POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: ACinKC on August 30, 2006, 09:45:07 am
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OK quick situation. Pharmacy is OUT of Truvada. Didnt get to take my dose yesterday and now they tell me I wont be able to get it till tomorrow around lunch. I have some left over combivir at home from the switch 3 months back.
WHAT DO I DO?
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Some ideas:
Does the pharmacy have any Truvada at all? Tell them you need one pill for today.
Call around to other pharmacies in your area and see if they have any in stock.
Call your doctor to see if they have any available.
Are there any hiv+ in your area that you are in contact with? If yes, ask if they have truvada, and see if you can borrow one until tomorrow.
The pharmacy that I use does not usually carry hiv meds in stock, they have to be ordered a day in advance. So I try to re-order with a few days buffer.
Christine
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Did you ask the pharamacy for a suggestion? How about if they call another pharmacy and ask if it's in stock and could you pick up a couple of doses there as professional courtesy?
Any ASO organization nearby you can call to ask?
Keep us posted. Good luck.
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hello
what christine and andy said.
don't sub in the combivir.
you should be fine, till tomorrow, if you can't get hold of it. tenofovir and ftc both have long half-lives. tenofovir, there is at least one study where it is still present intracellularly 60hours later. FTC is still in the bloodstream 39hours after last dose.
don't panic, captain mainwaring, you will be fine..just make sure they understand,in future, your pharmacy/clinic, the importance of continuity of medication supply..
Kate
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Thank you all. I havent missed a dose as of yet. So was just a little worried. Got WAY to much going on. Selling a house, moving, getting married in 2 months, got COOTIES AND ADHD! Too much fun!
(http://www.adoptionblogs.com/media/Reactive%20Attachment%20Disorder/Going%20Crazy.jpg)
Edited to add.... I will just wait till tomorrow.
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Certainly if it is a chain, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, etc. they would have access to Truvada at one of their stores. Hard to believe all of KC is out of Truvada.
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CVS and they called and the other stores dont have it.
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I am going to provide a descending position to the above and say you could substitute Combivir for a couple of days until the Truvada comes in. You may get side-effects from the AZT since your body is not used to it but that's about it.
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Either that or escalate the issue to a store manager and tell them you'd like them to get the Truvada from a competitor. You shouldn't have to pay for their inventory mistakes (either monetarily or in health).
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I honestly tend to blame myself for waiting. I usually don't.
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Hey, it happens. I left a 2 week buffer once and it still happened to me as someone snatched my mail-order meds from my front door step. The online pharmacy (Caremark) allowed me to buy a 5 day supply at Target and then re-reimbursed me until they got a replacement batch.
Don't blame yourself - escalate the issue as a loyal customer and you'll get some action.
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Do they have the drugs separately avaliable (i.e., Viread and Emtriva)? How can all of the CVS stores be out of that drug in the entire city (KC is not that small)? That seems strange and hard to believe. Are you certain they actually made the effort to see if other stores had the drug? Can you check a couple yourself, they may just be having a lazy day or two. I would certainly complain about this to the regional manager, as this is poor inventory tracking if an entire city is out of a drug.
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OK quick situation. Pharmacy is OUT of Truvada. Didnt get to take my dose yesterday and now they tell me I wont be able to get it till tomorrow around lunch. I have some left over combivir at home from the switch 3 months back.
WHAT DO I DO?
ACinKC,
If you're here in the Kansas City area, you might check with BioScrip Pharmacy. They're down on the Plaza. You can get directions from their website, http://www.bioscrip.com . They specialize in HIV meds, so I'd venture to guess that they would have what you need. Jeff Julian is the Pharmacy Manager, I'm sure he can hook you up with what you need.
I don't rely on the retail pharmacies to make sure I have my meds, the folks at BioScrip are well versed with the meds, not to mention they support AidsWalk and other local HIV/AIDS related fundraisers.
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Nothing really to add, but good luck...
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Thanks guys, all taken care of. Drove an hour and a half to the Dr. to get what me body needs!
Thanks for coming together on this for me. Nice to have family. (the kind that doesnt bitch and moan and yell at you for waiting to fill your meds all the while you know they are thinking well you did this to yourself)
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Hey ACinKC,
I am happy to hear that things worked out for you.
Have the BEST Day.
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I'm glad it worked out :) and for the record... I can't stand CVS since they bought out Eckerd. I use Walgreen's now, and had to bitch and raise all sorts of hell to make them keep enough Kaletra in stock for me, as it seems I'm the only one in that store who uses it, LOL! I told them I could take my business elsewhere... they were quick to keep three month's worth in stock for me, LMAO.
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Well, I got a wonderful call from my insurance company regarding the pharmacy I mentioned in my last post. They've dropped them from my insurance! Fortunately, BioScrip was able to refer me to another (owned by CVS) Specialty Pharmacy in the metro. (It's called PharmaCare for those in the KC area that may need to change also.) However, I discussed it with my ID Doctor and since my genotype came back with good news and I'll be staying on these meds, I'm going to do the mailorder route since it will save me about $400/yr. Gotta love overpaid executives deciding where you should shop.
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As a rule, you shouldn't miss any doses.... and your meds should be taken at the same time daily...
HOWEVER (please everyone, don't flip out over this....) you were probably switched to Truvada either because you developed some kind of resistance to AZT or Epivir....or to simplify your med routine....EITHER way, DON'T STRESS YOURSELF OUT OVER MISSING A DOSE.... Stress is something that you should AVOID if you can.... Most CVS pharmacys are willing to order and keep your meds in stock once you develop a relationship with the pharmacist....IF NOT, Try to find a Pharmacist that is willing to work with you..... National chain pharmacys can be difficult....Have you considered a Kroger Pharmacy...? They even deliver (at least the ones in Knoxville did....) and because they have a smaller client/patient base....they are usually willing to work with people in your circumstances... Also consider looking for a LOCAL "boutique" type Pharmacy that works with the Gay community.... They almost ALWAYS carry a full stock of HIV related Meds..... and you don't need to explain to them WHY its important that you NOT miss a dose..... Kansas City is large enough to have at least a few.....
GOOD LUCK BUDDY!!!!!
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Guys.. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THIS! You have given me so many new and good ideas. I will keep you updated on this situation as I now look for a new Pharmacy.
Andrew
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Hello Andrew, it is Eldon. Here is a link that may help you with your search:
http://www.prioritypharmacy.com/hivaids.asp (http://www.prioritypharmacy.com/hivaids.asp).
Have the BEST Day!