Caremark do you not get it?!!?!?

Caremark is a complete nightmare.
Their website requires constant re-registering and their customer
service staff is totally useless.
Not only do they quesiton whether you should be filled a generic or
brand (and take days to do so), they charge you overnight shipping and
then send things US mail that take 1-2 weeks.
I know Rx prices are high, but save yourself the hassel and go to a
real pharmacy where people are educated!

I can not beleive this company is still in business. Their web site is
a joke, in the past 3 months I've had to re-register 3 times, and all
of my prescrition history is missing.

They also do not seem to want to stock low profit medications, they
told me that one prescrition was on backorder for two years, but this
is not true. I can get the same medication from my local Rite-aid
with no "back-order" problems.

I am going to stop using CareMark, and give my business to the local
economy.

My advice, stay away from CareMark.

Chris Farrell, NY

I have never dealt with a more infuriating and incompetent customer
service department at any company in my entire life. I received a one
month supply of a maintenance asthma drug instead of a 3 month supply
as the doctor had written the prescription. I received a letter
stating that 3 months exceeded the maximum number of months allowable
by my plan for this drug (although it had not been a problem in the
past!). After calling Caremark and struggling for 30 minutes to get an
explanation, they told my that BC/BS had changed the plan and that
drug now needed "prior authorization" to receive 3 months at a time.
How do you do that, I asked?? Get the doctor to call and provide
authorization and then I could call back in several days and get the
other 2 months supply sent out.

Okay, doctor calls and spends 20 minutes telling them why he's calling
and is told that no prior authorization is needed and that Caremark
made an error and should have sent a 90 day supply. And that they
should have me take up the problem with customer service (AGAIN!)

I spent 2 hours either on hold with a lovely but completely
incompetent young lady and then her bully supervisor whose way of
dealing was to speak continuously and not allow you to interupt or ask
any questions. I was told that the drug DOES need "prior
authorization" from the doctor to allow the same doctor to write a
prescription for a 3 month supply and get it filled. No admission that
they gave the doctor the wrong info (even though a CS rep had told me
it was documented in their system) and I'm not kidding - 2 hours of
arguing to get an accurate description and an inference that it was
our problem that we did not understand them (even though both my
husband and I hold Master Degrees). They insist that we have the
doctor call AGAIN and give the proper authorization (already given)
and then in 30 days they can send a 90 day supply. However,
conveniently, they will not do what the CS rep had told me and send
out 2 additional months and therefore get to charge me again since
according to them "they filled the prescription according to the
allowable amount" which changed on 5/19/06.

They were rude, condescending and completely unknowledgeable about the
plan and what had been told to both me and my doctor. If there were
any way to go elsewhere I would, but this is the only game in town.
However with the way they manipulate things to overcharge and reduce
drug dosages, it's probably better to go to my local pharmacy.

I have also had trouble with them I am shocked how they can treat
their customers this way

Lynnea, I would love to hear more detail about the ways they have
screwed up, and how many times you have had to interact with customer
service only to receive poor treatment. I personally am insured
through Caremark as well, and would be interested in hearing more.

Have you mentioned this lack of customer service to your Human
Resources department? When it comes time to research new/cheaper
perscription plans, knowing how difficult Caremark has been to use for
their employees may make a difference in their decision to renew.

Lynnea, I would love to hear more detail about the ways they have
screwed up, and how many times you have had to interact with customer
service only to receive poor treatment. I personally am insured
through Caremark as well, and would be interested in hearing more.

Have you mentioned this lack of customer service to your Human
Resources department? When it comes time to research new/cheaper
perscription plans, knowing how difficult Caremark has been to use for
their employees may make a difference in their decision to renew.

I personally have had no problems with Caremark, but I am aware that I
may have an unusual situation. I have my doctor sign for refills
before we need them, and send in the refill forms before we're out of
meds and before the prescription has expired. I provide a valid
credit card number when I send in the forms, as I'm not always sure
when one of our prescriptions has changed from one category of co-pay
to another.

So--what went wrong with your order? We need details before we can
help out.