Costo wont give me my Xanax

I just moved to Utah from Michigan and I have been on Xanax for years.  I found a Physiatrist in Michigan who wanted me to try Valium and I didn’t like it.  The doctors new I was moving so I had one refill on Valium and two refills on Xanax.   Costo Pharmacy already refilled both of them one time.  I have one refill on the Xanax left, which they filled.  They won’t give it to me now until they talk to the doctor.  I have none left and will go into withdrawals. The doctor is on vacation for two weeks.  Is there anything I can do?????????  Any recommendations?

[Hensley258]

Oh boy. That is not good. I swear I can not stand those damn medication Nazis at the drug store. Try to go back to the pharmany and tell them, "fine so you won't fill my Xanax, then I have a right to get the script back that I gave to you" Tell them it is my script and I want it back NOW.

Once you get the scripts back, then go to another pharmacy that you have never been to before (they will have no past record of you) then tell them you don't have insurance and must pay cash for Generic Xanax (alprazolam) it's only $18 cash for a no insurance refill. Don't give them your insurance info because that will show when your last fill was and then they will screw you.

Get the plan? I did that this week because the damn pharmacy would not fill my Xanax because my insurance company said it was filled 20 days ago. "bastards"

the reason this pharmacy is not filling your Xanax is because they decided that it was too soon between you last refill. These damn pharmasists think they control the world and could give a **** about your suffering. That's why I call them Nazis.

I don't care what you must do to get it. You have to get your Xanax ASAP. If your on a high dosage and you do a cold turkey then the depths of hell will seem like a picinic compaired to the withdrawl (withdrawal).

I did 7 days cold turkey because my pharmacist wouldn't give me my Xanax. It was the most dirty rat withdrawl (withdrawal) I have ever had in my life.

Get that script back and go to another pharmacy that you have never been to. Tell then I have no insurance cash please. They will give it to you then because they won't know when you had your last refill.

[lisa20020]

Thanks so much for your feedback.  They wont give me it back because they will only allow you to transfer it once.  My whole day has been focusing on the fact i am out of my meds.  I  guess i will try calling clinics because i have no insurance.  I have been in the hospital because of withdrawal symptoms before and i'm slowing trying to taper off but i have been on it over 8 years.  I am just scared.  and the worst thing is my mom, whom i just moved here with is very mean about it, and if she seen me in full withdrawal she would have a breakdown.  She doesn't understand about all this.

[mjbrown]

If your dr. is on vacation, he/she must have someone who is covering for them. Try to find out who, and have the pharmacy contact this person asap. If that doesn't work, you can always go to the ER or a clinic and explain your situation. Give them your doc's contact info and bring along any documents you have to prove that you "legally" take xanax by prescription (e.g. your empty prescription bottle). The ER dr. should give you enough xanax to cover you until your dr. returns from vacation.

Hope this works out for you!

[ILADVOCATE]

Perhaps deal with a local pharmacy in the future. I've always had trouble with large chain pharmacies but my local pharmacy has always gone out of their way to help me. As for how they acted about the Xanax even though you take it responsibly its technically a controlled substance so there are very stringent regulations around its prescription. That said I agree with the other post about contacting your psychiatrist's replacement and I would think they would follow up.

[lisa20020]

Thanks iladvocate,
The biggest problem is that is was two different doctors.  One a physician and one a psychiatrist.  I told the pharmacist i was not going to take the valium anymore because it didnt work for me and it was a short term trial basis.  I had just started seeing the Psychiatrist after i finally got insurance.  Now I am stuck in a new state with no resources and it is really hard to find help with this.  I have tapered off xanax from 6 mg through the day to 3 mg through the day because i have been on it too long.  I already feel the withdrawal kicking in.

[ILADVOCATE]

Well call whichever doctor might have an assistant physician available or if no luck call your local NAMI chapter and ask who they suggest to call as going off Xanax clearly needs a provider's supervision. There should be someone who can straighten this out for you.

[Hensley258]

"Sigh" well you have to do something. You can't just stop taking a 3Mg a day dosage of Xanax. You will have to go to the hospital or something.

DON'T try to ride out that withdrawl (withdrawal). At your dosage this cold turkey stop could cause sezure. I'm not trying to scare you, but I want you to now how serious it is that you find help.

I was only on 2Mgs a day when I tried a cold turkey stop and I went thru hell. I don't even want to know what it's like to come off 3Mgs a day.

[Ariom63]

If your doctor is out of town, especially this type of doctor they always have someone filling his spot!!!!  It is true..I do not understand pharmacies..they are just watching our for there butts is all.  But try calling your doctors number and have them reach his back-up..they all have one!  if not ...heck I would go to the ER and explain what is going on..last thing you want is too get freaking sick and go cold turkey which is bad!  they will help...well most of them do!  Good luck and keep us posted!  I know where I live if you call your script in earlier than when you should be...then they do have the right not to dispense unless the doc okay's it.  Just the law...at least here!  Take care.

[greenlydia]

As has been stated here, if you try to refill a script for certain meds too soon, the pharmacy is only doing business "by the books," and while I do realize they can, at times, be rather rude, they are protecting their licenses, which took YEARS of medical school to aquire as they are DOCTORS OF PHARMACOLOGY......not "Nazis." If you run out of meds before the next refill date, then I have to wonder if you're taking more than prescribed..........there is that.
The new pharmacy should simply fax your prescription, even if there are no refills left, to your old pharmacy back home and your doctor, or whomever is covering for him while on vacation, should refill the script for you. You can ask the pharmacist to mark the fax "URGENT."
If that fails, go to the ER and they will give you enough to get through until you can hook up with a new doc. As someone said, be sure and take your empty bottle for proof that you have been given Xanax by a doctor, but you should also have your medical records faxed to you.......this would be proof positive that Xanax is a required daily med for you. (I'll save the Xanax lecture for another time)
Do NOT try and cold turkey Xanax..........if you run out and can't get any, go immediately to the ER and explain the situation.
Diazepam is totally useless for panic, so don't let them try and fob that crappola off on you!
And find a new doctor ASAP so this doesn't happen again.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Paxiled]

Your doctor should have an emergency number on his recording, or another psychiatrist covering.  Cold turkey on benzos can cause seizures, so this is an emergency.  And try going to a real pharmacy, not Costco.  Go to a Walgreen's or something, they will usually give you a few pills to carry you through until you can get another prescription to prevent sudden withdrawal.  

[Hensley258]

Eh, I still think their Nazis. They remind me of the Soup Nazi on Sinfeild. NO DRUGS FOR YOU!

If they had a clue they would be more concerned about the people they service. To me they are just Push button pill fillers that value their own self serving interest over their customers.

A proper pharmasist would give her enough meds to get by on until her doctor returns.
One of these days I hope these pharmasists start getting law suits slaped on them becuase they deny a patient a life saving drug.

Yes they are Nazis. No question about it.

[Paxiled]

Just for the record, greenlydia, pharmacists aren't all pharmacologists, and pharmacologists don't go to medical school, they go to pharmacology school.

[jakegorzen]

I have a uncle who is a Pharmacists "hes the high up one, been doing it for over 20 years"
And its a good job, not a job you wanna loose because someone "needs" more of there Medicine "they have no way of confirming the posters story, about the move"
They get so used to seeing junkies come in, they loose a piece of compassion.
And also, they cant just "Give her more" with or without a script, before her refill date unless doctors orders.
with narcotics......they'll be looking at prison time...and loosing there career.

I agree with the going to the ER.
I also agree, of why is the poster running out before date???
Good luck

[lisa20020]

I totally understand the pharmacists point of view.  Just for the record it is the legal time to refill my precscription.  That is why I am frustrated with them.  Now I just took my last Xanax and by Sunday withdrawals will be setting in.  I don't like that i am dependent on them but the same doctor has been prescribing them for years.  We both agreed its time to start tapering, which I have been with great success.

[Paxiled]

My pharmacist has given me a few pills when something went wrong with my prescription.  That's how I know they do it.  Also, these aren't narcotics.  Not every controlled substance is a narcotic.  

[nursegirl6572]

While I understand the frustration, controlled substances have very strict rules in place for a reason, and the Pharmacist has a responsibility to follow them.  It sounds to me that it has something to do with the transferred prescription.  They have to verify the script in those cases, which is probably why they haven't filled it yet.  Once they speak with the prescribing doc (or a partner), they will probably be able to fill it.

The best advice for anyone taking these meds is to ALWAYS  plan enough time to allow for Pharmacy issues, screw-ups, what have you.  Obviously, transferring Pharmacies for a controlled substance is tricky and they have to follow protocol.  Same with refills.  Don't wait until there is one pill left when you (general you, not to one person) need to go back to the doc for a new script.

OP---call the prescribing doc's office and explain the situation, calling several times if you have to.  They will likely need to notify the Pharmacy that it is ok to fill it.  If that doesn't work, then head to an urgi-care or ED until you can be seen by a doc, or speak with your old doc.

And, I also totally disagree with the "Nazi" comment (which, also, btw...I feel is a poor choice of words to use as a comparison).  There are reasons for rules, and the Pharms HAVE to follow them, it is the LAW when it comes to a controlled substance.  They cannot just decide to "give you a few extra", or make a determination to refill a script early.  IF some do that....they are 100% risking their license by doing so.  This is why there are responsibilities that lie with the patient when they are prescribed a med like this.  They need to know the rules, and have to follow them in order to obtain their medications.

[jakegorzen]

Paxiled,
Yea your right.
Thats what I meant to say "Controlled substance" not narcotic

In any case, its still a big one, and Id bet if a person got caught with them without prescription, theres a good chanced there getting locked up....and for a reason.

[pgcc313]

I hate pharmacists who think their job is more than reading the prescription, counting pills and then putting them is a bottle. I worked in a pharmacy through college and then in law school and as a tech I did the same exact work as the pharmacist. What you should always do is avoid CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Costco ECT. Find a mom and pop pharmacy and build a relationship with them. In these big chains the pharmacists get a salary, they have no stake in if you fill the script their or somewhere else. In a small pharmacy the pharmacist probably owns the store an actually wants your business, big difference. I grantee if you went to a small pharmacy you would not be having this problem. But in your situation I would go to the closest ER and get enough pills until you can see a doc, and then patronize a small place. Once I had a pharmacist refuse to fill my xanax prescription, which was $19.00 because I did not have the cash to fill the other script because it was over $100. I got so angry with this man, he was overstepping his bounds and not doing his job correctly. Pharmacists are not watch dogs, they are pill counters and occasionally give some advice, its the easiest job in the world. This was at a hospital and I made a formal complaint, don't know what came of it because I was out of state again but I just took the script went to the next nearest pharmacy and had no problems.

[Paxiled]

Good luck finding a family owned pharmacy!  What I find is, if you keep going to the same pharmacy, they have records on you and know what you've been taking.  If they see you've been on the same prescription for awhile, they should help you.  If you're new to a pharmacy, they don't have that record and can't help you.  Costco and Walmart aren't pharmacies, they're just in it  for the quick buck, not the continuing relationship.  Although Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid are huge conglomerates now, at least they are pharmacies.  

[nursegirl6572]

"Costco and Walmart aren't pharmacies, they're just in it  for the quick buck, not the continuing relationship.  Although Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid are huge conglomerates now, at least they are pharmacies.  "

BINGO!

And, while I agree that a person still may get better, more personalized service at a Mom and Pop store, they are still all bound by the same laws.  

And, I have to disagree when it comes to Pharmacists just being "pill counters"....I've gotten more guidance about medications from the Pharmacy than from the doctor on a lot of occasions.  They are GREAT resources.  I don't think some people even realize that.  I have gotten advice on everything from new Rx info, to the best OTC products for diaper rash, bee stings, etc...and they never steered me wrong yet.  Their advice was spot on.  And, this was at a big chain store (Rite Aid).  I have even talked to the Pharmacist at our local Wallie World one time, when I had a script filled there because of proximity....and the Pharmacist was very knowledgeable.  My son had HORRID diaper rash when he was young...after countless MD visits and the 3rd or 4th prescription...it wasn't getting any better.  Asked the Pharm, who recommended a certain brand of ointment.  It cleared up in 2 days.  

Hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I realize that if someone had a bad experience, it will change their viewpoint, I just hate to see Pharmacists getting a bad rap...they go through a LOT of schooling and are no dummies.  If you ask for their help, you'll get it.  If someone is angry with Pharmacists b/c they wouldn't fill a script a day or two early, that is not fair...they have to follow rules, period...and EVEN if ONE Pharmacist may BEND the rules, you can't expect them all to.  I know *I* wouldn't if it were MY license on the line.

[thelma201]

Let me say that each State has their own policies about refills of controlled substances. They usually go by the class..or phase 1,2 3..so forth. I Michigan the only LAW that applies to xanax is "not more than 5 refills".thats all, the rest of this is store policy...i live in Michigan and I know for a fact that there are no "laws" that dictate when i can refill my prescription..neither myself nor my pharmacy is breaking any law if i want to refill my prescription a few days early, at least in Michigan!!

[Porterroxy]

So I did this with my script. Now I'm due in 5 days and I don't want to pay 100 bucks. I have insurance just like u said tho I didn't tell this new pharmacy because I was out early. Now in five days can I tell them I have insurance to cover this time so it only cost me 10 bucks. R will I get in trouble will insurance show them the date it was origanlyy last filled with insurance and will I get questioned as to why I paid cash last time instead of telling them I had insurance? Any information will help thanks.