DrugBuyers.Com: Walgreens won't refill my last valid perscription

Clearly, the pharmacist is doing whatever is within his discretion to ensure that the maximum interval has passed before dispensing the medication to you.

Whether Walgreens authorizes early refills appears to be moot in this case, as the doctor mandated a 30 day refill interval, which the pharmacist is obligated to observe as part of the dispensing indication. As for permitting "early" refills, "early" is not a concrete term. Most pharmacies use 75% as their refill point, but if the pharmacist believes that the doctor has indicated a specific date, or the pharmacist believes that there is the potential for diversion or abuse, he is required by virtue of his license to ensure that the prescription is picked up no earlier than the latest possible dispensing date he can justify. As there is generally no provision which requires prescriptions be dispensed at a given interval, other than ensuring it is done so within the standard of care, pharmacists have the professional discretion to authorize early refills, especially to accommodate special circumstances such as vacation supplies, etc.

As it is the pharmicist's professional discretion and obligation as a licensee, neither Walgreen's, nor any other large chain is likely to countermand his discretion as they are both powerless to reinstate his license should his licensing agency determine he acted in a manner that is less than consistent with the standard of care and loathe to send a message that they implement policies which cause their pharmacists to practice their profession in ways that require them to waive their professional discretion, which would hugely impact their ability to recruit and retain pharmacists. In the current environment of a severe pharmacist shortage, this is a major consideration and the extent to which operators wrestle with these issues and weigh their implications is nothing less than considerable.

In practical terms, you probably aren't going to receive the satisfaction you seek. The pharmacist may be computing the days based upon when you last picked up your prescription, instead of when it was dispensed, which would actually be more in keeping with the spirit of the doctor's orders. To an extreme, he may even consider if it was dispensed in the evening, the next morning would start the clock running. Of course, this is all conjecture, as only the pharmacist has insight into his own decision process. Without being flippant, did you ask him to explain the method by which he arrived at the specific date?

Despite enjoying a considerable amount of professional discretion, he is not permitted, either by his company or any governing regulatory entity of which I've ever become aware, to act capriciously; and because doing so could equally compromise the standard of care, doing so could just as easily be subject to review, albeit for an entirely different reason. I've found that even the most opinionated individuals are willing to explain their reasoning to a polite, yet firm, request. No pharmacist can defend a "just because" rationale to either an employer or regulator, but it is important to ask the right questions before pursuing an issue further.

The pharmacist most likely hid under the veil of "company policy" instead of either having to take the time to explain his reasonsing or presenting the opporutunity for further debate. After all, how can you debate an alleged policy created by someone who isn't present? I think most of us have done something similar at one time or another. This isn't a phenomenon that is exclusive to Walgreens and because it most probably is the product of the pharmacist's professional discretion, it is just as likely to happen at any pharmacy chain, or even independent pharmacy as it was at this particular store, my high regard for Walgreens notwithstanding.

There is one national pharmacy chain whose staff, both pharmacy and retail, are known to generally be particularly surly and known to be difficult to its customers and prescribing doctors alike. The problems have arisen from the way the company grew and the employment climate it fostered among both its existing employees and those of the companies it has acquired, pitting them against each other and management, and their customers have paid a significant price in terms of service.

Fortunately, customers virtually always have the option of shopping elsewhere. Even more fortunately, the chain has made substantial strides in changing the fundamental ways in which it does business; and while the process is going to be painfully long, they are impoving. The name of the particular chain isn't important, but what is important is that this company who has often seemed to operate despite its customers, instead of becausse of them is not Walgreens.

I do not work for Walgreens, I own no of their stock; and I have no pending contracts for providing services on their behalf. While it is possible to have an absolutely horrible experience at any particular pharmacy, regardless of how well its parent company runs its business or otherwise treats its customers, Walgreens reputation within the pharmacy industry among its customers and competitors is widely considered to be among the very highest.

I'm sorry you had this unfortunate experience, and I hope this can help you to be better-informed if it should happen again.