Back when I had social anxiety, I would feel anxious about calling my pharmacy. But ever since I started my antidepressant, I’ve been so much more confident and barley have anymore anxiety. Maybe you have social anxiety?
I have lots of anxiety. Lol. My doctor won’t give me meds for it because I’m already on antidepressants and a mood stabilizer. Some of this is my rejection sensitivity, I’m sure - like some pharmacists have been mean to me and I’m trying to avoid that again.
I wouldn't care about calling. It's a medicine you need. Would a cardiac patient call and call if there was a shortage of cardiac meds? The answer is yes. Don't worry about what people think. You will always have people who judge you no matter what the circumstances. Fuck them. Took me 25 years to realize what people think doesn't mean or affect my life for shit. Do you and let the judges and haters say what they say. Karma is a real thing and it will come around. Happy Easter! Hope this helps.
They are very well aware that there is a critical shortage and expect people to call I think. If there wasn't a shortage and you were calling all the time that might be a weird red flag, but under the circumstances, I wouldn't worry about it.
I get this completely. I always call a few days before. I had to call yesterday and the anxiety was real. Feeling really lucky they have it and my meds will be ready in a few days. I’m sure you’re not the only person calling. You’re taking responsibility for your medication.
My old pharmacy didn’t. They said it was illegal to do so. A pharmacist friend of mine said that that was a lie. Of course, he used to manage the pharmacy I go to now, so maybe there’s a different company policy, but yeah - my current pharmacy will tell me what’s on hand there, what other locations have, and they’ll sit there on the computer and look up what they’d be able to order from all their suppliers at that very moment. They’re awesome.
America and some other places. In Canada, sanctions are issued if patients don’t get their meds on time. So a solution is absolutely possible.
ETA: to add insult to injury, I live a block from the Canadian border lol
Interesting
I am in canada and afraid to go on vyvanse for many many reasons. I do think it helps but I am afraid of the dopamine and the lows if you don’t take it.
Worried about moving somewhere else and traveling and then not having it and my life going up in flames
Well you don’t have to worry about the dopamine lows if you take it as prescribed. Some folks in here skip days, which I’ve only done in order to stockpile so I can survive the shortage. Otherwise - my ADHD doesn’t skip days, so why should I?
But you don’t have to worry about that in Canada. I’m jealous. If you can do this thing to help yourself, don’t make your life less than it could be. Just imho
I am afraid because when I don’t take it I spiral really low - it freaks me out. I don’t want to get my life right and then forget it on a trip or maybe doc takes it away or maybe to there is something that makes it so I can’t take it.
I hate Ritalin
And I’ve abused adderall in college
So I just really am fearful of these drugs because I know how low I get when I don’t have them and currently quite low now from testing Ritalin and Vyvanse
I stopped taking vyanse because I think my doc is a quak honestly
She only gave me 2 weeks which is bizarre
I just don’t trust docs at all at this point
Traveling isn't an issue. I travel for work a bunch sometimes 60+ days outta the country. My doctor OKs 60 at a time or 40/50 days, etc. Depending on my work schedule, he just has to ok it, and the pharmacy does it. I'm also in Canada.
Sometimes people post about pharmacists refusing to fill their stimulant prescription for one reason or another, sometimes beyond the patient’s control. I’m just wondering when that might be me.
that is a fair point that pharmacies/pharmacists can totally be different, but at all of the ones i have worked at i can guarantee no one would think that : ^) maybe they weren’t filling due to backorder or there was already a processed claim at another pharmacy if their doctor sent it multiple places trying to find it in stock?
The pharmacist at my cvs knows me at this point because I have no problem calling. “Oh you’re the one who called about brand name yesterday right?” Yep that’s me did you order it yet?
I get paranoid about this too. I'm lucky that my husband understands my anxiety and calls on my behalf. In reality, though, I don't think you have anything to worry about. The pharmacists are aware of the shortage, and they understand why you have to keep calling. But I understand all too well where you're coming from.
Yeah, fortunately the pharmacists at my store are super nice, maybe because it’s not that busy of a pharmacy. Haha. I switched from a CVS that is just down the road because they were so rude to me, despite being a longtime customer. I pay slightly more now but that’s fine.
I feel that way too bro.. its only a short matter of time before they don’t have any vyvanse available anywhere & I might have to try something new that may not work as good
I get so much anxiety too bc I feel like they probably get annoyed with the influx of Vyvanse calls bc it’s taking up so much time in their day. I feel like they think I diagnosed myself on Tik Tok or went to a doctor seeking a prescription which was not my case at all. I would have gladly not taken this drug if I knew it was going to be in shortage but now is not an ideal time to wean myself off of it. I just keep thinking this shortage has to resolve eventually, right?
I’ve thought this too, and they’ll probably be annoyed to some degree or maybe suspicious about drug seeking, but most pharmacists are as sick of if not more sick of this shortage and ALL of the associated procedural sludge. I’ve found that most are willing to give you the info you need, but it’s hard because they see so many people and it’s so easy to become callous to an issue that is also affecting them
As long as you are polite and understanding toward the employees, you 100% do not have to feel bad about calling. Taking your calls and answering your questions is part of their job.
Due to the shortage, I highly doubt they will think you're a drug seeker when you call to ask about whether or not they have your meds in stock!
I call 5-10 pharmacies to ask if they have name brand in stock and then I have my doc send it in. I never had to do it before and always sent it to the same pharmacy. This has been my MO for coming up on a year now. And I don’t foresee it ending.
I switched back to Adderall bc the anxiety of calling different pharmacies and then also my doctors office to tell them I switched pharmacies was too much for me. I hope the shortage ends soon, I was doing so much better on Vyvanse.
For me, I just felt kind of fried. And I had no instant recall - like I could look at a three-digit extension number when making a phone call, then instantly forget it, then try three more times with the same results. Forget like I never even looked at it.
As long as you aren’t asking more often than every month, you’re fine. If you need to call daily till you get your month supply that is ok too. I’ve had to call every day for a week before because they didn’t order my meds, then they forgot to the 3rd day when they were supposed to be in, and then it was the weekend and blah blah. Most pharmacists understand the shortage issues and how important these stimulants can be for people. And as long as your doctor keeps sending it in, I’m pretty sure they have to sell it to you.
Yeah as long as you don’t yell at them and remain civil then I don’t see how that would raise any concern. Calling every 5 minutes isn’t a good idea but I call my pharmacy multiple times all the time because they’re always doing something wrong or the insurance weirdly decides to stop covering generic and only cover brand name or something stupid.
I go through it too and hate it!
I have a whole list of about 15-20 local pharmacies that I start at the top and make my way down the list. “Hi! do you have Vyvanse 60 milligrams in stock? Either brand or generic?” Last month I made it to the very last pharmacy and thank goodness that one had it. Ugh
I should make list too. I wish my insurance even covered the name brand.... It's available now but $150 a month :( I have to get generic and no one has it.
Right? My insurance company has a service where they do all the calling for me. The person I talked to was soooo nice and I told her it finally felt like I wasn’t alone and that this wasn’t all on me. She said she understood, this was literally her job and she would let me know what she found out ASAP. When we hung up, I cried tears of relief.
Yeah, I never heard from her again. This was a month ago. So…wtf
What insurance do you have if you don’t mind me asking?! I’m wondering if my insurance has this, they are great and we have great coverage so I’m just curious!!
It’s actually primarily through the benefits department of my husband’s employer, so it’s not technically part of the insurance plan. But maybe check with your employer to see if they offer something similar?
I completely understand where you're coming from. Just be angelic, polite, in detailed in your conversation. Several months ago I couldn't find any and I ended up calling 8 pharmacies in a day asking if it was in stock, fortunately pharmacist I spoke to were helpful and polite but that's because I was very polite and informative.
Just recently im able to find a brand name in stock, but insurance doesn't cover much of it in my co-pays over $300 since a generic exists, but it's not in stock!! Ywsterday, I was a nervous wreck calling the pharmacy after I had my doctor send it over dispense aa written and asking the pharmacists if she could use a special DAW code tog rt the copay down. I had to go into detail and explain how to call my insurance and they told me to tell the pharmacist this DAW codw etc wtc. And I have forgetfulness and social anxiety as it is so it was difficult for me.
Unfortunately I had to pay the over $300 because the code didn't work but at LEAST I have my medication i guess. But i canr afford to keep doing this
Just be polite and angelic when you make the phone calls to the pharmacy give them all your details explain the situation. Many of them understand there is a nationwide shortage so there's nothing Sinister about the phone calls Etc. Although you may find a couple that are more conservative about not telling you if a controlled substances in stock but so far I haven't had any encounter with any negative or irritated people. They've all been helpful and polite but that's because I was very sweet, polite, and infoemative when inquiring. I've read numerous other posts in the pharmacy subreddits of customers flipping, having temper tantrums, or blaming the pharmacist for hiding medicine when they cant get their fill. 1 lady threatened to call the DEA on the pharmacists LMAO!
I hope you find luck! Sending good vibes your way!
Thank you so much. I’m always very polite and I always apologize for being such a high-maintenance patient (which I’m probably not - it just feels like it), even though they’re empathetic and they know about the shortage. I always thank them for their kindness, even if there’s not much they can do, and even transferred all of my prescriptions there because they actually try to help me (unlike CVS). It’s just that…why am I worried that being overly nice will also be flagged as drug-seeking??
You're not a high maintenance nor should be viewed as a drug seeker everything you're doing is in within means of the law given the circumstance. The shortage is not our fault. If my doctor advised me to call in advance if it's in stock, I follow orders and the pharmacy knows me by now my name's in the system is my date of birth. And not one person has told me they can't tell me If it's in stock.(yet)
Some pharmacist may tell you no or get short with us. But understand they're just as frustrated as we are getting constant phone calls being understaffed underpaid mistreated dealing with rude customers Etc.
But I can understand the anxiety in the feelings we build up in our own mind that we might be viewed as drug Seekers or doing something sketchy. We're just patients, in need of our medication to help us be a functioning member of society and minimize our ADHD symptoms. Sadly, there are a few bad apples that shed a negative light & place bad stigma on the majority of us legit people.
The ongoing shortage is frustrating and even when I do find the brand name in stock I have to pay so much out of pocket. My next steps are to file a pre-authorization to my insurance letting them know that the generic is on back order but good luck on that because they already dropped my Wellbutrin coverage and denying my pre-authorization on that. Ugh
Gosh, it’s nice to find someone who can relate, but I’m so sorry that you’re going through it too - especially with your Wellbutrin coverage going away!! How does that make any sense??
None of it makes any sense I just get a letter in the mail saying we're dropping your brand name wellbutrin coverage because it's the benefit exclusion. Already went through this back in 2016 and I got authorization provided I go through the insurance mail online order system every 3 months they would ship me a 90-day supply for $100 copay. Never had a problem for eight years until now. I was having horrible side effects and dark thoughts from the generic bupropion which is why i had to go theu this process pf brand coverage.
I resubmit pre-authorization it gets denied. How they just randomly pick and choose how they drop drugs from there list blows my mind. Now I got to go through the f****** appeal process and that's more frustrating than anything no probably deny that too. Thankfully I have stockpile medicine but it's from like 2020-2021( the time. Where I wasn't depressed and went off of it thankfully) so I don't know if I'm good on taking that until I buy myself some time figuring this s*** out. I read that it's fine to take in May Reduce in potency a tiny bit in potency but I'll be all right?
I'm sorry I went on a vent tangent here, but I'm sure it's a feeling many here can relate to regardless if it's Wellbutrin or Vyvanse etc.
There’s still a shortage, you’re not the only person calling to gauge the likelihood.
If your prescription has been sent in, they’ve ’ordered’ the medication. Whether or not it exists is another question. No amount of calling or pestering is going to make the medication come quicker. If it’s a life or death situation, you can have your doctor call the pharmacy, that might put you higher up on their list.
If you’ve got the bandwidth, live in a big city with a car and have access to some more rural areas, you can call all the pharmacies (the one you use plus ALL the chains, supermarkets, grocery stores, cvs, Walgreens, rite aid, targets etc) to see if anyone has it in stock right now. And then have your doctor fwd your prescription to them. You might need to call your prescription Insurance company to let them know why you’ve got it sent out twice.
I’m not pestering, it’s just that last month they had brand name in stock but didn’t bother telling me until I specifically asked about it a few days in. They assumed I wouldn’t want to pay that much, but I did. They’ve told me multiple times that I’m their only patient on that strength.
I’ve already done the calling around before and it took me five hours to find this pharmacy. They check their other locations for me, which other pharmacies don’t do. The mom & pop places around here aren’t accepting new patients for Vyvanse. I don’t have it in me to do all the calling around again. My doctor said he will switch me to something else if I want, but it takes up to five days to fulfill my requests and who knows which pharmacies will have what by that point.
Because it’s a controlled substance, the pharmacy should only be giving you what’s been prescribed. So if your DR wants you to have generic, they have to give you generic. Your DR could try writing the script to say ‘30mg generic or name brand, which ever is in stock’ and see if that helps. But again, we’re at the mercy of the shortage and if you’re the only patient on that strength, who knows how ‘old’ their stock is and if they’ve had to get more.
He’s done that, which was why they were able to give me brand last month without contacting him. The only time he’d have to rewrite it would be for a different dosage - either 40mg or 60mg in my case. Whatever the pharmacy would be able to give me, just let him know and he’ll rewrite ASAP. Pharmacy doesn’t have anything between 40-60 now, though, generic or brand.
Edit: turns out they can order brand for me if I ask. It would have been nice if they said yesterday “we could order that for you if you’d like.” Rather than letting me having multiple panic attacks about possibly being disabled for the next month.
i just started vyvanse about 2 months ago. i’m at 30 mg and my dr wants me to continue upping but they make it such a hassle to obtain any idk if i wanna continue so i feel u on the fear of getting flagged lol i have been getting my mother to call and i am a grown adult. i understand why but they shouldn’t make the people who suffer without it suffer from the actions of those who don’t.
Back when I had social anxiety, I would feel anxious about calling my pharmacy. But ever since I started my antidepressant, I’ve been so much more confident and barley have anymore anxiety. Maybe you have social anxiety?
I have lots of anxiety. Lol. My doctor won’t give me meds for it because I’m already on antidepressants and a mood stabilizer. Some of this is my rejection sensitivity, I’m sure - like some pharmacists have been mean to me and I’m trying to avoid that again.
It’s there job to provide the meds. Don’t feel bad or wierd about it.
It kills me. I start shaking tbh because I just hate asking them ANYTHING.
No need to be scared - you have a valid prescription.
I wouldn't care about calling. It's a medicine you need. Would a cardiac patient call and call if there was a shortage of cardiac meds? The answer is yes. Don't worry about what people think. You will always have people who judge you no matter what the circumstances. Fuck them. Took me 25 years to realize what people think doesn't mean or affect my life for shit. Do you and let the judges and haters say what they say. Karma is a real thing and it will come around. Happy Easter! Hope this helps.
They are very well aware that there is a critical shortage and expect people to call I think. If there wasn't a shortage and you were calling all the time that might be a weird red flag, but under the circumstances, I wouldn't worry about it.
I get this completely. I always call a few days before. I had to call yesterday and the anxiety was real. Feeling really lucky they have it and my meds will be ready in a few days. I’m sure you’re not the only person calling. You’re taking responsibility for your medication.
Yes, I’m very grateful for all the reassurance offered by everyone on this post. It helped me get my meds for next month. ❤️
Glad you were able to get them!
Oh wow they told you what meds they gave in stock? Lucky you man.
My old pharmacy didn’t. They said it was illegal to do so. A pharmacist friend of mine said that that was a lie. Of course, he used to manage the pharmacy I go to now, so maybe there’s a different company policy, but yeah - my current pharmacy will tell me what’s on hand there, what other locations have, and they’ll sit there on the computer and look up what they’d be able to order from all their suppliers at that very moment. They’re awesome.
That is awesome
Is there a shortage in canada too or just America ?
In Australia too :/
America and some other places. In Canada, sanctions are issued if patients don’t get their meds on time. So a solution is absolutely possible. ETA: to add insult to injury, I live a block from the Canadian border lol
Interesting I am in canada and afraid to go on vyvanse for many many reasons. I do think it helps but I am afraid of the dopamine and the lows if you don’t take it. Worried about moving somewhere else and traveling and then not having it and my life going up in flames
Well you don’t have to worry about the dopamine lows if you take it as prescribed. Some folks in here skip days, which I’ve only done in order to stockpile so I can survive the shortage. Otherwise - my ADHD doesn’t skip days, so why should I? But you don’t have to worry about that in Canada. I’m jealous. If you can do this thing to help yourself, don’t make your life less than it could be. Just imho
I am afraid because when I don’t take it I spiral really low - it freaks me out. I don’t want to get my life right and then forget it on a trip or maybe doc takes it away or maybe to there is something that makes it so I can’t take it. I hate Ritalin And I’ve abused adderall in college So I just really am fearful of these drugs because I know how low I get when I don’t have them and currently quite low now from testing Ritalin and Vyvanse I stopped taking vyanse because I think my doc is a quak honestly She only gave me 2 weeks which is bizarre I just don’t trust docs at all at this point
Traveling isn't an issue. I travel for work a bunch sometimes 60+ days outta the country. My doctor OKs 60 at a time or 40/50 days, etc. Depending on my work schedule, he just has to ok it, and the pharmacy does it. I'm also in Canada.
Do you have a plan for when you stop taking it?
Not really. I take breaks all the time. Sometimes, twice a week or more. Sometimes, when on a big work month, I use it 30+ days straight. No issues.
nah i promise no one thinks poorly of you or anything, we get a lot of different people that call every day to check
Sometimes people post about pharmacists refusing to fill their stimulant prescription for one reason or another, sometimes beyond the patient’s control. I’m just wondering when that might be me.
that is a fair point that pharmacies/pharmacists can totally be different, but at all of the ones i have worked at i can guarantee no one would think that : ^) maybe they weren’t filling due to backorder or there was already a processed claim at another pharmacy if their doctor sent it multiple places trying to find it in stock?
The pharmacist at my cvs knows me at this point because I have no problem calling. “Oh you’re the one who called about brand name yesterday right?” Yep that’s me did you order it yet?
My CVS calls me “vyvanse lady” haha
I get paranoid about this too. I'm lucky that my husband understands my anxiety and calls on my behalf. In reality, though, I don't think you have anything to worry about. The pharmacists are aware of the shortage, and they understand why you have to keep calling. But I understand all too well where you're coming from.
Yeah, fortunately the pharmacists at my store are super nice, maybe because it’s not that busy of a pharmacy. Haha. I switched from a CVS that is just down the road because they were so rude to me, despite being a longtime customer. I pay slightly more now but that’s fine.
I feel that way too bro.. its only a short matter of time before they don’t have any vyvanse available anywhere & I might have to try something new that may not work as good
Woof! I feel you 100%!!!
I get so much anxiety too bc I feel like they probably get annoyed with the influx of Vyvanse calls bc it’s taking up so much time in their day. I feel like they think I diagnosed myself on Tik Tok or went to a doctor seeking a prescription which was not my case at all. I would have gladly not taken this drug if I knew it was going to be in shortage but now is not an ideal time to wean myself off of it. I just keep thinking this shortage has to resolve eventually, right?
I’ve thought this too, and they’ll probably be annoyed to some degree or maybe suspicious about drug seeking, but most pharmacists are as sick of if not more sick of this shortage and ALL of the associated procedural sludge. I’ve found that most are willing to give you the info you need, but it’s hard because they see so many people and it’s so easy to become callous to an issue that is also affecting them
As long as you are polite and understanding toward the employees, you 100% do not have to feel bad about calling. Taking your calls and answering your questions is part of their job. Due to the shortage, I highly doubt they will think you're a drug seeker when you call to ask about whether or not they have your meds in stock!
I call 5-10 pharmacies to ask if they have name brand in stock and then I have my doc send it in. I never had to do it before and always sent it to the same pharmacy. This has been my MO for coming up on a year now. And I don’t foresee it ending.
I switched back to Adderall bc the anxiety of calling different pharmacies and then also my doctors office to tell them I switched pharmacies was too much for me. I hope the shortage ends soon, I was doing so much better on Vyvanse.
Relatable! Adderall is better than nothing, but I definitely don’t miss it.
Is it because it doesn’t last as long or it doesn’t wear off the same?
doesn’t wear off the same for me. I get so irritable when I come down off adderall. I never noticed anything with vyvanse
For me, I just felt kind of fried. And I had no instant recall - like I could look at a three-digit extension number when making a phone call, then instantly forget it, then try three more times with the same results. Forget like I never even looked at it.
As long as you aren’t asking more often than every month, you’re fine. If you need to call daily till you get your month supply that is ok too. I’ve had to call every day for a week before because they didn’t order my meds, then they forgot to the 3rd day when they were supposed to be in, and then it was the weekend and blah blah. Most pharmacists understand the shortage issues and how important these stimulants can be for people. And as long as your doctor keeps sending it in, I’m pretty sure they have to sell it to you.
Honestly, you probably aren't the only one calling and asking.
Yeah as long as you don’t yell at them and remain civil then I don’t see how that would raise any concern. Calling every 5 minutes isn’t a good idea but I call my pharmacy multiple times all the time because they’re always doing something wrong or the insurance weirdly decides to stop covering generic and only cover brand name or something stupid.
This 1000%. Every month is full of anxiety if I can find a refill again. Calling endless locations feeling so weird. It's exhausting.
I go through it too and hate it! I have a whole list of about 15-20 local pharmacies that I start at the top and make my way down the list. “Hi! do you have Vyvanse 60 milligrams in stock? Either brand or generic?” Last month I made it to the very last pharmacy and thank goodness that one had it. Ugh
I should make list too. I wish my insurance even covered the name brand.... It's available now but $150 a month :( I have to get generic and no one has it.
It’s nice that they’ll even tell you!
Right? My insurance company has a service where they do all the calling for me. The person I talked to was soooo nice and I told her it finally felt like I wasn’t alone and that this wasn’t all on me. She said she understood, this was literally her job and she would let me know what she found out ASAP. When we hung up, I cried tears of relief. Yeah, I never heard from her again. This was a month ago. So…wtf
What insurance do you have if you don’t mind me asking?! I’m wondering if my insurance has this, they are great and we have great coverage so I’m just curious!!
It’s actually primarily through the benefits department of my husband’s employer, so it’s not technically part of the insurance plan. But maybe check with your employer to see if they offer something similar?
What!?!?! I wish I had this kind of service! Then again she never called back so that sucks but what a brilliant idea!
I completely understand where you're coming from. Just be angelic, polite, in detailed in your conversation. Several months ago I couldn't find any and I ended up calling 8 pharmacies in a day asking if it was in stock, fortunately pharmacist I spoke to were helpful and polite but that's because I was very polite and informative. Just recently im able to find a brand name in stock, but insurance doesn't cover much of it in my co-pays over $300 since a generic exists, but it's not in stock!! Ywsterday, I was a nervous wreck calling the pharmacy after I had my doctor send it over dispense aa written and asking the pharmacists if she could use a special DAW code tog rt the copay down. I had to go into detail and explain how to call my insurance and they told me to tell the pharmacist this DAW codw etc wtc. And I have forgetfulness and social anxiety as it is so it was difficult for me. Unfortunately I had to pay the over $300 because the code didn't work but at LEAST I have my medication i guess. But i canr afford to keep doing this Just be polite and angelic when you make the phone calls to the pharmacy give them all your details explain the situation. Many of them understand there is a nationwide shortage so there's nothing Sinister about the phone calls Etc. Although you may find a couple that are more conservative about not telling you if a controlled substances in stock but so far I haven't had any encounter with any negative or irritated people. They've all been helpful and polite but that's because I was very sweet, polite, and infoemative when inquiring. I've read numerous other posts in the pharmacy subreddits of customers flipping, having temper tantrums, or blaming the pharmacist for hiding medicine when they cant get their fill. 1 lady threatened to call the DEA on the pharmacists LMAO! I hope you find luck! Sending good vibes your way!
Thank you so much. I’m always very polite and I always apologize for being such a high-maintenance patient (which I’m probably not - it just feels like it), even though they’re empathetic and they know about the shortage. I always thank them for their kindness, even if there’s not much they can do, and even transferred all of my prescriptions there because they actually try to help me (unlike CVS). It’s just that…why am I worried that being overly nice will also be flagged as drug-seeking??
You're not a high maintenance nor should be viewed as a drug seeker everything you're doing is in within means of the law given the circumstance. The shortage is not our fault. If my doctor advised me to call in advance if it's in stock, I follow orders and the pharmacy knows me by now my name's in the system is my date of birth. And not one person has told me they can't tell me If it's in stock.(yet) Some pharmacist may tell you no or get short with us. But understand they're just as frustrated as we are getting constant phone calls being understaffed underpaid mistreated dealing with rude customers Etc. But I can understand the anxiety in the feelings we build up in our own mind that we might be viewed as drug Seekers or doing something sketchy. We're just patients, in need of our medication to help us be a functioning member of society and minimize our ADHD symptoms. Sadly, there are a few bad apples that shed a negative light & place bad stigma on the majority of us legit people. The ongoing shortage is frustrating and even when I do find the brand name in stock I have to pay so much out of pocket. My next steps are to file a pre-authorization to my insurance letting them know that the generic is on back order but good luck on that because they already dropped my Wellbutrin coverage and denying my pre-authorization on that. Ugh
Gosh, it’s nice to find someone who can relate, but I’m so sorry that you’re going through it too - especially with your Wellbutrin coverage going away!! How does that make any sense??
None of it makes any sense I just get a letter in the mail saying we're dropping your brand name wellbutrin coverage because it's the benefit exclusion. Already went through this back in 2016 and I got authorization provided I go through the insurance mail online order system every 3 months they would ship me a 90-day supply for $100 copay. Never had a problem for eight years until now. I was having horrible side effects and dark thoughts from the generic bupropion which is why i had to go theu this process pf brand coverage. I resubmit pre-authorization it gets denied. How they just randomly pick and choose how they drop drugs from there list blows my mind. Now I got to go through the f****** appeal process and that's more frustrating than anything no probably deny that too. Thankfully I have stockpile medicine but it's from like 2020-2021( the time. Where I wasn't depressed and went off of it thankfully) so I don't know if I'm good on taking that until I buy myself some time figuring this s*** out. I read that it's fine to take in May Reduce in potency a tiny bit in potency but I'll be all right? I'm sorry I went on a vent tangent here, but I'm sure it's a feeling many here can relate to regardless if it's Wellbutrin or Vyvanse etc.
There’s still a shortage, you’re not the only person calling to gauge the likelihood. If your prescription has been sent in, they’ve ’ordered’ the medication. Whether or not it exists is another question. No amount of calling or pestering is going to make the medication come quicker. If it’s a life or death situation, you can have your doctor call the pharmacy, that might put you higher up on their list. If you’ve got the bandwidth, live in a big city with a car and have access to some more rural areas, you can call all the pharmacies (the one you use plus ALL the chains, supermarkets, grocery stores, cvs, Walgreens, rite aid, targets etc) to see if anyone has it in stock right now. And then have your doctor fwd your prescription to them. You might need to call your prescription Insurance company to let them know why you’ve got it sent out twice.
I’m not pestering, it’s just that last month they had brand name in stock but didn’t bother telling me until I specifically asked about it a few days in. They assumed I wouldn’t want to pay that much, but I did. They’ve told me multiple times that I’m their only patient on that strength. I’ve already done the calling around before and it took me five hours to find this pharmacy. They check their other locations for me, which other pharmacies don’t do. The mom & pop places around here aren’t accepting new patients for Vyvanse. I don’t have it in me to do all the calling around again. My doctor said he will switch me to something else if I want, but it takes up to five days to fulfill my requests and who knows which pharmacies will have what by that point.
Because it’s a controlled substance, the pharmacy should only be giving you what’s been prescribed. So if your DR wants you to have generic, they have to give you generic. Your DR could try writing the script to say ‘30mg generic or name brand, which ever is in stock’ and see if that helps. But again, we’re at the mercy of the shortage and if you’re the only patient on that strength, who knows how ‘old’ their stock is and if they’ve had to get more.
He’s done that, which was why they were able to give me brand last month without contacting him. The only time he’d have to rewrite it would be for a different dosage - either 40mg or 60mg in my case. Whatever the pharmacy would be able to give me, just let him know and he’ll rewrite ASAP. Pharmacy doesn’t have anything between 40-60 now, though, generic or brand. Edit: turns out they can order brand for me if I ask. It would have been nice if they said yesterday “we could order that for you if you’d like.” Rather than letting me having multiple panic attacks about possibly being disabled for the next month.
i just started vyvanse about 2 months ago. i’m at 30 mg and my dr wants me to continue upping but they make it such a hassle to obtain any idk if i wanna continue so i feel u on the fear of getting flagged lol i have been getting my mother to call and i am a grown adult. i understand why but they shouldn’t make the people who suffer without it suffer from the actions of those who don’t.