Author Topic: one pill short (Read 7643 times)

gingin · « **on:** May 07, 2012, 08:23:19 pm »

My meds come in the mail to my home, and stupid me did not open the sealed bottle of truvada and count pills. Now, I am at the end of the month and one pill short. I faithfully take my meds and now will always be one pill short, does this happen often?

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #1 on:** May 07, 2012, 08:26:47 pm »

Quote from: gingin on May 07, 2012, 08:23:19 pm

does this happen often?

no

surf18 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 07, 2012, 08:27:17 pm »

most insurance companies let you refill a week or so early . you should really do this so you always have a stockpile. I have 32 truvada's in stockpile and 63 selzentrys in stock pile. in the beginning i cut it close and it was a nightmare getting a selzentry. had to borrow one from a local friend. never again i said.

leatherman · « **Reply #3 on:** May 07, 2012, 09:03:58 pm »

missing only one pill will still put you in the <95% adherence range that is needed for HIV meds to stay effective. That means no worries about resistance or anything else bad.

I would say too that this very rarely happens. If it happens more than once you need to contact the pharmacy. (In 20 yrs of meds with 15 yrs worth arriving on my doorstep through at least 4 different pharamcies, this has never happened to me.)

mecch · « **Reply #4 on:** May 08, 2012, 06:22:16 am »

Build a reserve.

gingin · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2012, 07:22:51 am »

THanks everyone, my future plans are to build a little stockpile. Does anyone buy from NorthDrugMart in Canada? I have thought about buying 30 from them for reserve. Like I said before I have only been in this ballgame for going on 3 months. Appreciate all the help.

mecch · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2012, 07:41:18 am »

Are you buying your pills with your own money or is some kind of insurance paying for them?
If its by insurance, it seems a bit silly to lay out your own cash to get a reserve that you can build still within your insurance coverage, with some attention to dates.

gingin · « **Reply #7 on:** May 08, 2012, 07:50:18 am »

My insurance will run out very soon, I live in Virginia, so more problems. My ID is helping set up meds for the rest of the year. Should know at the end of this month what I can do, can not afford to pay 2500.00 per month.

arlvarunner · « **Reply #8 on:** May 08, 2012, 08:16:31 am »

Quote from: gingin on May 08, 2012, 07:50:18 am

My insurance will run out very soon, I live in Virginia, so more problems. My ID is helping set up meds for the rest of the year. Should know at the end of this month what I can do, can not afford to pay 2500.00 per month.

I live in Arlington, and I just started my meds on Sunday. My caseworker at Georgetown directed me to a pharmacy in DC called AHF Pharmacy. When i spoke to the pharmacist, he told me that he has clients from rural areas as well as the city. My insurance is horrible too, and after filling the first script for Truvada, it was out for the year. I am working with my caseworker to have the drug companies give me my meds for free because I am underinsured and I don't make a lot of money. Be sure to ask your caseworker about assistance programs above and beyond the $200 co-pay cards the companies offer. They do offer free meds based on need. In the mean time, PM me if you would like the contact info for the pharmacist at AHF. He ended up giving me the rest of my meds for this month for free. They are a not for profit organization, which is why they have the ability to give meds away in these cases.

Also, if you have not applied for ADAP coverage, do so. Even with the waiting list, eventually you will get to the top, but not if you don't apply. I'm doing all that this week.

J.R.E. · « **Reply #9 on:** May 08, 2012, 08:25:53 am »

When I was receiving my medication through Walgreens , They managed to short me a couple of times. And It wasn't just one pill.

I always got in the habit of counting the pills, and the couple times that I was short, Walgreens made sure to give them to me. I called them right away.

Ray

darryaz · « **Reply #10 on:** May 08, 2012, 01:41:29 pm »

I get my meds from a University pharmacy school (i.e. filled by students) and have noticed miscounts a couple of times.

I'm allowed to order 30 days of meds every 20 days so I mark my calendar to order every 25 days. So my stockpile increases by 5 days each month.

emeraldize · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2012, 03:58:53 pm »

While I'm not happy to read this thread, thanks for sharing the info as I now may add pill counting to the quarterly HIV patient's To Do list. I do realize my fortune in having them to count.

gingin · « **Reply #12 on:** May 08, 2012, 04:17:28 pm »

I will always count from now on, the old fool me once thinking!! again thanks everyone

Joe K · « **Reply #13 on:** May 08, 2012, 04:20:53 pm »

Being short on pills never happens to me, because I use a two week pill box, that I fill twice per month. When I fill the second half of the month, if I am short any pills, I know immediately and contact my pharmacist before it becomes an issue.

Joe

denb45 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 08, 2012, 07:40:35 pm »

I have a very nice stock-pile of just about everything I'm currently on ( @ least 4 to 5 months worth) so I'm not worried about missing any dosage...

sometimes I don't even order them, and have skipped a few months, when my
stock-pile get's too big...

the funny thing is, nobody seems to notice or even care, I told my RX about this but they said just keep them, and we don't care how much you have, we just bill your Ins. company every-time you order them

SANJUANDUDE · « **Reply #15 on:** May 12, 2012, 06:03:49 am »

are you sure you didn't drop one on the floor?

Miss Philicia · « **Reply #16 on:** May 12, 2012, 07:35:05 pm »

I've never counted pills in a bottle from a pharmacy -- what's the point when it is sealed with foil?

Rev. Moon · « **Reply #17 on:** May 13, 2012, 01:21:29 am »

Quote from: Miss Philicia on May 12, 2012, 07:35:05 pm

I've never counted pills in a bottle from a pharmacy -- what's the point when it is sealed with foil?

You should. The same way that you should fill all your condoms with water to ensure that there are no holes in'em

. Eh?

leatherman · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2012, 01:39:18 am »

Quote from: Rev. Moon on May 13, 2012, 01:21:29 am

The same way that you should fill all your condoms with water to ensure that there are no holes in'em

roflmao - that's a great one there Rev!
Thank you for a huge guffaw and a cola splatter on my monitors.

mecch · « **Reply #19 on:** May 13, 2012, 07:11:34 am »

Quote from: Miss Philicia on May 12, 2012, 07:35:05 pm

I've never counted pills in a bottle from a pharmacy -- what's the point when it is sealed with foil?

The grim reality is that some people are dealing with the stress of not having enough reserves, for one reason or the other.

I don't count pills cause like you I figure they are factory sealed but mostly because I can get a refil easily enough. I didnt pay attention this spring and on Friday I was surprised to see no more Isentress. I called the pharmacy. Since I live in a big city they figured it out in an hour.

Really I do think I need to pay more attention again about the reserves. I had reserves of my other combos. Ended up sending them away to people in the US facing just these crisis situations. Could happen here too, I suppose, so I shouldn't be lax.

leatherman · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2012, 08:12:28 am »

Quote from: mecch on May 13, 2012, 07:11:34 am

Could happen here too, I suppose, so I shouldn't be lax.

just like when we talk about taking some extra medications when traveling (because flight delay, volcanoes, weather etc can make a journey take more days than thought or planned), extra medication on hand should always be a priority because anywhere in the world can be subject to natural disasters. Snow, tornadoes, tsunamis, landslides, floods, earthquakes.

All it could/might take would be for an event to cause a week's delay (or more!) in obtaining new medications for possible resistance to begin. Then treatment failure might not be noticeable for some time after re-starting treatment. Oh you might not die from AIDS after skipping meds for a week LOL; but you could run the risk of sickness and strife before getting onto another regimen if resistance did occur.

Of course, all that is a worse case scenario; but many people in the world have already been in these situations so one can never say something like this would never happen to them

At least a small reserve is wise for everyone to have. Consider it just like other emergency supplies one "should" have on hand like bottled water, canned food, candles, matches, blankets, etc.

gingin · « **Reply #21 on:** May 13, 2012, 08:38:13 am »

Much appreciate all the input, but no I did not drop one on the floor. Funny thought though!! I am really serious, I will count them from now on, and call pharmacy if I find a problem, and yes the bottles are foil sealed, but filled by machine or human hands mistakes can be made, right? I think I will change from GinGin to OLD FOOL. Just kidding, I have learned to lighten up! Leatherman, I do thank you for all your knowledge!

mecch · « **Reply #22 on:** May 13, 2012, 07:10:55 pm »

Hmm never thought about the water, on that list, either...
Going to get my reserve back in order, that's for sure!

Pilot · « **Reply #23 on:** May 13, 2012, 11:08:54 pm »

I asked my doc about it once and he said that since I have always stayed on top of it, missing one will not make a difference since he felt that I had enough in my blood not to make it an issue.

leatherman · « **Reply #24 on:** May 13, 2012, 11:58:51 pm »

Quote from: Pilot on May 13, 2012, 11:08:54 pm

I asked my doc about it once and he said that since I have always stayed on top of it, missing one will not make a difference since he felt that I had enough in my blood not to make it an issue.

there have been quite a few studies which have shown that successful treatment is had by remaining 95% or greater compliant to HAART

HIVidyas · « **Reply #25 on:** May 14, 2012, 03:07:49 pm »

Reading this topic was pretty informative. I'll start building a stockpile myself.

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Author Topic: one pill short (Read 7643 times)