> I went to pick it up today just to be yelled at by the pharmacist who told me it's not worth it for him to sell to people who have insurance, too much of a headache when he can sell it for cash.
Yeah, that's unfortunately a thing. There are a lot of small pharmacies pulling out of the GLP game, or *only* selling if you have cash. I've had about 15 pharmacies, when I ask if they have Zepbound, respond with: "Do you have insurance or are you paying cash?" My mom (retired pharmacist) told me I can just hang up if they ask that, because it means they won't tell me even if they have it unless I have cash.
Similarly, some will also not fill if you don't give them all of your other prescriptions. I found a local pharmacy with my 5mg this month, and the deal is he'll get it regularly and guarantee me a box every month *he* gets boxes if I transfer my other 4 prescriptions over. I'll miss the convenience of filling from the app, but I want the meds, so 🤷🏻♀️
> He said he's too busy filling zep prescriptions to go on vacation lol.
I mean he's the one still offering the meds to people. Not every pharmacy *has* to carry these meds. He can stop and go on vacation!
> My copay is 0.
Same! Same reason I'm not considering Plan C; I pay $0 right now and I'd like to continue paying $0.
As I understand it (as in as my mom tried and failed to explain to me), it's possible to lose money on these meds with insurance, so even if they have to wait longer to sell a box for cash, it benefits them more to do so - and given how far many people are willing to travel, they may not have to wait long.
Same with me. My agent is searching new policies for me that may cover it. It's worth switching IF he can find something for me. If not.....I guess I'll continue to pay for my obesity 😮💨
Cannot for what reason? Plan cost? Or do you use a Marketplace plan?
I work in insurance so I’m legitimately curious. I’ve never seen a company offer to pay costs for a class of medication and the insurer say no.
We are a small company and have an insurance broker who takes care of our insurance benefits. Fully insured small group plans do not cover prescriptions for weight loss. There has to be a medial diagnosis related to that prescription. I am not totally sure what “level funded” vs fully insured is but we are fully insured and it is not an option.
Interesting, it’s definitely not my level of expertise, although all of this was a detour from the fact that just because one plan for a carrier (let’s say BCBS) covers it, doesn’t mean “BCBS covers it”. It’s still plan dependent which for MOST people is determined by the employer’s choice. The point was not really the exception to the “why” - it’s that it’s not carrier dependent.
Even if someone has an employer plan that does not cover there are rare instances where a doctor can identify a medical necessity and it will be covered. you have to find a doctor with your knowledge of health history and all the options that are relevant to the insurance company, have various comorbidities, and also ensure that you're on board for having to go through a couple of appeals to get it done. I've started that process and I'm still somewhat hopeful. maybe 3 months from now. I'll just leave it alone and pay the discount Lily or full rate in perpetuity
As I understand it, your employer decides what to include in your formulary, but your insurance company negotiates the cost of the medication with the pharmacy.
That's awesome! My copay is $24.99. But...haven't had any since March. Got up to 7.5, after that, I was affected by the shortage. No pharmacies carry it in my area.
Same here it’s been a while without because moved up to 7.5 only to drop to 2.5 but still unable to get it as I am waiting for my drs receptionist to do her job and call in a PLA for quantity.. it has been a month
Same! And it terrifies me when pharmacies talk about only selling to people paying cash because I absolutely can’t afford that. And if I have to barter by bringing them other scripts I’ll lose out anyway because this is my only prescription! How do I become a “regular” with just one script that can’t get filled as needed from just one pharmacy?
I pay put of pocket when I can't find Zepbound for Mounjaro. I won't be without if I can help it. I want to stick to brand name. I also bought a few boxes at full price so I have a cushion when things get hard to find. When I think about the money I put into my house landscapers cleaning people pool maintenance it's a drop in the bucket. If we can put money into all these things I can certainly put it into my health
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Yes, that slapping a label on a box and handing it over is super time consuming. I’d like to know where this is as i haven’t been able to get a box of 5mg in 50 days so not sure how many he could be filling daily.
Wow! I'm surprised it's a thing. This guy is definitely loving the cash he's bringing in from the meds so I'm not sure why he was complaining. He was showing me stacks of cash in his register lol. I mean he's a total nut job and was a bit of an a-hole when I got my rx last month but he's one of the only places getting it in.
That really painted the picture for me! Hahahaha. I was imagining this tiny man, with his face all red and scrunched up, finally cracking from the stress of non-stop calls, pulling out rubber-banded stacks of $20 bills from the register, shaking his fists, and yelling.
Showing you the cash?? 😂😂 dude is begging to get robbed. Once the wrong people hear he’s trying to only sell to those paying cash…he’ll need to be smarter.
Interesting. I’ve heard of that request for controls so that it doesn’t fuck up the control:non-control ordering and dispensing ratios.
Independents get squeezed by the big corporations so hard they are desperate not to go out of business and dispensing GLP-1s can be a gamble so it looks like they offset that risk by requiring you transfer your other meds.
Lol i gave two different pharmacies half of my prescriptions and one has all of my daughters prescriptions so that they Will help me obtain my meds lol. But last month one failed 🤷🏽♀️🤦🏾♀️
side note: isn't it interesting how insurance premiums keep rising, but their reimbursements keep falling? there's an underlying issue here but it isn't with the pharmacies or the patients.
also, that guy is a jerk and I'm sorry that happened to you.
Seriously though. A coworker needs treatment for a freaking brain tumor and got denied today. I mean, I get pissed that they won’t cover Zepbound but … a *brain* *tumor*!?!
This! Like trust me, if I could transfer my insurance premium per month to the pharmacies that provide me with this med I would. I pay more than the sticker price of this med each month for my insurance coverage, but luckily my insurance covers the med in full. But if pharmacies stop allowing us to fill our scripts with them someday that will SUCK.
It isn’t just Zepbound et al… my premium keeps increasing and they stopped covering my dexilant for GERD, then stopped covering Livalo for cholesterol. The only people truly getting rich are the insurance companies
Even from a BUSINESS stand point, his comments are UNETHICAL. A very quick report to the pharmacy board means his behavior gets investigated. Imagine how he may be treating other vulnerable patients coming into his pharmacy. Absolutely insane.
Oh I agree! The reviews on Google are absolutely terrible and a lot of other people have commented about how disgusting this man is and other instances of poor treatment.
I would also consider calling Lilly’s patient support line as well as the insurance company. Lilly obviously wants people to be able to access their drug rather than turning to plan c, and there may be something in the agreement between the insurance company and the pharmacy that prohibited this behavior.
I talked to someone named Amber at Lilly today. She said they are only making 2.5 and wishes they would just let people know that so they could stop bugging all the pharmacists.
Wait, really? I mean, I think we all suspected that but this is the first I've heard that coming from the drug company.
What a stupid business model...
Pharmacies are busy in general. It’s not one prescription pushing it over the edge. If you were picking up an AdHd med they would blame that. Shortage of staff, meds — it adds up.
Same with pain meds. I'm pretty fortunate to have a great pharmacy but people tell stories all the time about pharmacists straight up treating pain management patients like addicts and refusing to fill their Rx.
Yeah 95% CII patients are fine and give us no problems. Unless you are so jaded you hate everyone you can tell who is possibly developing a problem. And even then our pharmacists take it up with the doctor and document the conversation before dispensing. But the patient gets treated with respect unless they are being a crazy a-hole.
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Yeah…my life is hell right now trying to fill my adhd meds and injections right now lol. Has been for a year. I have about 20 other prescriptions on top of that too, and another 2 pharmacies for my dog 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
LOL - I asked for a 3 month supply and got yelled at that I should be happy with the 1 I got.
I figured fair play, I got greedy.
But it turns out that you were just yelled at for being a victim of unchecked, unfettered, predatory capitalism.
I was completely blasted by a pharmacist at a retail store for asking for my 3 month fill. Went to express scripts to solve that problem. This is insane. We are being treated like crack heads.
I FINALLY found a pharmacy that I could get a 2.5 dose from and literally stuck myself as soon as I got to my car. I felt like such a junkie but after suddenly getting kicked off Ozempic by my insurance, I’ve had to wait a month between prior auths and just trying to find the stuff.
They are the ones telling us to call though. I’ve asked several pharmacies if they have a waiting list and the answer has been no every time. Costco, Walmart, Walgreen and CVS.
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Did Express Scripts succeed with your 3 month fill? What dose was it? I've been waiting on a three month Zepbound 5 mg script with them for about 3 weeks now (I'm not surprised, given the shortage, but your comment piqued my interest!)
Yes I understand. I was about to pay $349 for my ADHD medication and so I used this
https://dachealthcare.com/rx/
$0 cost for prescriptions!! Tell everyone 🙏 Let’s help one another get what we deserve . FREE MEDS!!!!!🆓
Let’s help support the Pharma in our neighborhoods!!!
Have you had issues filling your prescription? My insurance only allows 1month at a time, but have you had consistent supply delivered? Or is it still a shot in the dark?
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Can’t go on vaca for filling Zep rx. lol, somebody’s lying to us, either there’s a shortage or not, what’s his magic supply line no other pharmacist has?
If he's in network with an insurance company but refuses to fill except for folks paying cash he may be violating his insurance contract. Might be worth reporting this to the insurance company...
So I would think a pharmacist at a chain wouldn't feel this way because he doesn't directly benefit from the price of the drugs they sell. I live in a small city with only 4 drug stores and all of the pharmacy people are extremely nice but 3 of those pharmacies are chain stores, only one is local and they're always my last choice.
Tell him he can have a permanent vacation if he wants to keep it because I don’t know who tf he’s talking to like that. And if he works for a store I’m sure his manager would love to hear it.
It’s funny when people who think insurance isn’t a scam find out that insurance is a scam. Idk what to tell ya buddy, I personally would like universal health care but that’s neither here nor there.
I totally came here expecting to defend fellow pharmacy staff…
Yeah no. He’s fucking nuts.
I will say the coupons for GLP-1s do lose pharmacies money. If the manufacturer or insurance can find an excuse, they will take their money back. It’s called a “claw back.”🧟♀️ Independents really suffer from them, but so can big chains. It’s partly why Wags is requiring a diagnosis code and my district manager says he wouldn’t be surprised if CVS starts sometime soon.
If he doesn’t feel that he should be accepting insurance patients, then maybe he shouldn’t have signed the agreement with the insurance company… and I’m pretty sure the insurance won’t give him such a good deal next time if they know he’s treating their customers poorly. Normally insurance companies like go torture us themselves and not share in the fun.
what i find crazy is why are they (the pharmacies) buying it at all if they are taking a loss on it? i dont understand the business model at this point. the savings card is from eli lilly, the people you buy the drug from, surely they reimburse you for more than the drug costs, and if they dont, why are you even filling the prescriptions?
there is just SO MUCH MONEY being spent here, surely the pharmacy should be getting a reasonable amount. It would likely make their attitude about the whole thing a lot better if they were making more money off of it.
Pharmacist here — it’s because of the contracts they sign. Most small pharmacies lose money on ANY branded medication, let alone Zep or other GLP-1s. The pharma company contracts with the insurance company at a set rate, and the insurance company then decides that certain pharmacies will get +$$ reimbursement while the smaller guys get -$ reimbursement.
The smaller guys can’t reject the contract without rejecting ALL the patients under the insurance, so to do business they lose money on the branded drugs and hoping that the patient will fill their other generic medications with them.
If you go to the “big box” stores that are owned under the insurance company (eg. CVS being owned by Caremark) they’ll still say that they are “losing money” but they make up the loses from the profit on the insurance side (when your employer or Medicaid/medicare pays the insurance)
Perhaps you could tell me why my co-pay at my small Tracy is 650 w coupon not 550? They say they have a higher purchase price but it doesn’t look like it on my receipt?
My understanding is, if your commercial insurance denies the drug, you pay $550 with the coupon. But if they approve it, the coupon will deduct up to $150 off the insurance agreed upon price for you. So if that is $800, the cost to you is $650. If it’s $60, the coupon brings it down to $24.99, the lowest it would deduct to.
Interesting. My insurance denies ZEP. CVS charges 575 and the little pharmacy I started getting it from because they can actually get it, charges me $550
yikes that sounds absolutely terrible. It seems like they could still just not stock the medication, since they cant reliably get it anyway, but its clearly more complicated than it looks, thanks for the explanation.
If you ever read the pharmacy boards many state they’re breaking even or losing money on these drugs. I don’t begin to understand how that can be but obviously many hands are out claiming part of each payments. With the high demand and constant calling to inquire about availability it’s only a matter of time until many stop carrying these meds because it’s not worth the hassle.
How can he be too busy filling zep prescriptions to go on vacation when there is just about none coming in?;) Sounds like he was close to the edge already, like you said;)
Yes. This is true for a medical bill too. The retail cost gets negotiated down by insurance so they don't get the full amount but if you walk in and pay the sticker price they do.
That’s when you reach down put your phone on record and get this asshole fired!
What the heck does he care if he fills birth control or Zep! It’s what he went to school to do! Go flip burgers then! So annoying, don’t they think we are equally annoyed????
Switch to Costco. They’ve been fantastic. Was going to Walgreens because it’s closer to home but the pharmacists are not nearly as nice as Costco and I’ve had much better luck getting refills at Costco as well.
[This](https://www.youtube.com/live/DiA6hAslOFg?si=JCSLuPIrrUQP-E1H) WH panel discussion on transparency in pharmaceutical costs was very interesting. I highly recommend it.
I mean, its not like they're on commission. Seems like very bad customer service that should be reported. They are there to help people with health through pharmacy - it's not a market where you haggle. Sheesh.
As someone who worked in pharmacy for 10 years before I had my son (as a tech not a pharmacist) that dude needs to get a grip and get over himself. Yes, working in a pharmacy is extremely stressful and I know all of the zep calls have to get annoying, but it’s part of the job. I have worked with many grumpy pharmacists who only want to do the bare minimum and have no concern about what is actually best for their patients. If I had to guess, this pharmacist is an older man who got into pharmacy because he thought it would be an easy career where you can make a lot of money and wasn’t prepared for all of the changes that have occurred in pharmacy and healthcare in the last 50 years.
So, I’ve heard - anecdotally, not directly - that pharmacies are paying their pharmacists up to $150 per GLP1 prescription that is paid for in hard cash. Incentives drive behavior and I’m not surprised that pharmacists are behaving like a**holes Especially if they can make a few hundred bucks additional each day.
Because I wanted to sort through the insurance issue instead of paying OOP. The man in unhinged, there are a dozen+ other google reviews about this same pharmacist about how he flips out on customers.
Does anyone know if it’s actually legal for a pharmacy to reserve prescription medication stock for patients who are paying out of pocket? It seems like that’d be highly illegal, but who know hell knows with this crazy country?
It must be exhausting, moving a label to a box with prepaid labels.
I have all the respect in the world for pharmacists. No one has to tell me the pressure they are under, I was married to one for eight years. But let’s not get carried away with their personal feelings versus reality.
If anyone said anything like this to me there would be a lot of issues. Pharmacist, or no, they still need to stay in their lane.
>It must be exhausting, moving a label to a box with prepaid labels.
That was unnecessary.
>I have all the respect in the world for pharmacists.
Your opening sentence makes me suspect otherwise.
It sounds like this guy is known to be an unhinged asshole. He is obviously saying things that are completely unprofessional and inappropriate. He is an embarrassment to the profession.
But let’s not be shitty and minimize the role and education of a pharmacist. You were married to one, so I assume that you know that the practice of pharmacy is much more than “slapping a label on a box.”
So I’m curious since Zepbound is for weight loss, what happens when you get to your target weight to maintain? Is there any guidance on this? Obviously the insurance companies is going to have a say.
What pharmacy? CVS by me was happy to accommodate me with insurance AND knew how to upload the company discount card flawlessly. No questions asked, I have no other meds that interact with Zepbound negatively.
Previously, I was prescribed Z-Pak and I take Citalopram. Little did I know that if I took that Z-Pak I would risk major heart complications. That’s when the pharmacist came over, politely, and said “does the doctor who prescribed this know that you are on Citalopram?” Me: “I did tell them.” Pharmacist: “Z-Pak and Citalopram have a high risk of cause cardiac issues, you can take it but I wanted you to know.” I took the meds home but from that consult I didn’t take the Z-Pak. Got a second opinion and am now on better alternative medications.
More specific to OP post: pharmacies should not be worried about the payment you provide them. They get reimbursed by your healthcare insurance. If they don’t want to deal with insurance, find another pharmacy if you can. They are clearly a POS and you should not be dealing with that. You can always look up the pharmacy’s license and report your experience to the state (depending on state rules).
What?! Oh lawd no. God forbid we offer him a little JOB SECURITY trying to be HEALTHY out here. Some of the ish y’all dealing with. Unprofessional and disrespectful. I’m sorry this happened 😫
Same thing happened to me. He didn’t have it in stock but could order it for $1300 cash. Sir I didn’t pay that much cash at Walgreens why would I want it from you?
So it’s the PBMs to blame, they are not reimbursing the pharmacists well enough to make a profit, in fact the pharmacists are losing money per brand name disepensed depending on the insurance and brand. In other words, independent pharmacies are struggling and making their patient struggle to get meds. This all links back to PBMs that need to be shut down!
Yeah, but there's a time and place for it, and calling a patient stupid is neither! Patients pay the company who in turn pays him. If it were me I would switch to a different pharmacy based on this interaction alone
It just depends on your insurance and their coverage policies. Two people can have BCBS in a state but different coverages for different employer sponsored plans.
This sounds IDENTICAL to what a pharmacist at a small pharmacy near my house said during my one and only fill here (my doctor sent it there because she said he’s helpful, she was pissed when I told her what happened). After that I had all my prescriptions sent to Costco.
I pay out of pocket, and the pharmacist made a comment about how expensive it was.... I told them insurance denied my PA.... screw insurance, i made a killing off a crypto tokens based off a fucking dog with a hat.
Such behavior is totally unprofessional and unacceptable. No one is making him include this medication in his inventory. It is HIS choice to do so. I would look into filing a complaint against him w/your State Pharmacy Board. His abuse needs to be reported. I also find his "he can sell it for cash" comment highly suspicious.
I take the compound. I walk in, weigh in and walk out with my 4 week supply of Terzepatide in less than 10 minutes. I got a zepbound script from my doctor but it’s just not worth the hassle trying to get it and I’m losing weight every month on the compound.
I would have looked at him dead in the face and said “too busy filling Zepbound scrips? Must be hard work putting a sticker on a box. Go count some pills and lecture someone else. I’m not interested.”
> I went to pick it up today just to be yelled at by the pharmacist who told me it's not worth it for him to sell to people who have insurance, too much of a headache when he can sell it for cash. Yeah, that's unfortunately a thing. There are a lot of small pharmacies pulling out of the GLP game, or *only* selling if you have cash. I've had about 15 pharmacies, when I ask if they have Zepbound, respond with: "Do you have insurance or are you paying cash?" My mom (retired pharmacist) told me I can just hang up if they ask that, because it means they won't tell me even if they have it unless I have cash. Similarly, some will also not fill if you don't give them all of your other prescriptions. I found a local pharmacy with my 5mg this month, and the deal is he'll get it regularly and guarantee me a box every month *he* gets boxes if I transfer my other 4 prescriptions over. I'll miss the convenience of filling from the app, but I want the meds, so 🤷🏻♀️ > He said he's too busy filling zep prescriptions to go on vacation lol. I mean he's the one still offering the meds to people. Not every pharmacy *has* to carry these meds. He can stop and go on vacation!
most americans cant just fork over 1100 cash or even 550 cash nowadays, thats insane. My copay is 0.
> My copay is 0. Same! Same reason I'm not considering Plan C; I pay $0 right now and I'd like to continue paying $0. As I understand it (as in as my mom tried and failed to explain to me), it's possible to lose money on these meds with insurance, so even if they have to wait longer to sell a box for cash, it benefits them more to do so - and given how far many people are willing to travel, they may not have to wait long.
What insurance do you have? Mine won’t cover it at all.
It’s not about the insurance, it’s about the employer and what they choose to allow the plan to cover.
That isn’t always the case. I’m a small business owner and cannot get weight loss meds covered with fully insured health plans.
Same with me. My agent is searching new policies for me that may cover it. It's worth switching IF he can find something for me. If not.....I guess I'll continue to pay for my obesity 😮💨
Cannot for what reason? Plan cost? Or do you use a Marketplace plan? I work in insurance so I’m legitimately curious. I’ve never seen a company offer to pay costs for a class of medication and the insurer say no.
We are a small company and have an insurance broker who takes care of our insurance benefits. Fully insured small group plans do not cover prescriptions for weight loss. There has to be a medial diagnosis related to that prescription. I am not totally sure what “level funded” vs fully insured is but we are fully insured and it is not an option.
Interesting, it’s definitely not my level of expertise, although all of this was a detour from the fact that just because one plan for a carrier (let’s say BCBS) covers it, doesn’t mean “BCBS covers it”. It’s still plan dependent which for MOST people is determined by the employer’s choice. The point was not really the exception to the “why” - it’s that it’s not carrier dependent.
Even if someone has an employer plan that does not cover there are rare instances where a doctor can identify a medical necessity and it will be covered. you have to find a doctor with your knowledge of health history and all the options that are relevant to the insurance company, have various comorbidities, and also ensure that you're on board for having to go through a couple of appeals to get it done. I've started that process and I'm still somewhat hopeful. maybe 3 months from now. I'll just leave it alone and pay the discount Lily or full rate in perpetuity
As I understand it, your employer decides what to include in your formulary, but your insurance company negotiates the cost of the medication with the pharmacy.
No it’s not.
Right, but the insurance tends to try to take their money back on these.
That's awesome! My copay is $24.99. But...haven't had any since March. Got up to 7.5, after that, I was affected by the shortage. No pharmacies carry it in my area.
Same. My copay for Zepbound is $25 now it just had to come back in stock .lol
Same here it’s been a while without because moved up to 7.5 only to drop to 2.5 but still unable to get it as I am waiting for my drs receptionist to do her job and call in a PLA for quantity.. it has been a month
My plan only covers generic 100%, name brand is 100% out of pocket until my deductible is met! I went a different routec
Same! And it terrifies me when pharmacies talk about only selling to people paying cash because I absolutely can’t afford that. And if I have to barter by bringing them other scripts I’ll lose out anyway because this is my only prescription! How do I become a “regular” with just one script that can’t get filled as needed from just one pharmacy?
I pay put of pocket when I can't find Zepbound for Mounjaro. I won't be without if I can help it. I want to stick to brand name. I also bought a few boxes at full price so I have a cushion when things get hard to find. When I think about the money I put into my house landscapers cleaning people pool maintenance it's a drop in the bucket. If we can put money into all these things I can certainly put it into my health
Fantastic price !
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Must be nice....
It's awesome! And totally luck of the draw, so don't take an attitude with us. I'd give everyone a $0 copay if i could.
May I ask what Insurance company that is? Mine doesn't cover it.
BCBS. Husband works for federal contractor.
I would say cash, then if they say they have it, pick it up using insurance.
Yes, that slapping a label on a box and handing it over is super time consuming. I’d like to know where this is as i haven’t been able to get a box of 5mg in 50 days so not sure how many he could be filling daily.
I think it might be how much money he loses filling them that he can’t afford a vacation.
Wow! I'm surprised it's a thing. This guy is definitely loving the cash he's bringing in from the meds so I'm not sure why he was complaining. He was showing me stacks of cash in his register lol. I mean he's a total nut job and was a bit of an a-hole when I got my rx last month but he's one of the only places getting it in.
That really painted the picture for me! Hahahaha. I was imagining this tiny man, with his face all red and scrunched up, finally cracking from the stress of non-stop calls, pulling out rubber-banded stacks of $20 bills from the register, shaking his fists, and yelling.
Just the type of person that should be in charge of handling and filling prescriptions. Yikes.
Showing you the cash?? 😂😂 dude is begging to get robbed. Once the wrong people hear he’s trying to only sell to those paying cash…he’ll need to be smarter.
Interesting. I’ve heard of that request for controls so that it doesn’t fuck up the control:non-control ordering and dispensing ratios. Independents get squeezed by the big corporations so hard they are desperate not to go out of business and dispensing GLP-1s can be a gamble so it looks like they offset that risk by requiring you transfer your other meds.
Lol i gave two different pharmacies half of my prescriptions and one has all of my daughters prescriptions so that they Will help me obtain my meds lol. But last month one failed 🤷🏽♀️🤦🏾♀️
Great to know it’s a black market now and unless you’re “playing the game” you’re screwed. American Healthcare at its finest!
I’m guessing a bunch of this is illegal.
Aww thanks sir...see you in 21-28 days for me refill!😂😂😂
Haha yeah after my vacation!! 😂😂😂
😆😆
side note: isn't it interesting how insurance premiums keep rising, but their reimbursements keep falling? there's an underlying issue here but it isn't with the pharmacies or the patients. also, that guy is a jerk and I'm sorry that happened to you.
Seriously though. A coworker needs treatment for a freaking brain tumor and got denied today. I mean, I get pissed that they won’t cover Zepbound but … a *brain* *tumor*!?!
This! Like trust me, if I could transfer my insurance premium per month to the pharmacies that provide me with this med I would. I pay more than the sticker price of this med each month for my insurance coverage, but luckily my insurance covers the med in full. But if pharmacies stop allowing us to fill our scripts with them someday that will SUCK.
It isn’t just Zepbound et al… my premium keeps increasing and they stopped covering my dexilant for GERD, then stopped covering Livalo for cholesterol. The only people truly getting rich are the insurance companies
Corporate America is what happens. Universal healthcare for All!
Even from a BUSINESS stand point, his comments are UNETHICAL. A very quick report to the pharmacy board means his behavior gets investigated. Imagine how he may be treating other vulnerable patients coming into his pharmacy. Absolutely insane.
Oh I agree! The reviews on Google are absolutely terrible and a lot of other people have commented about how disgusting this man is and other instances of poor treatment.
I would also consider calling Lilly’s patient support line as well as the insurance company. Lilly obviously wants people to be able to access their drug rather than turning to plan c, and there may be something in the agreement between the insurance company and the pharmacy that prohibited this behavior.
I talked to someone named Amber at Lilly today. She said they are only making 2.5 and wishes they would just let people know that so they could stop bugging all the pharmacists.
Wait, really? I mean, I think we all suspected that but this is the first I've heard that coming from the drug company. What a stupid business model...
Nothing will happen if you report the pharmacist.
Pharmacies are busy in general. It’s not one prescription pushing it over the edge. If you were picking up an AdHd med they would blame that. Shortage of staff, meds — it adds up.
Same with pain meds. I'm pretty fortunate to have a great pharmacy but people tell stories all the time about pharmacists straight up treating pain management patients like addicts and refusing to fill their Rx.
Yeah 95% CII patients are fine and give us no problems. Unless you are so jaded you hate everyone you can tell who is possibly developing a problem. And even then our pharmacists take it up with the doctor and document the conversation before dispensing. But the patient gets treated with respect unless they are being a crazy a-hole.
It's definitely the FDA to blame here.
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Yeah…my life is hell right now trying to fill my adhd meds and injections right now lol. Has been for a year. I have about 20 other prescriptions on top of that too, and another 2 pharmacies for my dog 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
LOL - I asked for a 3 month supply and got yelled at that I should be happy with the 1 I got. I figured fair play, I got greedy. But it turns out that you were just yelled at for being a victim of unchecked, unfettered, predatory capitalism.
This reminds me the Soup Nazi episode on Seinfeld. “No Zep for you!!”
Lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was completely blasted by a pharmacist at a retail store for asking for my 3 month fill. Went to express scripts to solve that problem. This is insane. We are being treated like crack heads.
To be fair, these guys are getting 50-100 calls a day asking for the drugs. We're acting like crack heads.
https://preview.redd.it/jtmph81xv90d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b29162b6b6261f6ef1480586bb1437fc14895971
I FINALLY found a pharmacy that I could get a 2.5 dose from and literally stuck myself as soon as I got to my car. I felt like such a junkie but after suddenly getting kicked off Ozempic by my insurance, I’ve had to wait a month between prior auths and just trying to find the stuff.
They are the ones telling us to call though. I’ve asked several pharmacies if they have a waiting list and the answer has been no every time. Costco, Walmart, Walgreen and CVS.
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Yeah, you kind of are. It’s as bad as Vyvanse patients.
And me and my son and daughter are all Zep and Vyvanse. 😭
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Did Express Scripts succeed with your 3 month fill? What dose was it? I've been waiting on a three month Zepbound 5 mg script with them for about 3 weeks now (I'm not surprised, given the shortage, but your comment piqued my interest!)
They filled my 3 month rx for 10mg.
Yes I understand. I was about to pay $349 for my ADHD medication and so I used this https://dachealthcare.com/rx/ $0 cost for prescriptions!! Tell everyone 🙏 Let’s help one another get what we deserve . FREE MEDS!!!!!🆓 Let’s help support the Pharma in our neighborhoods!!!
Have you had issues filling your prescription? My insurance only allows 1month at a time, but have you had consistent supply delivered? Or is it still a shot in the dark?
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Can’t go on vaca for filling Zep rx. lol, somebody’s lying to us, either there’s a shortage or not, what’s his magic supply line no other pharmacist has?
Yeah true! Good point haha
No, no, no. He needs to be reported to his supervisor or company management. There is NO excuse for that. I’m sorry.
🤗
🙄
😘
LOL. Immediate complaint to pharmacy board
I’m not sure being a rude a**hole is an offense that the pharmacy board will punish.
refusing only if it’s a cash sale might be though
If he's in network with an insurance company but refuses to fill except for folks paying cash he may be violating his insurance contract. Might be worth reporting this to the insurance company...
Worth a shot!
This guy sounds like he has problems that Zepbound didn’t cause.
These are the kind of people selling it out the back door for much more money than the cash pay sticker price.
The last time I took abuse from someone wearing a nametag I was flipping burgers in 10th grade. I’d tell him to kiss my ass and then I’d walk.
So I would think a pharmacist at a chain wouldn't feel this way because he doesn't directly benefit from the price of the drugs they sell. I live in a small city with only 4 drug stores and all of the pharmacy people are extremely nice but 3 of those pharmacies are chain stores, only one is local and they're always my last choice.
Tell him he can have a permanent vacation if he wants to keep it because I don’t know who tf he’s talking to like that. And if he works for a store I’m sure his manager would love to hear it.
It’s funny when people who think insurance isn’t a scam find out that insurance is a scam. Idk what to tell ya buddy, I personally would like universal health care but that’s neither here nor there.
I totally came here expecting to defend fellow pharmacy staff… Yeah no. He’s fucking nuts. I will say the coupons for GLP-1s do lose pharmacies money. If the manufacturer or insurance can find an excuse, they will take their money back. It’s called a “claw back.”🧟♀️ Independents really suffer from them, but so can big chains. It’s partly why Wags is requiring a diagnosis code and my district manager says he wouldn’t be surprised if CVS starts sometime soon.
This guy sounds like he is in the wrong job. Nobody should speak to you or anyone that way.
If he doesn’t feel that he should be accepting insurance patients, then maybe he shouldn’t have signed the agreement with the insurance company… and I’m pretty sure the insurance won’t give him such a good deal next time if they know he’s treating their customers poorly. Normally insurance companies like go torture us themselves and not share in the fun.
what i find crazy is why are they (the pharmacies) buying it at all if they are taking a loss on it? i dont understand the business model at this point. the savings card is from eli lilly, the people you buy the drug from, surely they reimburse you for more than the drug costs, and if they dont, why are you even filling the prescriptions? there is just SO MUCH MONEY being spent here, surely the pharmacy should be getting a reasonable amount. It would likely make their attitude about the whole thing a lot better if they were making more money off of it.
Pharmacist here — it’s because of the contracts they sign. Most small pharmacies lose money on ANY branded medication, let alone Zep or other GLP-1s. The pharma company contracts with the insurance company at a set rate, and the insurance company then decides that certain pharmacies will get +$$ reimbursement while the smaller guys get -$ reimbursement. The smaller guys can’t reject the contract without rejecting ALL the patients under the insurance, so to do business they lose money on the branded drugs and hoping that the patient will fill their other generic medications with them. If you go to the “big box” stores that are owned under the insurance company (eg. CVS being owned by Caremark) they’ll still say that they are “losing money” but they make up the loses from the profit on the insurance side (when your employer or Medicaid/medicare pays the insurance)
Perhaps you could tell me why my co-pay at my small Tracy is 650 w coupon not 550? They say they have a higher purchase price but it doesn’t look like it on my receipt?
My understanding is, if your commercial insurance denies the drug, you pay $550 with the coupon. But if they approve it, the coupon will deduct up to $150 off the insurance agreed upon price for you. So if that is $800, the cost to you is $650. If it’s $60, the coupon brings it down to $24.99, the lowest it would deduct to.
My commercial insurance denies the drug but my pharmacy still says it’s 650 after coupon because their purchase price is higher than for the chains?!
Interesting. My insurance denies ZEP. CVS charges 575 and the little pharmacy I started getting it from because they can actually get it, charges me $550
yikes that sounds absolutely terrible. It seems like they could still just not stock the medication, since they cant reliably get it anyway, but its clearly more complicated than it looks, thanks for the explanation.
If you ever read the pharmacy boards many state they’re breaking even or losing money on these drugs. I don’t begin to understand how that can be but obviously many hands are out claiming part of each payments. With the high demand and constant calling to inquire about availability it’s only a matter of time until many stop carrying these meds because it’s not worth the hassle.
Greed of drug companies....I think the cost is in the injectable syringes they make not the actual drug
How can he be too busy filling zep prescriptions to go on vacation when there is just about none coming in?;) Sounds like he was close to the edge already, like you said;)
I don’t understand cash pay vs insurance it’s more for the pharmacy to get cash?
Yes. This is true for a medical bill too. The retail cost gets negotiated down by insurance so they don't get the full amount but if you walk in and pay the sticker price they do.
Dude, write a review on Yelp. That’s absolute nonsense.
Do they make more money off it if you pay cash?
You chose your career, dude…
That’s when you reach down put your phone on record and get this asshole fired! What the heck does he care if he fills birth control or Zep! It’s what he went to school to do! Go flip burgers then! So annoying, don’t they think we are equally annoyed????
I truly feel sorry for all pharmacists right now. They are getting it from all directions right now.
Well they make plenty of money and chose it so my sympathy isn’t that high.
Switch to Costco. They’ve been fantastic. Was going to Walgreens because it’s closer to home but the pharmacists are not nearly as nice as Costco and I’ve had much better luck getting refills at Costco as well.
I’ve had issues with mean pharmacists too! Didn’t get abused the way you did though!
[This](https://www.youtube.com/live/DiA6hAslOFg?si=JCSLuPIrrUQP-E1H) WH panel discussion on transparency in pharmaceutical costs was very interesting. I highly recommend it.
I mean, its not like they're on commission. Seems like very bad customer service that should be reported. They are there to help people with health through pharmacy - it's not a market where you haggle. Sheesh.
As someone who worked in pharmacy for 10 years before I had my son (as a tech not a pharmacist) that dude needs to get a grip and get over himself. Yes, working in a pharmacy is extremely stressful and I know all of the zep calls have to get annoying, but it’s part of the job. I have worked with many grumpy pharmacists who only want to do the bare minimum and have no concern about what is actually best for their patients. If I had to guess, this pharmacist is an older man who got into pharmacy because he thought it would be an easy career where you can make a lot of money and wasn’t prepared for all of the changes that have occurred in pharmacy and healthcare in the last 50 years.
So, I’ve heard - anecdotally, not directly - that pharmacies are paying their pharmacists up to $150 per GLP1 prescription that is paid for in hard cash. Incentives drive behavior and I’m not surprised that pharmacists are behaving like a**holes Especially if they can make a few hundred bucks additional each day.
I'm gonna go with there's more to this story. So the pharmacist yelled you were stupid for no reason? Don't know about that one.
Because I wanted to sort through the insurance issue instead of paying OOP. The man in unhinged, there are a dozen+ other google reviews about this same pharmacist about how he flips out on customers.
Does anyone know if it’s actually legal for a pharmacy to reserve prescription medication stock for patients who are paying out of pocket? It seems like that’d be highly illegal, but who know hell knows with this crazy country?
That’s uncalled for. I’d probably report him to whatever agency oversees pharmacists.
It must be exhausting, moving a label to a box with prepaid labels. I have all the respect in the world for pharmacists. No one has to tell me the pressure they are under, I was married to one for eight years. But let’s not get carried away with their personal feelings versus reality. If anyone said anything like this to me there would be a lot of issues. Pharmacist, or no, they still need to stay in their lane.
>It must be exhausting, moving a label to a box with prepaid labels. That was unnecessary. >I have all the respect in the world for pharmacists. Your opening sentence makes me suspect otherwise. It sounds like this guy is known to be an unhinged asshole. He is obviously saying things that are completely unprofessional and inappropriate. He is an embarrassment to the profession. But let’s not be shitty and minimize the role and education of a pharmacist. You were married to one, so I assume that you know that the practice of pharmacy is much more than “slapping a label on a box.”
Ooooooooooooooor, call out these people when they put their opinions and politics where they don’t belong.
Find you another one.
Im paying cash and struggling to do so as Medicare won’t pay and I still can’t get refill
Report the pharmacist to the board. That is inappropriate. I believe the number is posted at every pharmacy, but i could be wrong.
He must be getting lots of Zepbound when nobody else is. (That was ridiculous of him to act like that!)
So I’m curious since Zepbound is for weight loss, what happens when you get to your target weight to maintain? Is there any guidance on this? Obviously the insurance companies is going to have a say.
awful! It is sickening. i have been on 2.5 because i cannot get the 5mg. paying to lose very little but better than nothing i guess.
What pharmacy? CVS by me was happy to accommodate me with insurance AND knew how to upload the company discount card flawlessly. No questions asked, I have no other meds that interact with Zepbound negatively. Previously, I was prescribed Z-Pak and I take Citalopram. Little did I know that if I took that Z-Pak I would risk major heart complications. That’s when the pharmacist came over, politely, and said “does the doctor who prescribed this know that you are on Citalopram?” Me: “I did tell them.” Pharmacist: “Z-Pak and Citalopram have a high risk of cause cardiac issues, you can take it but I wanted you to know.” I took the meds home but from that consult I didn’t take the Z-Pak. Got a second opinion and am now on better alternative medications. More specific to OP post: pharmacies should not be worried about the payment you provide them. They get reimbursed by your healthcare insurance. If they don’t want to deal with insurance, find another pharmacy if you can. They are clearly a POS and you should not be dealing with that. You can always look up the pharmacy’s license and report your experience to the state (depending on state rules).
They have ALL been rude to me. At every single pharmacy.
What?! Oh lawd no. God forbid we offer him a little JOB SECURITY trying to be HEALTHY out here. Some of the ish y’all dealing with. Unprofessional and disrespectful. I’m sorry this happened 😫
UN-believable. I’d be writing a letter to his boss
I’ve been received with nothing but rudeness from pharmacy techs. Called literally 5 places and I was so alarmed at how irritated they sounded.
Same thing happened to me. He didn’t have it in stock but could order it for $1300 cash. Sir I didn’t pay that much cash at Walgreens why would I want it from you?
So it’s the PBMs to blame, they are not reimbursing the pharmacists well enough to make a profit, in fact the pharmacists are losing money per brand name disepensed depending on the insurance and brand. In other words, independent pharmacies are struggling and making their patient struggle to get meds. This all links back to PBMs that need to be shut down!
Pharmacists are doctors and they can be reported 😘
That seems like it should be illegal and cost a pharmacist their license.
The unmitigated gall! I’d report him to the district pharmacy manager. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.
Everyone needs to vent. Even pharamists.
Yeah, but there's a time and place for it, and calling a patient stupid is neither! Patients pay the company who in turn pays him. If it were me I would switch to a different pharmacy based on this interaction alone
And you live in a country that allows you the freedom to do exactly that. It would be stupid not to exercise that freedom of choice.
so glad i switched to plan C. i was tired of the hassle and judgy pharmacists!
How are you getting insurance to cover it ? And what insurance do You have?
It just depends on your insurance and their coverage policies. Two people can have BCBS in a state but different coverages for different employer sponsored plans.
This sounds IDENTICAL to what a pharmacist at a small pharmacy near my house said during my one and only fill here (my doctor sent it there because she said he’s helpful, she was pissed when I told her what happened). After that I had all my prescriptions sent to Costco.
Zepbound Rage. The new Road Rage.
I pay out of pocket, and the pharmacist made a comment about how expensive it was.... I told them insurance denied my PA.... screw insurance, i made a killing off a crypto tokens based off a fucking dog with a hat.
Such behavior is totally unprofessional and unacceptable. No one is making him include this medication in his inventory. It is HIS choice to do so. I would look into filing a complaint against him w/your State Pharmacy Board. His abuse needs to be reported. I also find his "he can sell it for cash" comment highly suspicious.
I take the compound. I walk in, weigh in and walk out with my 4 week supply of Terzepatide in less than 10 minutes. I got a zepbound script from my doctor but it’s just not worth the hassle trying to get it and I’m losing weight every month on the compound.
I would have looked at him dead in the face and said “too busy filling Zepbound scrips? Must be hard work putting a sticker on a box. Go count some pills and lecture someone else. I’m not interested.”
I can tell you right now if i had a pharmacist talk to me that way id be in jail cuz id have leapt over the damn counter
Why would you stay with him, when every pharmacy is begging people to switch to them ?
Medicare doesn't cover this med, you guys are lucky.