor said, "We have new help," and gave me samples. It is obvious that mail-in pharmacies do not work. We can not get our medications. The program mail-in pharmacy is costing the people more than if the insurance programs set up a plan with local pharmacies.

People have lost control of their medication, their costs. People are being left out of the decision making. People never see their own prescriptions and Express Scripts automatically charges a charge card or debit money from an account with no explanation. They take more or charge more than the order they send out. It is turning into a automatic delivery that is the biggest frustration the elderly has to deal with. The elderly can not afford the costly mistakes. Neither can the working people. They blow their weekly grocery budget, sometimes the entire monthly budget. I have done that.

Someone needs to care about the people. The start of a new medication is delayed, the illness worsens. The patient ends up in the hospital with the insurance company paying a $50,000 bill instead of a $100 medication bill. That has happened to me. Insurance company's are penny-wise and pound foolish with the company's money as well as the patient's. Mail order pharmacies refuse to take back medication sent by mistake. With a local pharmacy, the patient can check the medication before they pay or before they leave the store. The patient is being left out. The patient can not check for pharmacy error or doctor error with a mail-in pharmacy which is costing the patient money they cannot afford to lose.

A second call and another person said they would start the appeal and check back in a week. To my dismay, it happened again that the notes were misleading in my account. Actually, it wasn't a surprise! Now, I'm annoyed. Call 3: I spoke with a supervisor and I was told to make an appeal, that I needed to appeal with my insurance company. Medco doesn't accept appeals. The appeal is the price with my benefits, not with Medco because all they do is fill the Rx.

And to their records, they filled what the Rx stated and that's too bad for me. I thought to myself, "This must be the reason the Rx is so cheap from Medco and I would rather pay inflated prices at Walgreen's in exchange for decency. Never again will I order from Medco, even if it was offered for free. The manager shouted at me on the phone and that's just wrong. Damages are to my wallet.

The generic Rx costs $3 a pack and Medco charged me $40 plus for the brand name without a phone call to confirm. Medco said the only thing for me to do is send the meds back if I don't want it at my expense and I will still owe Medco $121.59. Now, why would I do that? Here's what you can do people: get your Rx somewhere else and let's file a class action lawsuit against Medco for their wrongdoing.

They said they have too many scripts to call. But they did say they would give me a $75.00 credit. In the meantime, the drugs came and I returned it to them unopened. They would not give me credit. When I told them I was going to turn them in if I had a problem because I didn't have my Medicare, they again promised me a $75.00 credit. That has never happened.

I can't afford $174.39 for two scripts, when I have been paying $24.00 for them. Please get my money back for me.

They told me if the doctor's office called, it would be resolved and put in review. However, the doctor's office told me they were denied immediately on the phone; no review time passed. Why have the doctor's office even call them? The principle, practices, and methods of this company are way off compared to other companies that covered my osteoarthritis inflammation medicine (Limbrel).

It will be necessary to take 2 or 3 medications that cost in excess of $380.00 for all 3 to replace the one medication (Limbrel). This was not a pain relief medication; it is something that reduces the inflammation of the osteoarthritis. Now that Medco is not covering the one medication, I'll be required to take an assortment of medications for the pain it "causes" versus a preventative to the pain in the first place. Previously, I was taking something proactive; now it's covering up something after the fact.

This process does not make sense. And why have a doctor call them twice for coverage review and waste everyone's time when they were going to deny it over the phone? Why bother?

Then they always try to blame it on the doctor's office but they get caught in lie after lie. I just wish this company would get put out of business. I would never use them for anything if they were not the company my mother's health care provider uses. I constantly have to go and get the more expensive script from the local pharmacy because they are too incompetent to fill and ship an order without errors or problems that delay it for weeks and weeks.

This dosage does not seem to be available and is substituted by 100mg x 3 or 150mg x 2. Norpace CR 100mg was in fact available in Medco's formulary as a tier 2 drug at some $30. Instead of filling the prescription with this drug, they picked the 150 mg dosage which was not even in their formulary and stuck me with the exorbitant charge of $173 for 34 days.

As I have only been with my doctor for 6 months, she doesn't even know that I was on ** with negative results. It will not work for me. I pay dearly for a Premium health insurance plan that I chose and have a Flexible Spending Plan as well. The letter stated that this would save me money. The kicker was that at the bottom of the letter, it stated that by my switching to the **, that Medco could possibly get rebates from the manufacturer. Hmm?

Do they have my best interests at heart? Not at all. I now have to call my doctor and tell her "Never mind, ** didn't work for me.” I also am going to find out if I have given this authority to Medco to go over my head and contact my doctor and change my meds, not to a generic, but to a different med entirely.

With pain management, the class 2 medicines you get use to this on the strongest med. When you go to the doctor's office, they count the tabs you have in the bottle to make sure you are taking the correct amount. Usually, you have 1 day of medicine when you get the script filled. They had the scripts 3 weeks in advance, so there would be no problem. With two weeks to go before the 4th. I called them to make sure they understood that they would have to ship the medicine that said do not fill until the 4th, overnight. Which I would have to pay extra this first time to get on a correct date schedule. They said, Okay, they would expedite it. Well, about 4 or 5 days later, a pharmacist from Express scripts calls me and says -Mr. W this med is a schedule 2 drug and it could not be put in the system until the 4th. Well, starting to get worried, I told him yes I knew that. I had talked with someone 4 days earlier and I had been told it would be handled that they would expedite it. He said there was nothing in the computer. He said, he would try to expedite it. He also said, I should call back in a few days and check. Well, it's getting down to the last week before I run out of medicines. By the way, you cannot run back to a pain management doctor to get extra medicines until yours come late. There is a script in the system and it's against the law. So I am about to lose my cool if somebody doesn't everything is all worked out.

Well, 2 days later, I call back to check and as usual I get someone new and I explain from the start. Only now I am using the term "I Have been lied too." I get a supervisor, I have to start from the start again, she does not like the term 'lied too." Now, she tells that all 4 of the prescriptions from the pain management doctor will not put into the system until the 4th. I had hoped they would ship the other medicines because they weren't marked, do not fill until the 4th. We have short and heated discussion, she would expedite it but I should call back on Sunday the 4th. Well, I call back on the 4th, I have enough medicines for 24 hours. The young lady I talk to this time gets a customer that only wants to know one thing has my medicines been shipped overnight. Answer, "No, let me talk to a supervisor ** it! Start from square one again. Then, she tells me that she notices that one of the medicines is to be shipped on the 5th, not the med that said, do not fill until the 4th. I asked why did they not ship all of them on the 4th. Her reply, "It was Sunday" and the mail doesn't run on Sunday. I must have not got through to her "overnight it" most companies that do any kind of business would have sent it out the last thing Saturday night, FedEx, UPS whatever. I ran out of medicines .They came UPS Wednesday.

One thing the supervisor said in our last conversation was that I didn't have to use mail order for pain management. Wow, why didn't say that a month ago.I will have to use ES for my other medicines but they will never touch my pain management ever! And by the way they shipped the medicines in two separate packages, so I'll get charged for two overnight charges, they charged me 20.00 per script to much on 3 scripts and charged me 125.00 for the other one that's the 90 day amount charge and only sent a 30 day supply.

My insurance company was billed for a medication that won't be used, and I was billed $65 for a medicine that won't be used. Now, my insurance company probably will refuse to fill the tablet prescription because of MEDCO filling it with a powder form which I have never used.

My first and only order was placed on March 16. When I called Medco this morning (March 30) to find out when I would get the medication, I was told that it was shipped out on March 18; and I was told that I should have received it already. I was also told there was no way to track the package and that if I wanted to have a replacement, it would cost me another co-pay. Frankly, this is outrageous since I paid for something that was never delivered.

The service is inefficient and unprofessional. My first experience with Medco is now my last. I will no longer use Medco. Now I have to go back to the doctor to get another prescription. The service is not dependable, and the aggravation and wasted time far exceeds any potential savings. My voice may be just one, but I will make it my business to tell as many people as possible not to use Medco.

I went on Medco website because my doctor's office said they were going to put all other maintenance meds through them because I told them how my insurance has forced me to do so. Although I had already filled all my meds through retail just days earlier, I saw that they would be sending all the meds the doctor called in immediately. My retail pharmacy would have never filled those scripts that quickly after just getting them filled and Medco would have never approved them.

I received them before the website even said they could be processed and was told I would be billed 3 days later, even though the web site stated if using e-check, there would be a 10 grace period between when the RX was shipped and I would see it deducted from my checking account. I also noticed another drug on the website in the process of being shipped. When I called Medco again and asked them what this drug was, they told me it was a generic for **. I told them I do not have a Rx for that drug. They told me my doctor's office called and ordered it today.

After checking with my doctor's office to verify, they said yes, they did auth.orize this drug to be filled by Medco only after Medco called my doctor's office to tell them that I called Medco and told them that the ** was too much for me and could we switch to **. I never made that call and never told them it was too much for me.

**, although could be prescribed to treat anxiety, has not been tested for that and has not been approved for treating anxiety. According to the website ** are not interchangeable. I told Medco not to fill this Rx until I talked to my doctor. When I called Medco back and told them that the doctor office said the change was due to my inquiry to Medco. I was told, "Oh, we don't have any notes about anything like that. All we know is that your Dr. called it in for you."

I find it quite scandalous that Medco seeing that I had a retail pharmacy fill a prescription for ** took it upon themselves to take that prescription for my local pharmacy and then change the type of drug altogether. Something has to be done about these crooks. They do not care about anything except how much money they can make and in the Rx industry that is a cocktail for devastation.

I did not allow them to fill the script so at this point there is no physical damage yet unless they do not let me continue to fill my ** at my deductible. Economically, the fact that they were going to charge my account immediately for meds I had not yet ordered would have made me have to pay my utility payment late. After another phone call with my husband on the line, they relented and said they would stop the auto deduct and send me a bill.

Today, 3-26-10, I received a three-month generic supply of my HBP medicines. I had just filled my medicines on 3-11-10 at a local CVS. After two hours on the phone, I learned from my insurance company that Medco had called my doctor to request if I could take generic drugs. My doctor, whom I had not seen in over a year, faxed a prescription to Medco. The insurance was charged $191.00, and they will not reverse, even though I did not request for it. Isn't this fraud?

Now I have the same thing with my ** sleeping pills. I have been trying to get them filled after they refused to fill them at the pharmacy due to MEDCO stating I have to get them in the mail, and have authorization from the doctor which she faxed right away to them, but now after three weeks, I still have not received my pills, that they have all information they need to fill it and send out. My many conversations with them, we go roundabout: “Oh, you need an authorization” to “Oh, you need to call and get that order in,” after I have done that many times.

I call them every other day now and they still say when I ask the status: “Oh, you need an authorization.” Then after they look into it, they have the authorization. You have to tell them the date you called them and put in the order or they will not know you called them. It’s very important to know when your doctor faxed records, and keep track when you call them, who you talked to and about what, they have no note system to keep track of anything.

However, they can call my physician and change my medication without even asking my approval. How can this company get away with this? How many other people are they changing medicines for? That the people are unaware it was Medco and not their physician? I have a medicine that I have been on for 6 years with no adverse reactions, why should I have to change medications? At least it should be my choice and not my insurance companies. Now what will happen when I call to get my RX refilled?

How do you stop Medco from calling your physicians and changing your medications for you without your approval? The back of the letter says, if you have any questions about this letter or the prescription change approved by your doctor, please call us toll free **. I call and there is nothing that can be done, this is totally unreal. Not sure what the consequences will be till I get my medication refilled. I do not want their Generic. Guess, I will be fighting with them again.

I requested from Northrop Grumman to put us back to picking up our meds at our drug store, but 2 weeks ago when my husband went to pick-up his 4 meds, he was charged full price of over $400, that is a bit more than what we pay Express Scripts every month. Express Scripts says that we will pay full price from now on. My husband and I are both seniors and we both have very serious health problems. Since "Express Scripts", I cannot even begin to recall how many calls I have made that don't change a thing.

If and when we happen to get "some" meds shipped, they say to expect them in approx 11 days and call a month ahead, which I always did, or go to their website and order the refills. Their website has not worked this past year. They said to contact the web master. I did, it did no good either. I also finally requested they "Expedite" (UPS) our meds in hopes we would get them and in time. (That cost an extra $20) even if it was just "One" med or "Six" meds.

The last trick they were pulling was that refills would be done. I would call the month ahead and order them all sent. A few might come, after 6-8 weeks waiting I would call again and they would say the refills had expired, said go back to my doctor and get new refills.

One doctor has a $40 co-payment for ea of us. The other has a $20 co-payment for each of us. So the money for these meds just keeps adding up. We are on a low income and there is no way we can be paying some $1,200 plus a month and pay nearly $400 per month for the drug plan insurance to boot.

I'm sorry, one last thing. I had only just found out 2 other things about Express Scripts. First is that there are lawsuits in the high millions amounts. Second is that they were hacked, they claimed there were only "75" hacked so they contacted those 75, but as I though anyway they were actually hacked into millions of customers. Like I want any further info on "their" files when they never even had the courtesy to contact all their customers all could keep a look out for their welfare. Thanks Much.

There is large loss of money paying "out of pocket" plus paying Express Scripts nearly $400 a month for coverage, having to do without meds we very much need weeks to most at a time (BP Med) med I went without 6 months and 4 months. We both are pretty much housebound now and only leave the house for not much more than 20 miles, mostly only 5 miles for food and the Post Office. I'm just no longer able to deal with them anymore mentally.

I called Medco in Lexington, Kentucky. I explained I sent in one envelope, in triplicate the receipt taped to all three claims. Medco had no information on this. The representative said I would have to resubmit the forms with receipts for my son and my claim. After extreme demands, I finally got the representative I.D. # ** to push through the claim over the phone and was promised my other two checks would be arriving shortly.

One week later, I received one check for my son’s claim. After another week, I called Medco again explaining to a supervisor this time what happened and asked where is my other check. She claimed there was only one more request for reimbursement, my son’s, and had no status on mine. This company is so fraudulent when it comes to reimbursements. I hope they are put right out of business for all their disgusting treatment they inflict on customers. This wasted hours of my time overly explaining why I should get what’s owed to me. I still have not received my refund.

These people are obviously continuing to make huge profits by defrauding their customers. These people are not doctors. They are committing a crime by denying doctor-prescribed medication. Evidently, the $155,000,000 penalty is just an excuse to continue with their fraud. If you are one of their victims, please notify your employer and your union that they should be replaced by a responsible carrier.

**, the only thing that I have found that works with only minor side effects, is a very expensive drug. I can't afford to pay out of pocket. Medco makes huge profits, and yet, they override the recommendations of a doctor in order to steal even more. The fact that they are allowed to get away with this thievery just adds to my need for sleep medication. I do a job that is both physically demanding and dangerous. If I can't get a good night's sleep, it's just a matter of time before I make a mistake that could cause me serious injury or lose me a good job.

They told me that it didn't matter that it was written this way, that they overrode it with the generic. I was told my doctorr again needed to fax in the prescription and they will would fill it with the name brand, but first they required me to talk with their own pharmacists at Medco. I did this and again stated everything I had previously stated. I had my doctor fax in the brand name prescription, and when I received it, I again got the wrong prescription, different than what was requested, this time in an extended relief form. Even though it was the incorrect one, I was so tired of dealing with Medco and tired of repeated calls to them.

I tried taking it but had a severe reaction to that one as well. I called them and told them to please send me the one that my doctor had requested. They told me that I needed to send in both incorrect prescriptions and they would send me the correct one. They also informed me that I would need to pay $125 for the one they incorrectly sent me! I reminded them that it was their error and inquired why I would need to pay for it if it was my error. They informed me that it was not their error but in fact my doctor's error. I told them I would mail both incorrect prescriptions back to them, but that I would under no terms pay for something that was incorrectly sent to me.

They insisted that I mail them back but said I would still be billed for it because it was my doctor's error. I have received repeated bills from them for the $125 they say I owe them, I have not paid it and now they are threatening to send it to collections. I feel I have absolutely no recourse with this company. I have discontinued using the mail order program with Medco, but what can I do? I refuse to pay them the $125 for an order they filled incorrectly, especially since I returned the prescription!

The doctor’s office has contacted them and as always, Medco somehow just can't find the authorization that was sent in. First, it was too early. Then, it was sent to a local pharmacy which had to be reversed. I was told the medicine would be here in 7 days. Then, I was told I had to have another form of authorization sent in, then told they had never received any form of authorization. Who is running this company? If this is the new health-care reform, heaven help us all! I will not deal with them again. If this mess even gets straightened out, I will use a local pharmacy and pay the extra cost to have peace of mind knowing that the job is being done correctly.

I have never had automatic ship in all of the years I've been with this company. I have always called in my refills, always. I did not call in a refill in December nor did I get an automated phone call telling me my meds were shipped as they stated. I can only come to the conclusion that when a company has your account information, they put charges on there that were never filled, so they can cover the cost of the drugs they are taking for their own consumption or to sell and put the money in their pocket.

They had no explanation as to why after all of the years, I have been getting prescriptions filled through them. I have never gotten a refill without first calling for it and now that they charged my account 86.88 more than I had intended on paying, they are telling me they shipped my medicine Dec. 6, and the man I talked to the night before never mentioned to me about a shipment being sent in Dec. We only discussed the September shipment of ** which I still owed 36.08 for .After he stated my prescription had expired Dec.29, because at that point it was a year old and they could not fill it after they had it over a year.

I have had Medco for at least a decade. I have had several prescriptions (I have to) get through Medco (mail order) since they are daily medications. So, I am very well "trained" in their process, procedure, etc.

So why when you have a signed prescription from your physician are you are you required to obtain further authorization from your physician to have a daily medication to continue to be filled through Medco's mail order program?

I had received the same prescription for years, same medical insurance too. Yet, in the middle of one year, they decided I exceeded my annual maximum for my daily medication. So apparently a daily medication for a year, 90 day supply only means 6 months max?

I called, went through the call transfers, being put on hold, disconnected, having to call another number and sitting on the phone for hours, ordeal numerous times with Medco. I am told they will fill it, then they won't fill it, then I need an authorization before they will fill it. Then they again won't fill it. I have gotten so tired of hassling with the prescription insurance that I am opting to pay out of pocket instead of dealing with the hassle of not receiving a daily medication my doctor has prescribed.

I am frustrated and disgusted with Medco. At this point, I swear I need a medication just to deal with Medco! Can someone tell me, are there other prescription drug companies out there or is Medco truly the monopoly it appears to be?

Is this not a slippery slope in which a patient in need of an emergency open-heart surgery must first 'shop-around' to find the doctor who will perform the surgery for the cheapest price? Well, I could die if I do not obtain the cholesterol-blocking medication that my doctor prescribed. I've suffered extreme emotional damage due to my continued effort of trying to fight with E-Scripts to get my medication. Financial, the medication I need costs $150 without insurance. I am double-covered by insurance as both my husband and I work. But both of our insurance companies use E-Scripts and E-scripts refuses to cover my medication.

They have refused to speak with our pharmacy on the telephone, citing "patient" confidentiality. To a pharmacy? Now, they have refused to refill her heart medication taken for arrhythmia until 2/20/10, leaving her without it until then. Again, counting pills over the past 180 days, saying she "should" have enough. Heart medication pills are not exactly a medication selling big at this time on a street corner. This company is interested in only one thing, saving themselves money. In her case, they're reaping the benefits of medicines paid for by another company. Actually it's theft, and yet, no one person in the State or Federal Government has answered, done a thing to help my wife.

You'd think they'd at least care about not making the profit themselves. This is New Jersey's answer to "managed" health care. Now, think how well this would be nationwide! Those who have sued Medco have been validated in their claims and those who have made complaints concerning Medco are also to be believed. It's doubtful the former governor of NJ and high level division managers, anyone in their state legislation have this company administering their program. As with the push for nationwide health care, what's good for us is good enough for them. And Medco is good for nobody.

A week after this, Express Scripts called me to tell me they no longer could get **. I told them I was surprised he called that prescription in. I told them I would handle it with my doctor to see what a good alternative would be. I told them my great concern was getting the ** filled. They said they were working on that.

A week later, I get a call from Express Scripts that the ** is approved. They needed a credit card number. I gave them the credit card number of my health savings account for them to charge the ** to. A few days later, I get the ** in the mail, but it is damaged. The plastic pill bottle was in a larger plastic mailer, but it was clear this bottle was never made to withstand minus 2 degrees, getting thrown around in a FedEx truck and boxes dropped on it. The bottle was busted, broken open, the drug loose all over in the plastic bag. I called Express Scripts. They apologized, said a replacement order would be sent out right away.

They also said a mailing envelope would be sent to return the bad shipment. But this is also when they told me about the ** prescription and that it would be $333. I was shocked. What ** prescription? I find they contacted my doctor on their own before I even had a chance to talk to him and they set up to send me **. I said that I hadn't even been to the doctor about it yet. They said, "Oh we called the doctor," the very thing I asked them not to do.

When the drug came the next day, I found out why it was so much. It was three prescriptions, not one. Now one inhaler lasts me one year. This was a three year supply for me of a drug that only had a one year shelf life. I didn't mind getting one at $115 or so, but three? I called ES and was told I was out of luck, that I'd have to pay for all three. I said I'm not going to pay for it. She said, "You already have. It was taken out of your credit card." They took the money from my credit card without my authorization.

So Saturday, I called again to Express Scripts, this time talking to a supervisor who would only give her name as Audrey. I told her what the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy told me and she said they were wrong. If a doctor called in a prescription, even it if was prodded by ES, they could fill the prescription and charge my credit card, even if I didn't want it.

She said once I give them a credit card, they can charge whatever they choose to it (still can't believe she said that one). Then she said I couldn't return the drug and she wouldn't give me any credit off my health savings account if I returned it on my own. She said that they were authorized to charge my credit card for the **, the first **, and the replacement order of ** simply because I gave them a credit card for the first **. I asked her why should I pay for a replacement order of the ** when it was their fault? She said when they send me the replacement order, they will send a return label and when I return it, they will credit my account for the second charge. I told her be sure to take my credit card off of their record because I'm not authorizing any more charges to it.

On Monday, the ** arrived but there was no mailing label. So, I called again. They said no return mailing label was ever ordered for me, this after three different customer service reps told me it was coming, one being the supervisor. So I ended up going to my bank and had all of the unauthorized charges reversed from my health savings account. I still have the drug ready to ship back. Express Scripts hasn't contacted me to resolve this .I've put the entire complaint in writing. I declared the $333 as unauthorized charges and I wanted them reversed back to the company. The second charge for $450 had not come through yet, so I had them close the account altogether.

What is really funny about all of this is that insurance companies use Express Scripts to get 90 day supplies cheaper, yet Express Scripts and Walmart were the same price on 90 day supplies of **. Personally, I think Express Scripts is huge rip off and shouldn't be allowed to be in business. I have a lot of fight in me and if a company wants to pick a fight, they'll have their hands full. But what about the consumer who doesn't feel as empowered to fight the big companies?

I requested to be billed and did receive a bill with each delivery. I waited for my order to be completed so I could pay one time, with a single check, not expecting it to take weeks and weeks for my medicines to arrive. In the meantime I received additional, confusing phone messages asking me to call; then another telling me to disregard previous calls, that my account was all in order. What did that mean? And then finally a rude voice left a rather abrupt message that my account was to be closed the following day at noon--that I had been contacted several times and refused their calls.

I immediately called, and another very short-tempered man asked for my member ID number, which I didn't have since I never got the card I never even knew I was supposed to have. I finally got him to look me up in the computer by my name and my account was right there. What happened was that since the prescriptions rolled in so slowly, I apparently "exceeded my account limit" (at only $180, by the way) and they refused to send any more prescriptions until I paid my current balance.

So I paid my balance that day, confirmed that my remaining prescriptions were to be mailed, faxed them a prescription for the lost one and waited. One month later, the letter I received in the mail said my account had expired. What?

Try calling this company when you don't have a bill sitting in front of you. Even the contacts page of their official website, which boasts of their superior service, buries a single number to the accounting office in a full page of text.Thank goodness my insurance company switched providers!

So, now I have to call my doctor again and ask them to give Express Scripts the information again on the prescription and hope they get it right this time. The prescription that was filled in error is a completely different medication, a completely different dosage and comes from a different doctor. How is it possible that in the conversation with my doctor's office that this huge of a mistake was made? In the meantime, I am almost out of my needed medication and will now have to wait another week while the phone calls go back and forth and someone gets the message to get the correct medication filled.

This is when I became involved and I called Express Scripts on the phone number listed on the Expres Scripts’ website and was told that they just changed over to a new computer system and that some of the data was corrupted during the change over and the representative told me that she had removed the other health insurance flag from my spouse's file. This resolved the problem temporarily so that the Wal-Mart pharmacy could my wife's Rx. Unfortunately this was not the end of the problem as ever since then I have been locked out of the website at least 10 times under my wife's account and multiple times on my account. I have taken the following actions to remedy this problem, such as repeated calls to Expres Scripts and two calls to the supervisor of the woman whom I first contacted. This resulted in being told by the supervisor that she could again remove the flags and that she had no idea when their computer software would be fixed.

Needless to say I was not impressed with the response and have since the sent an e-mail to my congressman but to no avail. There is a second issue that I have with this company and this is related to how they handle refills. I have recently that prescriptions that were written and first filled in July with three refills on a 90-day supply are being treated as expired even though the original Rx was for initial quantity of 90 and 3 refills.

I realize that a long-term Rx can only refilled for a year from the initial date on the Rx, but both were written in July 2009 and I have taken pictures of the bottles and labels if they are on any use to you. Let me give you some idea of the person writing this overly long tirade. I am a retired warrant officer, Physician Assistant, who is now on Social Security disability due to viral cardiomyopathy, a heart condition contracted while working in Honduras after hurricane Mitch. As well as my duties as a military Physician Assistant, I have also served as division officer for the laboratory, x-ray and pharmacy while assigned at NAS Cecil Field. The consequences of these problems are largely psychological, but, as my wife is also on Social Security disability secondary to a neurological episode that has left her an emotional basket case, the delay in getting her medications refilled has led a significant increase in emotional liability. As for me the primary consequence has been running out of medications that are not to stop abruptly.

On December 25th, I noticed a $62.50 charge on my credit card from Express Scripts and I knew immediately that they had processed the wrong medication. I logged into their website and saw that they were processing a prescription for Nasacort, which is not my correct medication and a much more expensive drug. I called Express Scripts to cancel the order and was told, "It's already in the mail, just wait till it arrives, and we will arrange a return and refund.” When the package arrived, I called Express Scripts and was told there would be no refund unless the doctor personally notified Express Scripts that the Nasacort prescription was made in error.

My doctor was kind enough to call Express Scripts and advised them of the error and told them the correct prescription was for Fluticasone. I then called Express Scripts to arrange a return and refund, but was told that they would not refund because "the prescription was filled correctly". Apparently, my efforts to arrange a refund were just a ploy to waste my time and Express Scripts had no intention of processing a refund. As such, I have contacted my credit card company to dispute the charge. I will also file complaints with the Attorney Generals of all states involved, the Postmaster General for mail fraud, and the Florida Insurance Commissioner. Only $63.50 in actual dollars, but time spent on this issue is easily in the thousands.

I immediately called their 888 number and spoke with Josh. I told him of the situation and he informed me that by having my bank card on file with them, it gave them the right to charge my bank account when the order was shipped. I told him the only way he got that card was when I made a payment to them through their online bill pay. I never gave them permission to take this money. It caused me to be overdrawn and I had an ACH insurance payment coming out in 3 days that would bounce because of their mistake! He said he would take the card out of their system, would request that $393 be returned and would keep $100 for payment on the account/drug.

I waited 2 days and called again. I spoke with Josh this time. He said a request was made to return $100 only and it had not been approved. I told him I wanted them to keep the $100 and refund the $393. He said he would make the request, but it probably would not be approved. I told him I would refuse the drugs when they arrived and have them mailed back. He informed me that they would not accept them. It was their policy to send them back a second time and if they got them back again, they would destroy the drugs and would not be responsible for any refunds. He told me I needed a return authorization to send them back.

I requested a return authorization and got a canned email response back. I called the number and spoke with Yvette. She said she would request the RA, but unless there was a mistake on their part, they would not take it back! In the meantime, my doctor has issued a different drug. Now I don't need these anymore and am stuck with $493 they stole from me! Without my consent! I researched taking them to small claims court to recover, but they are in AZ and I am in WA. I must file in AZ and don't have the finances to do that. I can't believe they are acting this way. I have always been allowed to pay them when I get the invoice. Never did they take money from me on their own. This is the first time and they were very rude!

I must have this drug to function. I can't afford that $500 they took. It makes me so angry and upset that I am physically ill and my blood pressure has risen too. They should not be allowed to operate like this. I would like to be a part of any class action lawsuit that is initiated. I have all statements showing I was billed with invoices and never once did they ever take money from me. I also have copies of all the emails too and dates/times/names of conversations. If anyone else wants to start a civil action, I am on board. Let me know.

Through my husband's employer, we have to use the Pharmacy called Express Scripts and can only acquire medications through the mail after two months of a prescription being filled at a local pharmacy. We have encountered multiple problems over the last four years. I will start with the most recent negative encounter we have had with the pharmacy. I found a charge on my checking account from Express Scripts for an order of three medications. I called to ask them what it was all about. I was informed the computer made a mistake and generated an automated order that I did not request. To rectify the situation, I was informed that as soon as the medication was received I could mail it back as soon as they sent me a label to do so and my personal checking account would be credited.

Several weeks went by and I had seen no credit and wondered what had happened. Upon receiving the order back, instead of putting the money back into my account, they arbitrarily decided to simply credit our medication account. They even have a record of saying they would refund my money to me personally.

Another week went by and it was time to order my husband's blood pressure medication, Lisinopril. It was one of three contained in the original computer generated order. The other two were not needed for several months as they were medications one takes as needed. When I went into the computer to order the Lisinopril, it showed the order could not be placed until January. When they received that order back, they did not fix the system to identify the medication had been returned. It still is not fixed even after I have called twice.

On two occasions I called and the person on the other line noted they would have to specifically let the pharmacy know to fill this medication. It still does not show the medication is in the pharmacy, so now I have to call again. This is two weeks later and he is running out of medication.

The Express Scripts representative suggested we go to the local pharmacy and have them contact them to get a few pills. The local pharmacy will not do business with them. That is not to mention we have at least three doctors that refuse to fax orders to Express Scripts because they do not feel they are dependable and have had too many cases of prescription orders getting lost.

A couple years ago, my son was taking a medication that is considered a controlled substance so we could not receive it in the mail; it had to be delivered by FedEx. The problem there was that FedEx refused to deliver to my house because of my driveway. When I called the pharmacy to ask what we could do about this, they suggested I drive to the FedEx office in Portland to pick up the prescription. That is fifty miles away from where I live. I finally got the driver to meet me in town at precisely 4:00 pm to pick the order up.

Two years ago, I had mailed in two prescriptions for me and they showed up in the computer system as being in the pharmacy. A week later, I had not received them and called about this. I was informed I had no coverage. When I contacted the employer, they said I did. Express Scripts told me they would mail the prescriptions back and I never received them.

Trying to get an Explanation of Benefits out of Express Scripts takes months. Most of the representatives do not seem to know what this paper is. On two occasions, we have had to call multiple times just to get the right form. This pharmacy has false advertising. This statement is taken directly from their website: "Too busy to hassle with phone calls and snail mail? Express-Scripts.com makes managing your prescription plan quick and easy. So you can spend your limited time on the things you enjoy."

This is absolutely not true. There is nothing hassle free, quick and easy, or allowing me to spend more time doing the things I enjoy. I spend way too much time tracking down prescriptions, on the phone trying to explain to untrained employees what and explanation of benefits are, trying to get prescriptions to us, monitoring the website to make sure things are being processed correctly, calling them to fix things like automated prescriptions I did not sign up for and being told one thing by one person and something else by another.

Just to give an example of that, when I originally had to sign up to obtain prescriptions by mail, I was informed I had to use a charge card. I do not own a charge card so I had no choice to use my debit card. Now I am told I can request to have my card removed and just be billed for my prescriptions. This place is making me crazy.

I am not a person who goes around issuing complaints to various agencies for what I consider bad behavior or because someone has made a mistake. We are all human; we all make mistakes, but when it gets to the point where mistakes are constantly occurring, especially with a pharmacy issuing medications, I am a very concerned citizen. I know way too many people having trouble with this mail order pharmacy. We are dealing with medications, often times life-saving medications. If these kinds of mistakes are consistent, what else is happening?

I have had the opportunity to use my local pharmacies for over 30 years and never once had a problem with anything. I understand money saving and stream-lining, but not to the extent of affecting someone's life (I think blood pressure medication qualifies), liberty (which is defined as immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority, we are forced to use this place), or pursuit of happiness (nothing about Express Scripts makes me happy).

I know this sounds harsh but you have no idea how incredibly frustrated I am at the moment.

As usual, I filled my prescription. The following month I returned to the pharmacy for my refill. I was informed by the pharmacist that Medco would not fill my refill because all refills must be done by mail or faxed from the doctor's office. I had to buy out of pocket 5 pills while I tried to contact a psychiatrist to write me a new script, which I was told by the pharmacist, if I got a new script, and not a refill they could fill the new script. I went back to my psychiatrist's office but he had already left the practice for good. Because the receptionist knew me for so many years, she personally asked the new psychiatrist if he could write me a 30-day script. The new psychiatrist did this for me and the following day, I brought the new script back to the pharmacy.

When I returned an hour later to pick up my pills, the pharmacist now informed me that Medco said they would not cover it because "even though it was a new script, it was still a refill and since this was a maintenance long-term medicine, It could only be filled via mail or faxed by the doctor." I got on the phone with them and asked why they were doing this now when for years I had my script filled monthly and that a new script is not a refill." Medco said they had no idea why I was able to so this before and their policies had changed and I should have been informed by mail.

I did receive a letter from them last year, but from what I gathered from their letter was that now, people on long term medication could mail it in, that it was easier for the customer and one would have to pay less co-pays by mailing in a script for 90 pills (which seems to be the least amount they will fill; in other words anything under a 90-day script will not be honored).

Maybe this would work for other folks but I do not pay a copay with my insurance plus I take ** for "clinical" depression (means it doesn't go away) and anxiety. Nothing could make me more anxious or depressed than wondering if I mail a script to Tampa Florida, will it arrive, and if it does, how long will it sit on someone's desk (budget cuts everywhere means less workers!) and once it is mailed out, God willing, that it will arrive in time before I run out of pills!

Anyway, I had to go back to the psychiatrist who was kind enough to write the emergency script for me. He wasn't there, so I had to leave him a big rambling letter trying to explain something that didn't make any sense to me. He did come through for me once again, and after having to buy a prescription (130 dollars for 30 days), I did get a 90-day script in the mail several weeks later.

I did find and see a new psychiatrist last month. She gave me a script for 30 days and 1 refill. Now, as far as I knew from what they told me I could mail this into them (and mailing the only script you have is frightening in itself -they could lose it). I am now being told that I cannot mail in a script for 30 pills with one refill, that it must be a 90-day script, no refills!

I am out of my mind right now with anger, frustration and worry. I am going to cut my pills that I have left in half until I see the psych. again on Dec. 22. and then I pray she will be willing to even write me a script for a whole 90 days which usually is not done with psychiatric medicine (which I explained to Medco, also to no avail)!

I hope none of you have to go through this. It is sheer lunacy and every time I call them, they tell me a different thing and are never quite clear. It's as if they will not come out and say "we will not fill any prescription under 90 pills and if you get a script for less than 90 pills you cannot get it filled at a pharmacy either!"

I checked the website and it's the same drug, but somehow the processing date was yesterday. I called them to see what the heck happened, and they gave me the runaround and tried to rush me off the phone by saying to just return the shipment when it arrives. She slipped up though, telling me that this prescription has a totally different order number from the one that was cancelled, but didn't explain further. I wanted to know how this happened because I never resubmitted the prescription. She transferred me to a supervisor who said that someone went in and reentered the prescription, again asking if there was anything else she could help me with, rushing me off the phone.

I can't use another company because this is the one my employer set up with our medical insurance, so I'm stuck with incompetent people. I truly believe that because they know many of us are "stuck" with them, they screw us over anyway that they can. I've always had issues with them, but this last one takes the cake! It surely can't be "legal" for them to reenter a previously-cancelled prescription without my or my doctor's consent and then charge me for it!

Until this moment I do not hear from them about these medication by e-mail. Then I have called them from a friend's house because my phone was not working. They do not want to send the medications unless I have to send to them in advance, a check for the amount of $170.90. And I have request from them that I do not have any more medications left and I need these medications soon, but they refused and they asked me to send the money first. This is the first time I had problems with this mail order drug, and I do not know what to do. I do not have any credit card to use it and I am living only on the income from the U.S. Treasury. By the way, my Member ID with Express Scripts is **. Please help me against the violent action taken by Express Scripts.

I have a lot of pain on my back and I have a fusion spin disk on L3,L4,L5 &L5S1 since 2001. But recently, I have more numbness on my left leg and more pain on my back & spine. I have made an MRI and x-rays order issued by Dr. ** on 11/24/09. I am still waiting for the result from Dr. **, and to my understanding that these medications held by Express Scripts from sending it just to heal the pain off. Please contact Dr. ** at his location (Trinity Medical Association ) Phone: **, Fax: ** for more details about myself.

I suffer from chronic nerve damage, pain, depression, migraine, and a brain aneurysm. I am only 38 and have always live a very active healthy lifestyle for the most part. The aneurysm makes me extremely easy to be annoyed among other things! This company has made living with my condition unbearable! I am being held hostage by this company! Isn't there anything that can be done? Do I continually have to go through withdrawal symptoms because of this company's failure to provide us with the service needed? I guess the answer is yes. Money wins over anything else! My life and care is not mine to determine. It is in the hands of Blue Cross and Express Scripts. So a big thank you to the health care industry. I always wanted to live in hell!

This group at first did not want to speak with me because I did not know the name of the medication being denied. Even though she had the name perfectly written on the screen, this agent (Ashley) said that because I was calling on behalf of my wife, I needed to prove it in this manner. I handed the phone to my wife who told the representative I was authorized to speak on her behalf. When my wife handed me the phone back, Ashley was still playing this game and said I needed to give her the name of the drug. Neither I nor my wife could remember the exact name and that's when I insisted I speak with her supervisor. I was on hold for 10 minutes before a supervisor appeared (Elisha). This was clearly a stall tactic. Elisha said that the procedure to have the decision reassessed required that I have my doctor write a letter, that would then need to be sent by snail mail to an address in Minnesota where it would then be evaluated. Of course, there is no way to do this online (how convenient).

In order to obtain a copy, I was directed to contact Corporate Quality and put my request in writing. He claimed that Corporate Quality could not be reached by telephone by customers. The only two contacts that he would convey to me were the president, George Paz, and Corporate Quality. Please note that the two contacts have the same address. Like I alluded to earlier, I have been given similar information about my prescription drug benefits for the past five years.

Having fertility problems has been difficult; however, the financial strain has intensified the situation. My "lifetime maximum benefits" for fertility regulators is $2,500. A one-month treatment for an IUI requiring Follistim and/or Menopur on average is around $2,200. My last treatment required medication that cost $3,330. The "lifetime maximum benefits" is simply an insult to people dealing with fertility issues.

At this time I was out of my nasal spray and had a sinus infection. My doctor’s office called in ** to the local pharmacy. ES refused to fill it because they wanted me to try generic ** first. The cost of the ** would be $109. ES said they needed additional information (age, pregnancy status, and prior meds tried) even though this info was not originally requested. My doctor’s office faxed the additional information on the following Monday (09/21/09). I was advised by my personnel office to contact Capital Blue Cross and have them work on it. I did this on 9/21/09. The CSR took the info and referred it to the "drug" department that deals with these things.

On 9/22/09, a rep from this department called me and left a message. When I called her back, she said that my prior authorization had been denied because I had not tried the generic **. I have been on ** for quite some time. My doctor does not like ** because in her patients, it has not worked well and had many side effects including severe nose bleeds. This runs in my family anyway. The CSR from Capital Blue Cross told me that according to ES, they are done with this issue and will not fill what my doctor ordered. I now have to go through the appeal process with Capital Blue Cross. Their physicians will review all the info and determine if the nasal spray I have been taking and has been working is okay for them to fill.

I am still sick and had to spend another $45 for antibiotics. Luckily my doctor had samples of ** that she gave me. I am on other medications and am concerned about drug interactions. What I had was working so why change it. How can someone who does not know me or my medical history (ES clinical pharmacist) make a determination about my health? Not only has it cost me an additional $45, but I'm sure we will incur additional expenses as we are looking into legal actions available to us. It has also caused illness and extreme stress. It has also consumed my time for the last week and it is not over yet. We expect additional monies will be spent as well as the additional stress and aggravation.

I was told by one CSR that maybe I should go back to using my old hyperlipidemia lowering medication to prove that I had experienced adverse side-effects! The customer service staff told me that they had no record of requests from my physician for pre-authorizations for medications when he had both called and faxed the request to their pre-authorization department.

When I followed up with a phone call to my doctor's office, they advised me that Express Scripts had pre-authorized my medication two weeks prior to my most recent phone call. So, none of Express Scripts’ customer service staff even knew that the medication had already been pre-authorized. I had used a pharmacy mail order system previously (Medco) and received excellent customer service and prompt pre-authorization and delivery of my medication. So, I know that good service is available through a pharmacy mail order system. I was extremely dissatisfied with the service that I received from Express Scripts.

I called today, 8/26/09, and they had not mailed the postage label. On further questioning, the pharmacy needed the prescription numbers to determine if they would furnish the labels and it would be 7 to 10 days before they hear from the pharmacy. Never mind the pharmacy filled the prescription and had to have the numbers. Going up to the supervisor was no help. All I got was "It is our policy." Their policy is to ship a month and a half early and use our money. Their policy is to stall and use our money as long as they can.

By the time they get around to refunding the money on my credit card, I will be in the hole and have to pay out of pocket at the local pharmacy. These folks sound like robots repeating the same old line, "It is our policy." Several advisers rate this company a buy. If they continue to treat customers this way, they may find the ratings will change, I hope. It's a very bad company.

On July 20, 2009, after noticing the error, rather than sending the incorrect script to Medco, I called your office and asked to have a corrected script faxed to Medco so they could fill the proper quantity of 180. I spoke to both your office and Medco to confirm that the script was corrected and that Medco would send me the generic Toprol XL in a quantity of 180 for a 90-day supply. Both offices agreed that everything was corrected. On August 3, 2009, I called your office and Medco to re-confirm that everything was correct and that the prescription was received by Medco for the correct medication and quantity. I was assured by your office and Medco, that the quantity and dosage was correct, and that the medication would be sent shortly.

On August 10, 2009, I received in the mail the brand name Toprol XL in a quantity of 90. I called Medco for an explanation and was told that the prescription was written for brand name only, with a dosage of one daily, and that is what their pharmacist filled, intentionally ignoring the quantity 180, rather than contacting someone to confirm the proper dosage. When I called your office, I was told that Medco was at fault, even though the script was written for brand only and for one per day. I requested both your office and Medco to do whatever they needed to do to get the script corrected and to get the balance of the pills sent to me, since I obviously would run out before I was eligible to order more. I also requested that the generic correction be made and to correct the $87.02 charge to my account.

Neither your office nor Medco accepted responsibility for the errors, and insisted on blaming the other rather than correcting the script. I spent hours on the phone with both, attempting to get a resolution. Finally, their solution, rather than correcting the original script, was to make up a new script for 180 pills, in addition to the one I had just received in the mail. I am now out $87, have no idea what is in my medical records regarding dosage since I was told by your office that there is nothing in my medical record of anything other than one per day for the Toprol, and I'm not sure what my script status will be considering the multiple scripts that are being written/cancelled/changed, rather than having corrected the original problem. Then on August 12, 2009, I checked the order status of the new prescription at the Medco website, only to find out that it was for the brand name at a cost of $165.

I left a message at Main Line Arrhythmia. Again, I spoke to Medco. They will correct the order per Lenny. Lenny stated that the pharmacist made a mistake by not citing the generic substitution. The order will be corrected by Lenny. On August 12, 2009, website now states, "Unable to complete order." Again, I spoke to Medco. Supervisor, Miss **, again told me that the correct medication and quantity will be sent out. And the story goes on. It is now August 24, 2009 and Medco management representative now tells me that neither they (Medco) nor UPS knows where the package is that contains my prescription. Persons at both ends need to pay closer attention to details regarding patient medication.

After several days, on Aug 20th, I noticed nothing was changing on the internet, so I called. I spoke with Shannon, a pharmacist that told me when they verified with the doctor, he put cap, I had seen my doctor the day before and he told me he put tab and that they are idiots for even needing to bother him because they should know there is only one form of generic and he signed may substitute. Well, this was not good enough for Shannon, and I was transferred from Shannon to Rich who was rude and said, "Sorry you have to pay it; it is not going to go away; your doctor made the mistake, not us."

When I said, "I refuse to pay the $280," and he "better put me with someone who can make it go away," he gave me to his supervisor, Rhett. Rhett seemed uninterested in trying to solve anything and in a hurry to push it back onto me, my doctor and their pharmacist. He told me if my doctor would call in and get it corrected with the pharmacist that we could get the invoice adjusted off and I could return the script.

So, I called my doctor's office and begged the girls to do something they are not permitted to do which is spend so much time jumping through hoops with companies like Express Scripts. When they called me back, they said it took over an hour but all things were cleared up and switched over. On Aug 21, I checked the website. I can clearly see where they have now added the generic version and it is in processing for shipment. However, they have not corrected the $280 brand. I called again and requested a supervisor up front and was given to Chris, who told me he will have to get me with Rhett. After much time on hold, he came back and told me Rhett is in a meeting and he will have to call me back. So, I guess I can say, "more to come."

My diabetic medicine is supposed to be the same medicine as I have been taking; however, it is a different color and it does not seem to be working as well. My diet has not changed! I was given excuse after excuse after excuse as to why it took so long to get my prescriptions the first time. Two weeks ago, my doctor's office faxed in another prescription to Medco. I was standing there the entire time it was faxed in and know it was faxed. I have "one" pill left and have yet to receive my prescription. So, this morning, I called Medco again and asked to speak to the supervisor. Ms ** got on the phone and I was told that Medco never received the fax. This was the exact same excuse I was given in May. Ms. ** gave me several suggestions as to how I should maybe order my prescriptions other than to fax them since there was maybe a problem with the fax line, etc. I told her I shouldn't have to try other ways, but that I would take her advice and mention it to the doctor.

It seems the fax worked after my calling in several times the first time trying to get it straight! I told her she needed to perhaps check her employees' records or something to see that it was being right on Medco's end. I also told her I should not have to go through such a hassle anytime I needed to get my medicine. It is pure nonsense! Medco needs to train their employees better, get a better system, stop trying to 'force' its customers into purchasing from them and saying one thing then doing another. That was one of my complaints. One Medco employee told me my prescriptions would be $10 each. Then, the next employee I dealt with told me another price. One will tell you they are shipped, then the next said they were still there. I have records of all my conversations and who I talked to, but will not go into anymore detail on here. Just know that I despise the fact that I have to deal with such an incompetent company that is driving me crazy!

Then there is issue of cost. I was asked, "Do you want to know how much the brand name is?" My response was, "I don't care; all my prescriptions are $100; price does not matter." The differences between the two, the generic form only $12.50 but if I request the brand name over $1050.00. I'm being punished for not wanting to take generic. I know they aren't the same. They have different side effects; the pills do not even look the same. What are you here for? It is obvious not to help me. This is the worst company ever. I was told if I pick the prescription up from my local pharmacy, the cost would be a little over $400 all because I refused take a generic that just came on the market.

I called this morning to speak with an ES representative by the name of Mary who said she was the supervisor, explaining my case, and asked if she received the documentation I sent. She said it didn't matter, I still owed the money. She also said I should have called to let them know I didn't receive the medication. My response to her was - why would I call about something I didn't receive or know about? I have been getting my meds from Walgreens. They cannot prove to me they sent it, except for some paper receipt. It is nothing I signed for, or was ever in my mailbox.

I should not have to pay for something I did not receive. Mary stated she would note this on my file, and I asked her for a copy of the file with the notations. She said she could not and would not do this. I wanted a copy to send to the collection agency. I also contacted National Recovery who is the collection agency for them, and they could not prove that I received the medication, only that they sent the receipt from Express Scripts. This is a no-win situation.

I have not and will not receive any medication from Express Scripts. I don't know how many people they have done this to, but if they do this to enough people, they will make a lot of money. This could go on my credit report, which is no fault of mine. I will fight it because they have charged me for something I did not receive. My company has elected to have Express Scripts included into our healthcare plan, which we should have the option to opt-out. I'm already on blood pressure (BP) meds, and this incident has driven my pressure up considerably. I know it's only $10, but it's the principle of the matter - I didn't receive the medication.

The action by Medco appears to be in restraint of trade and we are following up with FDA as well as FTC to see if the Fed can take an interest in Medco's business practices. Just another example of pharma being more interested in the bottom line than taking care of paying insureds. As CNN reported this past week, with my wife's contribution and her district's contribution, plus our co-pays and deductibles for the two of us, we are paying $7,000+ annually for our medical care coverage, the cost of which is constantly increasing with reduced service delivery. Time for nationalized medical care and the end of pharma/medical/physician/hospital robber barons.

Still no prescription, I called the Medco order phone no. tonight and was told it had been refused again. Something about the prescription was voided "for some reason." I won't put into print what I told the woman. They are deliberately delaying the filling of this prescription. My doctor will not fax prescriptions but did fax the pre-approval form to them. Prior to the Omeprazole, I was taking Nexium. I got a letter from Medco saying the Omeprazole (generic) was available. I immediately requested a new prescription to save the $20 difference. I take several prescriptions every day and most are ordered online from Medco.

This after spending an hour repeatedly "dial 1 for...dial 2 for...let me transfer you to...please hold..." My only option at this point is to request that my doctor write a new prescription at a local pharmacy. My medication instructions stress the importance of not skipping a dose, not even one. Waiting for Express Scripts would cause me to go a minimum of 8 days without medication.

I have fibromyalgia and take Lyrica, and I can't get it. We have called numerous times, and they told us that it will be taken care of. But it is still unresolved since May 5, 2009 and it's now July. We have to use them through mail order and cannot use a local pharmacy. I have been in excruciating pain and have barely been able to move. This has been ridiculous I wish nothing more than to be able go to my local pharmacy and get my prescriptions and know that I can trust them.

I handle several prescriptions for my elderly mother. Express Scripts has over-estimated the number of one of her most important pills by a factor of four and therefore refused to refill the script until about four months have gone by. Unsurprisingly, my mom and I are far more able to parcel out her medications properly than Express Scripts is to count. I find it truly frightening that a company so incapable of getting even the basics correct has now added another layer of confusion between itself and competence.

After several weeks of no prescription, I received an authorization letter authorizing refills through May 2011. I resubmitted my prescription to the pharmacy but Medco rejected it again. I called Medco and they informed me that they did provide one part of the authorization but needed to speak to my doctor to complete it.

I spent two more weeks trying to get Medco and my doctor to speak with no luck. I confirmed with the pharmacy again that the prescription could not be filled. I called Medco to complain again but Medco put me on hold, called the pharmacy and provided approval. The elapsed time with no prescription is 3.5 weeks. I am going to the pharmacy to try to pick up my prescription now.

On 3 June, I received a response stating that they would be happy to do an early refill. I would, of course, be charged my copay. I have been calling Medco to try to get them to reship at their cost to no avail. My employer's benefits people are getting the same story. Yesterday, I actually had to ask my oncologist for free samples in an attempt to have enough medication until I can resolve this issue.

Afterwards, every time we would try and order the Protonix, they wanted me to use Nexium or some other stuff. Unfortunately, the Nexium made my nosebleeds worse and this was explained to them each and every month. I finally got so ** one month that when they called, I asked them if they used computers. They said yes. I said, “Every month you call and every month I tell you the same thing. Why isn't this in the computer?” I loved the answer I received – no reply from her. Every month they would call and try changing my meds, it was ridiculous. Then the BCBS plan changed a little. Now we can go to Kmart or Medco. Not any better at first. In 2008 I got very sick and was in the hospital for 4 months. After my first stay at the hospital (2-1/2 weeks), they sent me home with all kinds of different medications. So my hubby proceeded to get things ordered, and once again, the same problem arose again. Doctors faxing and Medco claiming the doctors weren't. I had 3 different doctors faxing in things, you are gonna sit there and tell me that none of my doctors are faxing, **! They had received an order for Lactulose Solution. They screwed around with that and I had to be 911 rushed to hospital. I was in an ammonia coma. So at that point, we started getting that from Kmart, which problems arose there as well. Not having the medication and having to wait for 2 days before they got it in. They did, however, get better at it, that is Kmart did.

Over the course of time with Medco, we have experienced so many lies from them, phone calls they make to us to change medications and to also say they could save us money by doing things this way. It’s just all lies and excuses every time we call. They have, at different times over the course of 4 to 5 years, sent the wrong medicines, wrong supplies, delayed medications (as they are doing right now), or just totally forgot to send out medications! Finally, I found this fantastic doctor at Florida Hospital who saved my life. He found me a liver donor, thank God. The only drawback is now I have to be on certain medications for life. So we’re trying to save anyway we can. When this started in June of 2008, my doctor and his dedicated staff have faxed things to Medco, called and talked to them on the phone and they still have the nerve to sit there and tell me they haven't received faxes and or phone calls. So much lies, we have both had it.

Last night, Medco called you could barely hear the person on the other end (this has been happening the past 3 to 4 months, not being able to hear them), either they talk so low or are afraid to talk into microphone or put it by their mouth. My hubby asked to try a different line and call us back. She never called back! My hubby called them this morning before leaving for work and they tried to tell him that no one called us last night. Once again, more lies. He was on the phone with them for 45 minutes and late for leaving to go to work. I have new meds that I'm on (3 different shots per week). I've been getting them at Kmart, but hubby did some checking and found that Medco was supposedly cheaper. So he called to get the prescriptions transferred, they said they needed new ones from the doctor. So I contacted him and they physically phoned them in over a week ago. My hubby assumes that's why they phoned last night. They said they had no record of anyone calling. Anyway, after talking to the person (I presently get the shots from Kmart) and they, Medco, approved that. Now he found out that they are cheaper over 90 days, though them. Now they are telling him they have to get approval for these meds (which they already have) Medco is the one who approved Kmart for this, now they tell my hubby that they can't send out anything until they get approval. Approval from who? They also told him that they would have to check back with my doctor. More lies! These people never call the doctors because every time we check back with doctors, Medco has never called them. There has got to be something done here and immediately.

We (the general public) need our medications. Medco is not only putting our health at risk by delaying medications, but is probably costing lives as well because medications come late or not at all. We pay our fees to them and they screw up and we still have to pay for their mistakes. I don't think so, we can't let this happen. I do plan on filing a complaint as well with BCBS and Sears as to what has and is happening. Maybe that is what we all should do. Thank you for you time and reading.

While I was holding for a PharmD at Medco for further clarification, I called the Restasis help line on another phone. The Restasis representative said that Medco and the FDA recognized that two trays constituted a 30-day supply and considered, for their purposes, two trays as the regimen for one month and should be charged as a single 30-day script regardless of the fact that it was divided into two packages. I was told by Restasis that Medco obviously had decided to charge double the normal pricing for a 30-day regimen of this medication.

My income has been drastically reduced and I cannot afford to pay the $208.94 per month that Medco expects me to pay for this medication. I am appalled that Medco is not honoring the dosing regimen for 30 days as set forth by the FDA and Restasis but instead chooses to charge double the price.