Wrongfully terminated by Walgreens

I don't understand the part about "employees have to fill their RX at
Walgreens". What the heck does that mean? Maybe I'm reading it wrong
or something. But it sounds like this in my mind "If you are a
walgreens employee, you have to buy walgreens milk" Is there seriously
a rule saying you have to buy their medication because you are an
employee????

that they found out about your condition via your medical usage,
you'll have a heck of a time proving that it's the ACTUAL reason they
fired you.

Trust me when I say if they let you go, whether it was truly over your
status or not, they have an iron-clad alibi (shift coverage) to back
them up. It will all come down to your word against theirs, so unless
you are willing to go down in a likely vicious fight, you're better
off to cut your losses. You don't need to waste your time and energy
on such a worthless bunch anyway!

It sucks that companies can get away with that, but it's the loophole
in our employment law. The same laws that are supposed to protect
workers are the ones that the smart lawyers will always angle to get
around.

Contact the EEOC and file a complaint if you believe your termination
was unjust.

1. It seems like a black and white question as to whether employees
have to have scripts filled at Walgreens in order to be covered. You
say it is company policy, so it must be and I'm confident it is
legal.

2. Walgreen's is huge. You would think that if the insurance company
can dictate that scripts be filled though Walgreens, there would be a
strict privacy policy at work as to what prescriptions a person is
taking.

3. The third issue is the circumstances under which you were
terminated. If it was strictly due to absences, covering shifts, etc I
think Walgreens may be on solid ground. Your description of how you
were fired doesn't hint that you feel knowledge of the HIV and firing
are related, other than your illness caused the absences.

Who asked about the HIV? Who brought it up? If this was a
conversation in which you mentioned to a coworker the problems you
were having coping with your scripts for HIV and the manager is giving
you a hard time about being out, and the coworker was like "Wow, how
did you get it?" that is one thing. If someone looked at your file,
figured out you are on a script for HIV, and then asked you how you
contracted it, that is a completely different matter.

I'm curious about the statement: "employees have to fill their RX at
Walgreens"

I work for a large grocery chain with pharmacies. Our prescription
drug plan only covers prescriptions through our pharmacies or an
affiliated mail order program. I think the OP might be saying that
for the meds to be covered under a prescription plan, it must be thru
walgreens. The OP is free to pay full price anywhere else. Sounds
like a good way for a pharmacy company to control some health care
cost.

If I was in your situation... I would have gone to a local pharmacy to
fill my 'scripts. It's none of their business on what meds you have
to take. There is a bit of confidentialty at pharmacies. I do not
agree w/ discrimination w/ how many times it has been called... but I
do believe it has happened in your case. Yes - you have an illness
that sometimes requires you to miss work - & I do agree w/ earlier
posts about a docs excuse. I do not agree w/ the "you can only fill
'scripts here' bit. I would hate having to fill my peri-menopause
meds at my work... i'm only 36. They would be all "up in my
business". (trying to talk young....)
I believe you do have a case w/ personal confidentiallity (sp)

I don't know who would best be able to handle this--a local labor
board, or a lawyer of some type--but this is screaming "HIPAA
violation" to me.

I kinda thought HIPAA was put in place to prevent situations like
this--somebody getting ahold of your sensitive medical information and
then using it against you.

By ordering you to ONLY purchase your meds at walgreens it sets up a
situation where they are privy to your medical history through your
medication, thus circumventing HIPAA

Then by grilling you over how you contracted HIV further violates your
rights to medical privacy.


It honestly sounds like they are setting up a situation where they are
using confidential medical history information against a worker.


You really should contact the labor board.

Even if this is an "at will" job, I don't see where they have a right
to question you over how you contacted HIV.

I think it's kinda lame that you are required to fill your
prescriptions there. There are a number of illnesses requiring
prescriptions one may not want co-workers knowing about. So much for
pharm/patient confindentiallity on that one.

Otherwise, while it may be possible you were discriminated against,
you did did call in sick alot. A doctors not perhaps could have kept
you from getting written up. You also didn't show up for a shift. All
are reasons for getting written up, and after enough times, fired.

I would be on the phone with an attorney. That practice of making you
fill the scripts there and then using that info against you seems to
break a number of privacy laws.

I am not sure about this, but you may be able to be rehired. Is HIV
considered a long term illness where you may have recourse under the
Americans With Disabilities Act.

thank you for the positive feed back.

I really want to let everyone know how much I appreciate your feed
back. This has been a very overwhelming week for me. I have been
blessed to find a clinic here in Portland that spealizes in treating
people who are positive! So I won't be missing any medication or
medical service that I do need. I have also gotten intouch with an
awesome casemanager who is helping me to cope with basic living needs
and emotional support. I've applied for unemployment still pending.
And I had to drop this quarter from school...no funds. I'm updating my
resume...and preparing to pound the pavement. And yes, I have gone to
the labor board and had a meeting with a civil rights advocate and now
I'm working on the paperwork. Then I will sit down with a friend of
mine who is going to sort out the past 8 months. Well, it's extremely
late...I'm tired beyond tired. Just wanted to say thank you! Lisa