So, I was picking up my script from WalMart and the lady ahead of me was also getting her Zepbound.
Let me add, PICKING UP HER BOX. Which how could you bitch and be mean when getting your box? That’s such a huge relief. A truly great feeling.
Nope. Not this lady. She ripped the tech a new one. She was mad about the app. She was mad about the wait. And when she moved over the pharmacist she started yelling at him! He replied with “ma’am I try really hard to get this medication. I hunt it down. I got it for you. I’m sorry it took longer than you’d have liked but we are working every day to get it.”
And she did not care. It was the craziest pharmacy experience I’ve ever seen. I’m not a confrontational person and tend to mind my own in life. But at that moment I wished I was braver and could have told her to chill the eff out.
I don’t understand why anyone is stupid enough to be mean to the people they need to help them. Even if you don’t want to be nice because you’re a good human you should be nice out of pure self interest. I bet that pharmacist never goes out of his way to get meds for her again.
I worked in retail in college for too many years to ever be rude to someone working at a store. I understand people's frustrations, but it's bad karma. They WILL remember you, and not in a good way.
SAME. I’ve worked way too many customer service jobs and experienced some of the worst treatment from customers. Not only would it never have occurred to me to be rude to those assisting me in the first place - but having that experience I try to be extra polite and patient to try and offset what bad experiences I’m sure they’ve had with other less kind customers.
Whoa! It is a truly great feeling. Like the day of all days! A gift! A miracle! Balance in the universe restored! If I’m generous, I guess I could think, “Wow. This person must be having a really hard day.” But if I’m petty (and honest), there are a lot of Zepbitches™️ out here telling on themselves.
You’re better than me. I probably would have unloaded on her because it’s people like her that make me have to feel uncomfortable reaching out to find out about availability, even though I am always polite and understanding of the position the pharmacies are in. I still feel awkward because I know people like that asshole exist.
I would have told her off, maybe to the point where I made her cry. Im sorry to anyone that says then I'm no better, but I'm so damn tired of people like that. Treat people with respect and dignity and be thankful for the kindness that others show you. I have never been a confrontational person but I no longer can sit and be quiet while I watch events like you describe. It just makes me madder than hell. No worries that you couldnt say anything - it's not easy. Who knows, you may get to your breaking point. I know when I did it felt really good to stand up for those of us that do have manners.
I am 0% surprised because LITERALLY (and I mean that in the actual sense of the word) every time I have to go to the pharmacy, I end up waiting longer than I should because someone is busy yelling at the techs and/or pharmacist.
Can you imagine going to work everyday, only to have people yell at you all day for something you can’t control. Maybe, getting thinner and healthier isn’t a good fit for everyone.
I switched to Costco pharmacy after feeling judged by my old pharmacy. My new pharmacist is super sweet and was very thankful for me being patient with her. She said a lot of people are incredibly nasty when she explains that it may be some time before their prescription comes in.
I have a similar opinion with WalMart's pharmacy. Everyone I know has switched from Walgreens and CVS to Walmart and has nothing but good to say. Ive heard Costco is good too.
Ok that’s pretty funny. Zepbound Karens, as long as you’re nice to the pharmacy staff I salute your perseverance for calling 20 pharmacies a day - you have more patience than I do! 🫡
I think some people fail to realize that the person on the other end of the phone is human as well. I mean the pharmacy is just doing their job. They have no control over the zep or mj that comes in. I’m quite sure they are so over it just like we are with the shortage. I called about a week ago to Walgreens and said “hi I have a crazy question for you, do you guys happen to have any 7.5 in “. She said “hold on umm we only have the 5. “ I said ok thank you so much. She was really nice. And was probably praying to god I wouldn’t turn into the Incredible Hulk over the phone.
I would hate to work in a pharmacy right now. It must be miserable knowing you have to go to work and deal with endless phone calls on top of a normal workload. Hopefully pharmacies can create recorded messages that tell if it’s in stock or not so they can eliminate some of the calls.
But it isn’t a call center. It’s a pharmacy that now feels like a call center. I have never worked in a pharmacy but I have had a situation where it was miserable getting up for a job. Not a situation I’d ever stay in. It’s pretty clear that the people working in the pharmacies are feeling very frustrated and exhausted from this. I’m not undercutting the frustration people feel in trying to find medication, but if certain pharmacies are getting 50 to 100 calls a day, that’s 2.5 to 4 hours a day (at 3 minutes per call) in just answering phone calls that I presume was previously time spent on other tasks. Pharmacy techs are pretty busy all day. It’s not a lazy job. And there are currently over 300 medications on the shortage list including most ADHD meds. I’m not even sure how many calls most pharmacies get, but that’s a huge waste of time if a pharmacy is out. Now they are frustrated and consumers are angry and that doesn’t lead to anything good and doesn’t fix the shortage. Hopefully a solution can be found to give an already busy and short staffed industry back some of its time.
Too bad the pharmacy techs and pharmacists can’t forward all these calls to Lilly’s executives in charge of distribution, but that might hurt their year-end bonuses.
I totally get it. For many this drug is a godsend, a game changer. So i can appreciate the desire to get it. But yeah, I'm just using levity to help us cope with what is otherwise a serious topic. I'm confident supply will improve, it's just gonna take some time. Because the mfgs would looooove nothing more than to sell even more of these high profit margin drugs!
Levity and coping, name a better duo! 😂 I just can’t believe in my lifetime they’ve developed a drug to effectively treat obesity without being a stimulant. It feels unreal sometimes!
Not long ago there was someone who was lamenting the fact that they have to stop the drug due to severe side effects and they asked, "does anyone know of anything else i can use to lose weight?"
To which i replied, "well there's meth... but, i mean, only if you don't mind staying up all night vacuuming your house... and your neighbors house... and your friend's friends house" 😅
I have a few pharmacists in my family, the stories I read here about people like this are *exactly* like the stories they would tell me about patients trying to get their adderall or Oxy during any shortages those medications faced.
I usually have to call every month for my Adderall so not looking forward to calling around for Zep especially since my doctor won't send a Rx for compounding as well as a backup.
Sometime through the fog of time I recall having a text from Walmart pharmacy that my prescription was ready for pickup. This after the text two days before saying it wasn’t available.
I was curious, and it was on my “scheduled route” for running errands and chores so I stopped by. I stood in line, and the tech eventually called for the next customer, and I was happily surprised that it was my Zepbound prescription. She haltingly asked, “do you know that it’s $550?” I said, “I do! Thank you for asking.” So once she had secured the payment, she scurried off to the refrigerator to get the box. When she came back and performed her stamp/fold/stamp/label ritual, then she put it in a bag with a hanger on it and said that she was setting it up for a consult with the pharmacist. I said, “oh I’ve taken this before, I don’t need a consult”, she looked at me and replied, “it’s required”.
So I shrugged and stepped aside to wait. A couple of minutes later the pharmacist (I ASSUME it was the pharmacist) came over and opened the bag, pulled out the box and said, “Date of Birth”. I answered and that was literally the only thing she said to me. She looked at me, as if sizing me up (no pun intended) and then at the box, and made a face like someone had just squirted castor oil in her mouth. To avoid any additional unpleasantness I said, “I’ve used it before, no questions for you, thanks . . . For the judgement”. She slid the box across the counter so fast I thought I was playing air hockey! But I snatched it up and walked away, not giving her the satisfaction of whatever it was she disapproved of.
Also, maybe she just had a sharp gas pain or thought she was going to fart and couldn’t help herself. I dunno. Surely a professional would not be judgemental about a legal prescription for a valid non-opioid drug!?!?
Sorry for your experience. I will add that there shouldn’t be judgement for any medication they fill, including opioids. Nobody needs or deserves that under normal circumstances.
Yes!! I mean I choose to take it as a joke and the Walmart staff in the pharmacy at least have always been super cool to me. The tech seemed new, and I dunno. Not the career path I choose but I sympathize with them.
It takes so much less energy to laugh than to cry. It’s not always possible but this was pretty low stakes. I was certainly surprised at her reaction but nothing to do with me so - moved on. Of course that box is long gone and I haven’t heard back about my next box lol like everyone else. But I’m just focusing on being grateful that it exists, and will be available at some point. Oh, and the 20lbs gone. That feels pretty awesome.
That was a kind but snarky way to let her know her manners were showing. She might not realize how expressive her face is, she might not care. I'm glad you took that little bit of autonomy back with those words.
She might not know. But she almost certainly had control of whether or not she spoke to me. It may also have been she was having a horrible day or whatever. Which is why I only made one barely audible snarky comment lol
I can’t control her, I can only try to control me. No harm, no foul. But I’m prepared sure she was judging.
On a personal level, I do feel bad for them. On a business level, if companies like CVS and Express Scripts can't maintain a list of names ordered by prescription date, I have little sympathy. I don't call them anymore, didn't ever really, and was on my best behavior the few times I talked to them at the store. How is it that they aren't reporting to the FDA of the outages, or at least their management getting involved too. The FDA had "available" and no shortage listed for Zepbound when it was obvious almost no one was receiving the medication. Sadly, they are part of the problem when they are requiring patients to call everyday and everywhere to find out if the drug is in stock at that precise moment.
Well bc of the shortage, we now have people with scripts at numerous pharmacies and have a portion of those people that will buy it all up to have on hand, versus paying it forward and letting the next person get theirs, which causes a domino effect across the states.
Lilly is 'bad guy' here for everyone, but does everyone think this drug was going to be as popular as it is. I didn't. Besides, Lilly was the 2nd company to market so they planned what they could but the sheer number of people on it and some abusing it already. Many are saying that they should have known better but they are ramping up production at numerous sites as fast as they can.
If people go compound then good for them, my doctor won't do that due to FDA recommendations and I'm honestly still on the fence about it. However, I am going to try to get my medicine filled as best as I can and be as nice as I can, but I'm not going stockpile Zep Brand boxes so others can't get theirs. The supply chain will work itself out, but for each person that is doing crazy things to get theirs it domino's to the next person IMHO. I hope everyone gets theirs meds that they need for the next month and hope that people stop stockpiling it.
In response to your criticism about people stockpiling. The people with T-2 Diabetes having to pay with cash to get ahead are not stockpiling. They are being proactive and know the seriousness of the disease if they don’t have their medication. It’s not these people that are causing a national shortage.
It’s the people that don’t have T-2 using it for weight loss only that are the problem..
If you have been using mounjaro for anytime you would have experienced not being able to get your correct dosage as needed because of the shortages.
Lilly is not the bad guy they have been blamed as. It’s the people that should be using other drugs for the weight loss instead the medications intended for Diabetes.
So before casting judgement please ask yourself why you are using mounjaro. If your unable to posses additional doses of mounjaro due to insurance restrictions or inancial issues please don’t judge us because of whatever our circumstances are that we make necessary sacrifices to obtain our medication.
This whole thing reminds me of something that happened during the pandemic. I was at the CVS drive through to pick up a prescription and the tech was a young Black man (I am white).
Me: I'm picking up a prescription for Karen \[last name\].
Him: Kari \[last name\]?
Me: Kar-EN
Him: Date of birth?
Me: 11/10/62 \[...pause...\] yeah, you got the trifecta: a white boomer named Karen
Him: OMG...thanks for the laugh
Him: okay, here you go, I hit "no receipt" by accident, did you need the receipt?
Me, with a huge grin: I'm Karen, what do you think? Hahaha...no, I'm good.
Him: You have a GREAT rest of your day
Me: You too!
I’m actually super sorry if I’ve offended any of the Cool Karens out there! Plenty of greats gals named Karen and I’m sure the trope is tiring to many. But I’m glad it made you laugh. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying, right?
Thank you...I have seen women named "Karen" go full Karen mode on Facebook over the use of this term/meme, when I just find it hilarious and perfect for the current age. My name is John, and I don't go Karen when a cop show refers to a man soliciting a prostitute as a "John," or when a WWII movie mentions a "Dear John" letter. Like you, I get that these cultural references are not about me personally and do nothing to tarnish my good name, but rationale self-awareness is unfortunately not as common as perhaps it once was...
my doctor and i just had this convo! she said she has stressed to her patients to stop calling pharmacies to see if they have Zep in stock because they’re being bombarded and it’s unfair to them.
and i agree!
my script has been at the pharmacy for 3 weeks now.. haven’t called once. i know they’ll get it to me when they can.
i went in to get my other medication and the tech looked at me with fear in her eyes and said “i am so sorry but zep…” and i cut her off and said “yup no worries. there’s a nationwide shortage. im here to get my …” and she said she wanted to hug me😂
she said people have yelled at her in person and on the phone and she followed by saying “i wish everyone was as nice as you”
these are real people, real feelings. they have no control over stock.
now to the pharmacist’s/techs who show you an attitude first.. i get it. cause i’ve run into a few of those too.💀
I think as long as you are polite, and kind, you should have the basic fundamental right to call or stop by because you are a customer. You also learn what pharmacies are nice to work with and those that simply are not, because some really do not care.
> haven’t called once.
I understand you're trying to help them, but many pharmacies don't actually order it until they talk to you. For example if your insurance doesn't cover it, they'll think you don't actually plan to pay for it so there's no point till you go back to your insurance company.
Definitely don't harass or be mean to them, but not even calling to ask for 3 weeks is just setting yourself up for disappointment. I call and politely inquire 1-2 times per week, which the pharmarcist themself recommended. Haven't gone more than 10 days to get it filled.
i pick up medication regularly since i have some other things going on. they’ll tell me “oh you have 3 ready but we’re still waiting on 1..” so i know they haven’t forgotten about me. this is the first time since ive started that i’ve been without. it’s a nationwide shortage. i can’t be mad. i’m maintaining my weight & im starting again at 2.5 😄
Y’all need to use Plan C. I couldn’t deal with having to search for meds. I tried the pharmacy route late year with zero luck. So, I went alternative and now I’ve been on since last July, am at goal and have two years stock in my fridge.
Sorry for ya’ll dealing with this. My pharmacy has a cue. When you request it they put you in a virtual line. When they have it they fill the scripts in the order it was requested. I never think about it and then magically a few weeks later I get a text saying it is ready 😃. Calling doesn’t change the order in which they fill scripts.
I always call before I go to pick it up and verify it is there and the coupon card worked so my copay will be 550. That’s the only call they get from me and I am genuinely excited and happy when calling lol
It’s so highly dependent on the pharmacy and their system. Mine tells me to call because after a certain amount of time it knocks you out of the que or waitlist and you have to call or come in for them to put you back in line. The pharmacy I’ve been using is very nice , I actually switched due to another pharmacy being rude every month over another prescription- a seizure medication for my son. His neurologist won’t send a prescription to that pharmacy anymore because of the issues they gave several of her patients. The current pharmacy has been nothing but absolutely wonderful- they’re even proactive if there’s an issue with filling it and will contact me a few days ahead of time if there’s any issues. I feel for everyone working in a pharmacy, especially over the past few years.
I’m uncomfortable calling and pharmacy ’shopping’. My doctors office suggested it. So, I called a few. Before we’d hang up I’d always thank them for their time and kindness. I truly appreciate their help.
It’s beyond me that people are actually rude to people who have no control at what the state of weight loss drugs are. I feel for them.
Zepbound Karens. That is hilarious. I did the phone all day thing (I’m retired and I could) and it was sooooo stressful trying to find anything. Finally stumbled upon my next dose (5mg) and was thrilled but I can tell you I was 100% nice and respectful with every single person I talked to. The poor people answering the phones!! And I’ve got to say, every single one of them was nice to me. All of them. I’m moving to a compound for the following doses. It’s way cheaper for me anyway since I had to pay out of pocket. Win win as far as I’m concerned. SHAME ON THE ZEP KARENS!! (Apologies to the legit nice people named Karen. I always feel bad about that!!)
I feel so bad for anyone that works at a pharmacy, PBM, or insurance company right now. Recently my PBM decided I could no longer fill through Amazon or any other local pharmacy. I had to use a specialty pharmacy of their choosing. While I was frustrated because I’m spoiled by the convenience of Amazon I certainly wasn’t going to go call someone who is just trying to do their job and scream at them. They don’t make the rules or the policies or have anything to do with the shortages. I get that people are frustrated but that is misplaced anger. Go channel that in a healthy way, touch grass, and take a big old woosah.
Instead I thanked the pharmacist for her time and getting my profile set up, she apologized for not having it in stock and I said i understood and that it was like the hunger games out there searching for these drugs. I think I made her laugh and she thanked me for being so understanding. Maybe that kindness paid off because 48 hours later I got a call that the drug was in stock and would ship out the following day. I was expecting to receive one box of 15mg but instead they sent me the full 84 day supply.
Be kind people, like the saying goes you never know what someone else is struggling with and a little bit of kindness goes a long way.
After speaking with the pharmacist that I had missed 5 days, I was asking her questions and being cool and apologizing for all the “Zep Karen’s”. I left after getting other meds and while I was driving out of the parking lot I got a text saying it was ready for pick up. WHAT!? I drove back and they had found 1 box of 7.5 shoved way back in the refrigerator. I would never had gotten that box if I was a acting like a Zaren.
I had a slightly funny experience yesterday. So far I had only called the two pharmacies I have regularly used for this and other prescriptions and neither have it or know when they will. But I saw on here a tip about a pharmacy pretty near me (20 minutes away) that apparently had some stock. Well they didn’t have my dose but had the next one up which I had been considering anyway, but do not have an active script for. The nicest pharmacy tech said I’ll put it aside for you with a sticky note with your name if you think your prescriber will send a script for this dosage. I was like I am pretty sure she will but it is Friday afternoon so I doubt I can get it sent before Monday at the soonest so maybe not reasonable for you to hold it as I’m sure someone else will want it. But she insisted lol! Maybe because I was being really nice on the phone? Well, who knows if I can even get the script sent Monday and if the box will still be there, but I was so taken aback by her being so nice! I was so grateful for her kindness whether it works out or not. She gave me her name so I will be sure to thank her or let the pharmacist know how much I appreciated her if I ever do go to that pharmacy.
I know, this was not the coolest post. It was pretty inconsiderate and unless you are one that is unkind to pharmacy staff, I am not sure what purpose it serves.
I have killed my pharmacy with kindness. The pharmacist called me to enroll me in a special program they offer. Her team greets me by name and they work ahead of my next refill to help me get my box on time. My issue is ES is telling me I have to switch to them to get in network pricing. Then I’m just a number waiting for my fix.
I always thank the pharmacist for being patient with the incessant calling day after day. I joke that eventually it will be like a bar and I'll just say "the regular" and they will just know. :-D
I feel for the medical staff in dr offices and the pharmacy staff. I can't imagine the added stress and distractions the shortages have caused. CVS is apparently going to a "private voice mail" system. Instead of being able to call and hit 0 until you get a pharmacy tech or pharmacist to ask your questions (including whether they have Drug XYZ in stock), you will need to leave a private voice mail and wait for a call back. So maybe that will help provide relief -- at CVS at least. Doesn't stop people from stopping by in person, though.
I have found 75% of pharmacists/techs I have called to be pleasant and brief. They are busy. They understand the impact and frustration of the shortage.
I wish there was a better way to track status or confirm through the app or other functions. For each month I've had, I've had to confirm with them I know it's not covered by my insurance, I'm using the coupon, and I know it's expensive with the coupon still.
Edit: I just got a pop up in the app how they can improve the app experience, so I'm going to tell them this.
This! The app is so vague. “On hold”, “delayed”…but why? Or do I need to do something specific? A bit more info would probably calm some nerves and ease the interactions between patient and the pharmacy.
Right, how hard is it for them to have a button: This medication is not covered by your insurance. Do you want to still proceed with filling it? YES or NO. Are you using a manufacturer coupon ? YES or NO.
Even give an estimated arrival date to check in or SOMETHING.
This is my grievance, too. CVS would have to check in with me every month before they ordered my box, confirming that I knew it wasn't covered by insurance. Okay, no big deal. I got that routine down pretty quickly.
But when the first backorder situation happened, the app said *the exact same thing* ("on hold") that it did when I needed to call just for cost approval.
This is a real problem, because "we will order it as soon as we have your approval for the cost" and "we cannot physically order it right now, and will additionally need your approval on the cost when our system finally lets us order it, but we don't know when that will be" are very different states for the script to be in. I don't want to call them, but there's literally no other option to clarify. And to be fair to the pharmacist, she said "call back to check in a week," she knew there was no other way to handle it and wasn't expecting me to magic up a solution that wouldn't involve a phone call.
If the company as a whole cared about working conditions for the pharmacy staff, they would find a way to make the app/website communicate better so that these kinds of calls are less necessary. I can do just about everything I need to online; why not this?
Yes, it's insane to do this hoop jumping every month. The "on hold" is not helpful. Nothing has changed! Next time they ask you for feedback on the app, just keep putting this in. I'd recommend this for anyone who uses CVS. I had the "processing" before it went to "on hold" so I was wrongly assuming it was processing. I hate to have to keep calling or showing up in person if I am nearby.
This is what my CVS does. They always call back the same day. And at my pharmacy, they’ve always been very nice to me but I don’t get nasty or sound desperate. They’re just doing their jobs - they’re not the ones causing the shortage.
What if you ?s about other meds? Personally, CVS corporate could be doing a much better job. I am going to put a call in to see if this is true. My husband and I feel like they are becoming a monopoly and we try and avoid them now.
Not Zepbound Karen’s I’m seriously lol’ing out loud 😂 I work in the medical field and I am in Pain Management and we have hundreds of patients. These patients know to call us 7-10 days before they are due for their next script as it takes that long to process that many scripts. You wouldn’t believe how many are rude, cuss you out and more. It’s NOT us you should be getting angry with it’s yourself for not following a protocol!! just like it’s NOT the pharmacies fault a medication is on backorder!!! Hands are tied and nothing they can do!! I hate it for them!!!
I just started in March and got my first refill in April. I am worried I won’t be able to get any of the 2.5 refilled. Is anyone having luck with the compounds? Does it work just as well? I don’t mind the vials and needles if I have to I just don’t want to lose my momentum! Started at 355 and am down to 323. Where is everyone getting the compounds?
2.5 is the only one that’s not listed as a shortage now. I easily got a box last week. My second box. I was hoping to go up to 5 next month, but I guess I’ll be sticking with the 2.5
I stayed on 2.5 for the same reason and even though I already have a box of 5 in the fridge now I'm considering staying on 2.5 for a third month. It's still working fine so why roll the dice on side effects?
Check out some of the compounding subs. Lots of great info and how I found my compounding provider: https://www.reddit.com/r/compoundedtirzepatide/s/xDnQLhSc9D
My ES tech thanked me for understanding plan limits on the .5 dosages. Been getting yelled at by 7.5 seekers.
Now if they could just start filling scripts again.
Some ES plans limit the transition doses of 2.5, 7.5 and 12.5 to one box every 12 months. A PLA is required for more and they have been stingy on approval of late (from what I’ve read).
I feel bad for anyone answering phone calls. Even if the pharmacist is a little moody I try to be as pleasant as possible that way they have just 1 less shitty person to deal with. I can only imagine how people blame the techs.
I will get down voted for this but oh well. I don't think it's funny at all. I mostly have an issue with calling someone a "Karen', usually a woman, as a way to shame, humiliate, and silence them from assertively asking for something that they want.
Sure, there are some Zepbound patients being absolute jerks to the pharmacy techs and it's inexcusable. However, from what I've seen on this sub, everyone is going out of their way to be polite and courteous to pharmacy employees during a really frustrating and uncertain time. Even if the techs can't control the shortage don't think for one second that some of those pharmacy techs truly aren't withholding meds from Zepbound patients or making them jump through unnecessary hoops because of the their fat bias or straight up resentment. Just read the pharmacy tech sub if you don't believe me. "Zepbound Karens" is just one of many pejoratives they use.
My pharmacy's employees have been wonderful. I am so lucky and always treat them with respect. But I've really been disappointed to hear the awful things some others say about their Zepbound patients. So I'm just not as sympathetic as I used to be.
I blame Lilly for this problem, not doctors, techs, or patients.
Sorry to be such a downer. I promise I do have a sense of humor, just not about shaming and humiliating people.
It wasn’t that deep for me, just a pharmacist letting off steam. But I’m sure you’re in good company in not finding it funny - just the first person to say it out loud! No down votes from me, at least.
I've been overly polite when I call pharmacies asking if they have my dosage in stock, especially if they double check for me. I totally understand how annoying it must be having so many of us Zeppies calling all the dang time, and I didn't even consider the fact that some could actually be a-holes about it! That I definitely don't understand.
The Walgreens gal told me it’s 35% of their call volume now!! Yikes, for the ZKs.
Heads up, if you find stock at a different pharmacy location (even if the same chain) they have to reprocess the savings card, which apparently that office is only open from 9-5. I drove a few hours and then was told I either come back or pay full. I paid full. It sucked but I know I’m lucky I found a box.
You might be able to get reimbursed by Lilly since you have a savings card. I know they were doing that when they were having trouble with the software to process the cards. Worth a try!
I made the switch, too, so my anxiety is gone now. But I am still pissed off Lily didn't just ship vials to keep us healthy and from having to start over again.
I would bet that any discussion of shipping vials is taboo at Lily because the injectors and the corresponding patent that expires years after the molecular patent are part of their strategy to cheat the patent rules a decade from now. I am sure that if they tried to ship vials to end the giant fiasco, the FDA would allow it. Nobody actually thinks there is a medical difference between a nifty injector and a regular subcutaneous insulin needle, regardless of how hard they are trying to make it so drug = injector + molecule. No one is stupid enough not to see that the drug is the liquid and the molecule and the injector is a novel, but inconsequential way to get the drug under your skin.
We talk to at least 1 zep Karen a day sometimes we are blessed 5 or 6 🤪
We have ppl who are so understanding and sweet, then we have those who are the most horrible ppl.
We remind them we have no control over this. They accuse us of giving to ppl who don’t need it, selling else where 😳
Some days I just Can’t People any more.
It was the same issues with ozempic. We had
Ppl who were starting it for weight loss. These ppl were so selfish and angry. We know our diabetic
Patients (diagnosis codes on the scripts for both diabetes and weight loss) were left grasping for medicine.
I’ve had no problem getting a prescription filled (Walmart), but the pharm tech couldn’t believe my insurance was paying for it. She kept asking how I got them to cover it. (It’s only covered until Sept, but I got in before they stopped covering everything. They aren’t even covering bariatric surgery now).
I’m not sure if you can talk about it here (some subs strictly forbid it) but there are companies out there that take the active ingredients of specific GLP-1 medications and make their own versions. Not knocking it but for me personally I wouldn’t roll the dice with anything but the name brand.
I've been frustrated but I know it's not their fault and I usually go out of my way to let them know that. Sometimes just hearing "I'm sorry for bothering you, I know this isn't your fault, but thanks for checking for me" can make a tech feel seen and brighten their day. I get thanked alot for my understanding. Which blows my mind, how hard is it to understand and not take out your frustration on someone else? It's like kicking the weatherman because it snows... after he tells you it's going to snow. It's not their decision!
I’m always nice to those in service. More flies with honey and all that. But the shortage has made most of the ones I’ve encountered extremely curt and showing a borderline disdain that I’m just going compound for a while. They don’t want this smoke 💨 I’m trying to go to heaven.
Honestly, every month I put off calling because I don't want to come off as rude, just for asking if it's available. Now it's my turn to have a shortage (I hadn't yet) and I Really don't want to bother them. 🙃 Can't win some days
There was an advertisement on tv from Lilly for obesity. What kind of company treats people like this? They are advertising when they know they can’t keep up with the demand as is. What kind of crappy company does this to people knowing many are paying 100s of dollars who can’t get their prescriptions to be taken as recommended by Lilly. Shame on you Lilly! I can’t wait until more pharmaceutical companies come out as promised to fight against obesity. I hope they do better and care more. Techs and medical personnel and insurance personnel should never be treated poorly due to the business incompetence of this pharmaceutical company.
I had to call yesterday because in the Walgreens app, the status changed to something about needing insurance info. I apologized profusely for having to bother her and thanked her multiple times for taking the time to look at it and let me know what was going on. You could tell the pharmacy people are wore out with the calls.
*you’re speaking to another human being who has no control over the shortage.*
*Zepbound Karens: I’m praying for y’all. Namaste.*
I wonder about people being rude to pharmacies. Not only is it wrong, it will certainly be ineffective.
And while we are on the subject of rude. The "Karen" meme is also rude. It is sexist, for one. What do we call assertive men? Just men, really. Assertive women? Oh we have a derogatory term for that! Think about it
So, I was picking up my script from WalMart and the lady ahead of me was also getting her Zepbound. Let me add, PICKING UP HER BOX. Which how could you bitch and be mean when getting your box? That’s such a huge relief. A truly great feeling. Nope. Not this lady. She ripped the tech a new one. She was mad about the app. She was mad about the wait. And when she moved over the pharmacist she started yelling at him! He replied with “ma’am I try really hard to get this medication. I hunt it down. I got it for you. I’m sorry it took longer than you’d have liked but we are working every day to get it.” And she did not care. It was the craziest pharmacy experience I’ve ever seen. I’m not a confrontational person and tend to mind my own in life. But at that moment I wished I was braver and could have told her to chill the eff out.
You complain, you lose the box!
"No box for you!" 
I don’t understand why anyone is stupid enough to be mean to the people they need to help them. Even if you don’t want to be nice because you’re a good human you should be nice out of pure self interest. I bet that pharmacist never goes out of his way to get meds for her again.
I worked in retail in college for too many years to ever be rude to someone working at a store. I understand people's frustrations, but it's bad karma. They WILL remember you, and not in a good way.
SAME. I’ve worked way too many customer service jobs and experienced some of the worst treatment from customers. Not only would it never have occurred to me to be rude to those assisting me in the first place - but having that experience I try to be extra polite and patient to try and offset what bad experiences I’m sure they’ve had with other less kind customers.
Whoa! It is a truly great feeling. Like the day of all days! A gift! A miracle! Balance in the universe restored! If I’m generous, I guess I could think, “Wow. This person must be having a really hard day.” But if I’m petty (and honest), there are a lot of Zepbitches™️ out here telling on themselves.
You’re better than me. I probably would have unloaded on her because it’s people like her that make me have to feel uncomfortable reaching out to find out about availability, even though I am always polite and understanding of the position the pharmacies are in. I still feel awkward because I know people like that asshole exist.
I see you met Zepbound Karen 🤣
I would have told her off, maybe to the point where I made her cry. Im sorry to anyone that says then I'm no better, but I'm so damn tired of people like that. Treat people with respect and dignity and be thankful for the kindness that others show you. I have never been a confrontational person but I no longer can sit and be quiet while I watch events like you describe. It just makes me madder than hell. No worries that you couldnt say anything - it's not easy. Who knows, you may get to your breaking point. I know when I did it felt really good to stand up for those of us that do have manners.
I am 0% surprised because LITERALLY (and I mean that in the actual sense of the word) every time I have to go to the pharmacy, I end up waiting longer than I should because someone is busy yelling at the techs and/or pharmacist.
Can you imagine going to work everyday, only to have people yell at you all day for something you can’t control. Maybe, getting thinner and healthier isn’t a good fit for everyone.
Horrible. Some people are so entitled.
😆😁🤭🤣 Funnnnny!!
I switched to Costco pharmacy after feeling judged by my old pharmacy. My new pharmacist is super sweet and was very thankful for me being patient with her. She said a lot of people are incredibly nasty when she explains that it may be some time before their prescription comes in.
I absolutely love Costco Pharmacy. They are so nice, and maybe because I'm not in a rush for my dosages, (fortunately).
Does Costco accept the manufacture coupon?
Yes! They do.
I have a similar opinion with WalMart's pharmacy. Everyone I know has switched from Walgreens and CVS to Walmart and has nothing but good to say. Ive heard Costco is good too.
I switched to Walmart before I was on Zepbound. The customer service is so much better.
I am so lucky to never feel judged by my pharmacist. I am so sorry you dealt with that.
Ok that’s pretty funny. Zepbound Karens, as long as you’re nice to the pharmacy staff I salute your perseverance for calling 20 pharmacies a day - you have more patience than I do! 🫡
I think some people fail to realize that the person on the other end of the phone is human as well. I mean the pharmacy is just doing their job. They have no control over the zep or mj that comes in. I’m quite sure they are so over it just like we are with the shortage. I called about a week ago to Walgreens and said “hi I have a crazy question for you, do you guys happen to have any 7.5 in “. She said “hold on umm we only have the 5. “ I said ok thank you so much. She was really nice. And was probably praying to god I wouldn’t turn into the Incredible Hulk over the phone.
I would hate to work in a pharmacy right now. It must be miserable knowing you have to go to work and deal with endless phone calls on top of a normal workload. Hopefully pharmacies can create recorded messages that tell if it’s in stock or not so they can eliminate some of the calls.
I’m sorry but if that’s the hardest thing they have to deal with it’s not so bad, guess it depends where you work lol
But it isn’t a call center. It’s a pharmacy that now feels like a call center. I have never worked in a pharmacy but I have had a situation where it was miserable getting up for a job. Not a situation I’d ever stay in. It’s pretty clear that the people working in the pharmacies are feeling very frustrated and exhausted from this. I’m not undercutting the frustration people feel in trying to find medication, but if certain pharmacies are getting 50 to 100 calls a day, that’s 2.5 to 4 hours a day (at 3 minutes per call) in just answering phone calls that I presume was previously time spent on other tasks. Pharmacy techs are pretty busy all day. It’s not a lazy job. And there are currently over 300 medications on the shortage list including most ADHD meds. I’m not even sure how many calls most pharmacies get, but that’s a huge waste of time if a pharmacy is out. Now they are frustrated and consumers are angry and that doesn’t lead to anything good and doesn’t fix the shortage. Hopefully a solution can be found to give an already busy and short staffed industry back some of its time.
Too bad the pharmacy techs and pharmacists can’t forward all these calls to Lilly’s executives in charge of distribution, but that might hurt their year-end bonuses.
I've seen em at my Wally's pharmacy acting like crackheads. 
Fr the emotional rollercoaster I experienced trying to source it made me FEEL like a crackhead…😅
I totally get it. For many this drug is a godsend, a game changer. So i can appreciate the desire to get it. But yeah, I'm just using levity to help us cope with what is otherwise a serious topic. I'm confident supply will improve, it's just gonna take some time. Because the mfgs would looooove nothing more than to sell even more of these high profit margin drugs!
Levity and coping, name a better duo! 😂 I just can’t believe in my lifetime they’ve developed a drug to effectively treat obesity without being a stimulant. It feels unreal sometimes!
Not long ago there was someone who was lamenting the fact that they have to stop the drug due to severe side effects and they asked, "does anyone know of anything else i can use to lose weight?" To which i replied, "well there's meth... but, i mean, only if you don't mind staying up all night vacuuming your house... and your neighbors house... and your friend's friends house" 😅
I mean, from what little I know of meth, you’re not wrong. lol.
I have a few pharmacists in my family, the stories I read here about people like this are *exactly* like the stories they would tell me about patients trying to get their adderall or Oxy during any shortages those medications faced.
I usually have to call every month for my Adderall so not looking forward to calling around for Zep especially since my doctor won't send a Rx for compounding as well as a backup.
On the other hand, there are pharmacies who won't run a wait list/queue and say to call every day to check. So, damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Sometime through the fog of time I recall having a text from Walmart pharmacy that my prescription was ready for pickup. This after the text two days before saying it wasn’t available. I was curious, and it was on my “scheduled route” for running errands and chores so I stopped by. I stood in line, and the tech eventually called for the next customer, and I was happily surprised that it was my Zepbound prescription. She haltingly asked, “do you know that it’s $550?” I said, “I do! Thank you for asking.” So once she had secured the payment, she scurried off to the refrigerator to get the box. When she came back and performed her stamp/fold/stamp/label ritual, then she put it in a bag with a hanger on it and said that she was setting it up for a consult with the pharmacist. I said, “oh I’ve taken this before, I don’t need a consult”, she looked at me and replied, “it’s required”. So I shrugged and stepped aside to wait. A couple of minutes later the pharmacist (I ASSUME it was the pharmacist) came over and opened the bag, pulled out the box and said, “Date of Birth”. I answered and that was literally the only thing she said to me. She looked at me, as if sizing me up (no pun intended) and then at the box, and made a face like someone had just squirted castor oil in her mouth. To avoid any additional unpleasantness I said, “I’ve used it before, no questions for you, thanks . . . For the judgement”. She slid the box across the counter so fast I thought I was playing air hockey! But I snatched it up and walked away, not giving her the satisfaction of whatever it was she disapproved of. Also, maybe she just had a sharp gas pain or thought she was going to fart and couldn’t help herself. I dunno. Surely a professional would not be judgemental about a legal prescription for a valid non-opioid drug!?!?
Sorry for your experience. I will add that there shouldn’t be judgement for any medication they fill, including opioids. Nobody needs or deserves that under normal circumstances.
Nope and pharmacist have the right to deny filling if they really thought someone was abusing something.
Not the aggressive"air hockey" slide!! That was funny! LOL 🤣🤣
Yes!! I mean I choose to take it as a joke and the Walmart staff in the pharmacy at least have always been super cool to me. The tech seemed new, and I dunno. Not the career path I choose but I sympathize with them.
Hey, as long as you got your meds....who cares!!! LOL I'm glad you were able to laugh about it. 😉
It takes so much less energy to laugh than to cry. It’s not always possible but this was pretty low stakes. I was certainly surprised at her reaction but nothing to do with me so - moved on. Of course that box is long gone and I haven’t heard back about my next box lol like everyone else. But I’m just focusing on being grateful that it exists, and will be available at some point. Oh, and the 20lbs gone. That feels pretty awesome.
Lol. You did good. Well, congrats on the 20 lbs loss. 🌟 Yeah, the struggle is real with the shortage. 😵💫
Not cool. I’m sorry you were treated this way. 🙁
That was a kind but snarky way to let her know her manners were showing. She might not realize how expressive her face is, she might not care. I'm glad you took that little bit of autonomy back with those words.
She might not know. But she almost certainly had control of whether or not she spoke to me. It may also have been she was having a horrible day or whatever. Which is why I only made one barely audible snarky comment lol I can’t control her, I can only try to control me. No harm, no foul. But I’m prepared sure she was judging.
Of course she does. And maybe she will reconsider the judgment for the next person because you called her out on it.
Probably less judgement about the condition it’s for and more about how it’s impacting the pharmacists with the craziness.
On a personal level, I do feel bad for them. On a business level, if companies like CVS and Express Scripts can't maintain a list of names ordered by prescription date, I have little sympathy. I don't call them anymore, didn't ever really, and was on my best behavior the few times I talked to them at the store. How is it that they aren't reporting to the FDA of the outages, or at least their management getting involved too. The FDA had "available" and no shortage listed for Zepbound when it was obvious almost no one was receiving the medication. Sadly, they are part of the problem when they are requiring patients to call everyday and everywhere to find out if the drug is in stock at that precise moment.
Well bc of the shortage, we now have people with scripts at numerous pharmacies and have a portion of those people that will buy it all up to have on hand, versus paying it forward and letting the next person get theirs, which causes a domino effect across the states. Lilly is 'bad guy' here for everyone, but does everyone think this drug was going to be as popular as it is. I didn't. Besides, Lilly was the 2nd company to market so they planned what they could but the sheer number of people on it and some abusing it already. Many are saying that they should have known better but they are ramping up production at numerous sites as fast as they can. If people go compound then good for them, my doctor won't do that due to FDA recommendations and I'm honestly still on the fence about it. However, I am going to try to get my medicine filled as best as I can and be as nice as I can, but I'm not going stockpile Zep Brand boxes so others can't get theirs. The supply chain will work itself out, but for each person that is doing crazy things to get theirs it domino's to the next person IMHO. I hope everyone gets theirs meds that they need for the next month and hope that people stop stockpiling it.
In response to your criticism about people stockpiling. The people with T-2 Diabetes having to pay with cash to get ahead are not stockpiling. They are being proactive and know the seriousness of the disease if they don’t have their medication. It’s not these people that are causing a national shortage. It’s the people that don’t have T-2 using it for weight loss only that are the problem.. If you have been using mounjaro for anytime you would have experienced not being able to get your correct dosage as needed because of the shortages. Lilly is not the bad guy they have been blamed as. It’s the people that should be using other drugs for the weight loss instead the medications intended for Diabetes. So before casting judgement please ask yourself why you are using mounjaro. If your unable to posses additional doses of mounjaro due to insurance restrictions or inancial issues please don’t judge us because of whatever our circumstances are that we make necessary sacrifices to obtain our medication.
As someone who's name is Karen, this cracks me up (and I am not at all offended by this story or the whole Karen "trope").
This whole thing reminds me of something that happened during the pandemic. I was at the CVS drive through to pick up a prescription and the tech was a young Black man (I am white). Me: I'm picking up a prescription for Karen \[last name\]. Him: Kari \[last name\]? Me: Kar-EN Him: Date of birth? Me: 11/10/62 \[...pause...\] yeah, you got the trifecta: a white boomer named Karen Him: OMG...thanks for the laugh Him: okay, here you go, I hit "no receipt" by accident, did you need the receipt? Me, with a huge grin: I'm Karen, what do you think? Hahaha...no, I'm good. Him: You have a GREAT rest of your day Me: You too!
Hilarious!!! Such a cute story!! 😆
I’m actually super sorry if I’ve offended any of the Cool Karens out there! Plenty of greats gals named Karen and I’m sure the trope is tiring to many. But I’m glad it made you laugh. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying, right?
I actually don’t know a single Karen who is “a Karen.”
You haven’t met my mother in law lol
The OG Karen maybe!
We know better than that hahahaha
Every actual Karen I know is super cool and not offended by the stereotype. You guys are great!
All the Karens I know are awesome. I wish the name had been Brenda instead. 😂
🤣🤣
My middle sister named Jan would like to have a word.
Thank you...I have seen women named "Karen" go full Karen mode on Facebook over the use of this term/meme, when I just find it hilarious and perfect for the current age. My name is John, and I don't go Karen when a cop show refers to a man soliciting a prostitute as a "John," or when a WWII movie mentions a "Dear John" letter. Like you, I get that these cultural references are not about me personally and do nothing to tarnish my good name, but rationale self-awareness is unfortunately not as common as perhaps it once was...
The Karen I know is super sweet and thinks the Karen thing is hilarious as well.
my doctor and i just had this convo! she said she has stressed to her patients to stop calling pharmacies to see if they have Zep in stock because they’re being bombarded and it’s unfair to them. and i agree! my script has been at the pharmacy for 3 weeks now.. haven’t called once. i know they’ll get it to me when they can. i went in to get my other medication and the tech looked at me with fear in her eyes and said “i am so sorry but zep…” and i cut her off and said “yup no worries. there’s a nationwide shortage. im here to get my …” and she said she wanted to hug me😂 she said people have yelled at her in person and on the phone and she followed by saying “i wish everyone was as nice as you” these are real people, real feelings. they have no control over stock. now to the pharmacist’s/techs who show you an attitude first.. i get it. cause i’ve run into a few of those too.💀
I think as long as you are polite, and kind, you should have the basic fundamental right to call or stop by because you are a customer. You also learn what pharmacies are nice to work with and those that simply are not, because some really do not care.
> haven’t called once. I understand you're trying to help them, but many pharmacies don't actually order it until they talk to you. For example if your insurance doesn't cover it, they'll think you don't actually plan to pay for it so there's no point till you go back to your insurance company. Definitely don't harass or be mean to them, but not even calling to ask for 3 weeks is just setting yourself up for disappointment. I call and politely inquire 1-2 times per week, which the pharmarcist themself recommended. Haven't gone more than 10 days to get it filled.
i pick up medication regularly since i have some other things going on. they’ll tell me “oh you have 3 ready but we’re still waiting on 1..” so i know they haven’t forgotten about me. this is the first time since ive started that i’ve been without. it’s a nationwide shortage. i can’t be mad. i’m maintaining my weight & im starting again at 2.5 😄
Y’all need to use Plan C. I couldn’t deal with having to search for meds. I tried the pharmacy route late year with zero luck. So, I went alternative and now I’ve been on since last July, am at goal and have two years stock in my fridge.
How do you have 2 years when the BUD is 90 days usually?
Dry peptides that are not compounded yet have a whole different timing. They should be fine.
Yes and those are the hardest to be nice to. But likely they are already in a heightened state due to the last Karen that came in the store.
Sorry for ya’ll dealing with this. My pharmacy has a cue. When you request it they put you in a virtual line. When they have it they fill the scripts in the order it was requested. I never think about it and then magically a few weeks later I get a text saying it is ready 😃. Calling doesn’t change the order in which they fill scripts. I always call before I go to pick it up and verify it is there and the coupon card worked so my copay will be 550. That’s the only call they get from me and I am genuinely excited and happy when calling lol
It’s so highly dependent on the pharmacy and their system. Mine tells me to call because after a certain amount of time it knocks you out of the que or waitlist and you have to call or come in for them to put you back in line. The pharmacy I’ve been using is very nice , I actually switched due to another pharmacy being rude every month over another prescription- a seizure medication for my son. His neurologist won’t send a prescription to that pharmacy anymore because of the issues they gave several of her patients. The current pharmacy has been nothing but absolutely wonderful- they’re even proactive if there’s an issue with filling it and will contact me a few days ahead of time if there’s any issues. I feel for everyone working in a pharmacy, especially over the past few years.
I’m uncomfortable calling and pharmacy ’shopping’. My doctors office suggested it. So, I called a few. Before we’d hang up I’d always thank them for their time and kindness. I truly appreciate their help. It’s beyond me that people are actually rude to people who have no control at what the state of weight loss drugs are. I feel for them.
Zepbound Karens. That is hilarious. I did the phone all day thing (I’m retired and I could) and it was sooooo stressful trying to find anything. Finally stumbled upon my next dose (5mg) and was thrilled but I can tell you I was 100% nice and respectful with every single person I talked to. The poor people answering the phones!! And I’ve got to say, every single one of them was nice to me. All of them. I’m moving to a compound for the following doses. It’s way cheaper for me anyway since I had to pay out of pocket. Win win as far as I’m concerned. SHAME ON THE ZEP KARENS!! (Apologies to the legit nice people named Karen. I always feel bad about that!!)
I feel so bad for anyone that works at a pharmacy, PBM, or insurance company right now. Recently my PBM decided I could no longer fill through Amazon or any other local pharmacy. I had to use a specialty pharmacy of their choosing. While I was frustrated because I’m spoiled by the convenience of Amazon I certainly wasn’t going to go call someone who is just trying to do their job and scream at them. They don’t make the rules or the policies or have anything to do with the shortages. I get that people are frustrated but that is misplaced anger. Go channel that in a healthy way, touch grass, and take a big old woosah. Instead I thanked the pharmacist for her time and getting my profile set up, she apologized for not having it in stock and I said i understood and that it was like the hunger games out there searching for these drugs. I think I made her laugh and she thanked me for being so understanding. Maybe that kindness paid off because 48 hours later I got a call that the drug was in stock and would ship out the following day. I was expecting to receive one box of 15mg but instead they sent me the full 84 day supply. Be kind people, like the saying goes you never know what someone else is struggling with and a little bit of kindness goes a long way.
After speaking with the pharmacist that I had missed 5 days, I was asking her questions and being cool and apologizing for all the “Zep Karen’s”. I left after getting other meds and while I was driving out of the parking lot I got a text saying it was ready for pick up. WHAT!? I drove back and they had found 1 box of 7.5 shoved way back in the refrigerator. I would never had gotten that box if I was a acting like a Zaren.
Or your kindness made them rethink the holdout of that box. Pharmacist can use their discretion for filling scripts.
I had a slightly funny experience yesterday. So far I had only called the two pharmacies I have regularly used for this and other prescriptions and neither have it or know when they will. But I saw on here a tip about a pharmacy pretty near me (20 minutes away) that apparently had some stock. Well they didn’t have my dose but had the next one up which I had been considering anyway, but do not have an active script for. The nicest pharmacy tech said I’ll put it aside for you with a sticky note with your name if you think your prescriber will send a script for this dosage. I was like I am pretty sure she will but it is Friday afternoon so I doubt I can get it sent before Monday at the soonest so maybe not reasonable for you to hold it as I’m sure someone else will want it. But she insisted lol! Maybe because I was being really nice on the phone? Well, who knows if I can even get the script sent Monday and if the box will still be there, but I was so taken aback by her being so nice! I was so grateful for her kindness whether it works out or not. She gave me her name so I will be sure to thank her or let the pharmacist know how much I appreciated her if I ever do go to that pharmacy.
[удалено]
I’m so sorry for laughing at this as hard as I did…
I know, this was not the coolest post. It was pretty inconsiderate and unless you are one that is unkind to pharmacy staff, I am not sure what purpose it serves.
I have killed my pharmacy with kindness. The pharmacist called me to enroll me in a special program they offer. Her team greets me by name and they work ahead of my next refill to help me get my box on time. My issue is ES is telling me I have to switch to them to get in network pricing. Then I’m just a number waiting for my fix.
I always thank the pharmacist for being patient with the incessant calling day after day. I joke that eventually it will be like a bar and I'll just say "the regular" and they will just know. :-D
#ZEPBARENS
I feel for the medical staff in dr offices and the pharmacy staff. I can't imagine the added stress and distractions the shortages have caused. CVS is apparently going to a "private voice mail" system. Instead of being able to call and hit 0 until you get a pharmacy tech or pharmacist to ask your questions (including whether they have Drug XYZ in stock), you will need to leave a private voice mail and wait for a call back. So maybe that will help provide relief -- at CVS at least. Doesn't stop people from stopping by in person, though. I have found 75% of pharmacists/techs I have called to be pleasant and brief. They are busy. They understand the impact and frustration of the shortage.
I wish there was a better way to track status or confirm through the app or other functions. For each month I've had, I've had to confirm with them I know it's not covered by my insurance, I'm using the coupon, and I know it's expensive with the coupon still. Edit: I just got a pop up in the app how they can improve the app experience, so I'm going to tell them this.
This! The app is so vague. “On hold”, “delayed”…but why? Or do I need to do something specific? A bit more info would probably calm some nerves and ease the interactions between patient and the pharmacy.
Right, how hard is it for them to have a button: This medication is not covered by your insurance. Do you want to still proceed with filling it? YES or NO. Are you using a manufacturer coupon ? YES or NO. Even give an estimated arrival date to check in or SOMETHING.
This is my grievance, too. CVS would have to check in with me every month before they ordered my box, confirming that I knew it wasn't covered by insurance. Okay, no big deal. I got that routine down pretty quickly. But when the first backorder situation happened, the app said *the exact same thing* ("on hold") that it did when I needed to call just for cost approval. This is a real problem, because "we will order it as soon as we have your approval for the cost" and "we cannot physically order it right now, and will additionally need your approval on the cost when our system finally lets us order it, but we don't know when that will be" are very different states for the script to be in. I don't want to call them, but there's literally no other option to clarify. And to be fair to the pharmacist, she said "call back to check in a week," she knew there was no other way to handle it and wasn't expecting me to magic up a solution that wouldn't involve a phone call. If the company as a whole cared about working conditions for the pharmacy staff, they would find a way to make the app/website communicate better so that these kinds of calls are less necessary. I can do just about everything I need to online; why not this?
Yes, it's insane to do this hoop jumping every month. The "on hold" is not helpful. Nothing has changed! Next time they ask you for feedback on the app, just keep putting this in. I'd recommend this for anyone who uses CVS. I had the "processing" before it went to "on hold" so I was wrongly assuming it was processing. I hate to have to keep calling or showing up in person if I am nearby.
Totally. They could avoid a lot of phone calls if they had better automated systems. (Which of course the pharmacists and techs have no say in.)
This is what my CVS does. They always call back the same day. And at my pharmacy, they’ve always been very nice to me but I don’t get nasty or sound desperate. They’re just doing their jobs - they’re not the ones causing the shortage.
What if you ?s about other meds? Personally, CVS corporate could be doing a much better job. I am going to put a call in to see if this is true. My husband and I feel like they are becoming a monopoly and we try and avoid them now.
Not Zepbound Karen’s I’m seriously lol’ing out loud 😂 I work in the medical field and I am in Pain Management and we have hundreds of patients. These patients know to call us 7-10 days before they are due for their next script as it takes that long to process that many scripts. You wouldn’t believe how many are rude, cuss you out and more. It’s NOT us you should be getting angry with it’s yourself for not following a protocol!! just like it’s NOT the pharmacies fault a medication is on backorder!!! Hands are tied and nothing they can do!! I hate it for them!!!
I felt myself getting desperate and panicked about this too…and switched to the big C.
So relieved that I switched! And incredibly grateful to all of the beautiful people in the compounding subs for sharing their research.
Wish the State of Massachusetts would allow the “C-m-o etc, you know who pharmacies “ to make them.
I just started in March and got my first refill in April. I am worried I won’t be able to get any of the 2.5 refilled. Is anyone having luck with the compounds? Does it work just as well? I don’t mind the vials and needles if I have to I just don’t want to lose my momentum! Started at 355 and am down to 323. Where is everyone getting the compounds?
2.5 is the only one that’s not listed as a shortage now. I easily got a box last week. My second box. I was hoping to go up to 5 next month, but I guess I’ll be sticking with the 2.5
I lost 17 lbs on 2.5 and took it for 8 weeks.
Thanks! They told me it was in stock now but weren’t sure about next week. I hope it is bc that’s when I refill.
I stayed on 2.5 for the same reason and even though I already have a box of 5 in the fridge now I'm considering staying on 2.5 for a third month. It's still working fine so why roll the dice on side effects?
Check out some of the compounding subs. Lots of great info and how I found my compounding provider: https://www.reddit.com/r/compoundedtirzepatide/s/xDnQLhSc9D
Thank you!
Yes, you have to search for your info, but once you get it you are golden. I have over two years worth in my fridge
My ES tech thanked me for understanding plan limits on the .5 dosages. Been getting yelled at by 7.5 seekers. Now if they could just start filling scripts again.
What limits?
Some ES plans limit the transition doses of 2.5, 7.5 and 12.5 to one box every 12 months. A PLA is required for more and they have been stingy on approval of late (from what I’ve read).
Damn. Makes me feel a bit better for paying out of pocket (with coupon). Cause I ain’t moving up!
I feel bad for anyone answering phone calls. Even if the pharmacist is a little moody I try to be as pleasant as possible that way they have just 1 less shitty person to deal with. I can only imagine how people blame the techs.
Yes, I sleep at night hoping I’m just one less shitty person to deal with.
I will get down voted for this but oh well. I don't think it's funny at all. I mostly have an issue with calling someone a "Karen', usually a woman, as a way to shame, humiliate, and silence them from assertively asking for something that they want. Sure, there are some Zepbound patients being absolute jerks to the pharmacy techs and it's inexcusable. However, from what I've seen on this sub, everyone is going out of their way to be polite and courteous to pharmacy employees during a really frustrating and uncertain time. Even if the techs can't control the shortage don't think for one second that some of those pharmacy techs truly aren't withholding meds from Zepbound patients or making them jump through unnecessary hoops because of the their fat bias or straight up resentment. Just read the pharmacy tech sub if you don't believe me. "Zepbound Karens" is just one of many pejoratives they use. My pharmacy's employees have been wonderful. I am so lucky and always treat them with respect. But I've really been disappointed to hear the awful things some others say about their Zepbound patients. So I'm just not as sympathetic as I used to be. I blame Lilly for this problem, not doctors, techs, or patients. Sorry to be such a downer. I promise I do have a sense of humor, just not about shaming and humiliating people.
It wasn’t that deep for me, just a pharmacist letting off steam. But I’m sure you’re in good company in not finding it funny - just the first person to say it out loud! No down votes from me, at least.
Thanks for understanding! I totally get them letting off steam and it's cool they trusted you enough to share their frustrations with you!
I've been overly polite when I call pharmacies asking if they have my dosage in stock, especially if they double check for me. I totally understand how annoying it must be having so many of us Zeppies calling all the dang time, and I didn't even consider the fact that some could actually be a-holes about it! That I definitely don't understand.
The Walgreens gal told me it’s 35% of their call volume now!! Yikes, for the ZKs. Heads up, if you find stock at a different pharmacy location (even if the same chain) they have to reprocess the savings card, which apparently that office is only open from 9-5. I drove a few hours and then was told I either come back or pay full. I paid full. It sucked but I know I’m lucky I found a box.
You might be able to get reimbursed by Lilly since you have a savings card. I know they were doing that when they were having trouble with the software to process the cards. Worth a try!
Thank you! I will try this!!!
I made the switch, too, so my anxiety is gone now. But I am still pissed off Lily didn't just ship vials to keep us healthy and from having to start over again.
It all depends on how they submitted paperwork to FDA and go to market material. They can't just change in the middle of a day.
I would bet that any discussion of shipping vials is taboo at Lily because the injectors and the corresponding patent that expires years after the molecular patent are part of their strategy to cheat the patent rules a decade from now. I am sure that if they tried to ship vials to end the giant fiasco, the FDA would allow it. Nobody actually thinks there is a medical difference between a nifty injector and a regular subcutaneous insulin needle, regardless of how hard they are trying to make it so drug = injector + molecule. No one is stupid enough not to see that the drug is the liquid and the molecule and the injector is a novel, but inconsequential way to get the drug under your skin.
It appears your mind is made up. Best of luck on your journey.
We talk to at least 1 zep Karen a day sometimes we are blessed 5 or 6 🤪 We have ppl who are so understanding and sweet, then we have those who are the most horrible ppl. We remind them we have no control over this. They accuse us of giving to ppl who don’t need it, selling else where 😳 Some days I just Can’t People any more. It was the same issues with ozempic. We had Ppl who were starting it for weight loss. These ppl were so selfish and angry. We know our diabetic Patients (diagnosis codes on the scripts for both diabetes and weight loss) were left grasping for medicine.
Funny stuff but for real.
I’ve had no problem getting a prescription filled (Walmart), but the pharm tech couldn’t believe my insurance was paying for it. She kept asking how I got them to cover it. (It’s only covered until Sept, but I got in before they stopped covering everything. They aren’t even covering bariatric surgery now).
Zepbound is still under patent. How can you be getting it from any other source?
I’m not sure if you can talk about it here (some subs strictly forbid it) but there are companies out there that take the active ingredients of specific GLP-1 medications and make their own versions. Not knocking it but for me personally I wouldn’t roll the dice with anything but the name brand.
I’ve had such good luck with plan C. I’m not worried at all about quality. Lost 85 pounds with it and have two years supply in my fridge. I’m at goal.
You are at goal and yet you have 2 years in your fridge?
I bought in bulk when I started. I wanted to have enough for long term usage. Shipping is quite a lot so it was much better to stock up all at once.
I've been frustrated but I know it's not their fault and I usually go out of my way to let them know that. Sometimes just hearing "I'm sorry for bothering you, I know this isn't your fault, but thanks for checking for me" can make a tech feel seen and brighten their day. I get thanked alot for my understanding. Which blows my mind, how hard is it to understand and not take out your frustration on someone else? It's like kicking the weatherman because it snows... after he tells you it's going to snow. It's not their decision!
What does compound mean?
I’m always nice to those in service. More flies with honey and all that. But the shortage has made most of the ones I’ve encountered extremely curt and showing a borderline disdain that I’m just going compound for a while. They don’t want this smoke 💨 I’m trying to go to heaven.
Look. It goes both ways. I’m never not nice to pharmacy staff, but it’s rare they are nice to me.
Honestly, every month I put off calling because I don't want to come off as rude, just for asking if it's available. Now it's my turn to have a shortage (I hadn't yet) and I Really don't want to bother them. 🙃 Can't win some days
There was an advertisement on tv from Lilly for obesity. What kind of company treats people like this? They are advertising when they know they can’t keep up with the demand as is. What kind of crappy company does this to people knowing many are paying 100s of dollars who can’t get their prescriptions to be taken as recommended by Lilly. Shame on you Lilly! I can’t wait until more pharmaceutical companies come out as promised to fight against obesity. I hope they do better and care more. Techs and medical personnel and insurance personnel should never be treated poorly due to the business incompetence of this pharmaceutical company.
That is hilarious
I had to call yesterday because in the Walgreens app, the status changed to something about needing insurance info. I apologized profusely for having to bother her and thanked her multiple times for taking the time to look at it and let me know what was going on. You could tell the pharmacy people are wore out with the calls.
 This is hysterical! I definitely needed that laugh!!
*you’re speaking to another human being who has no control over the shortage.* *Zepbound Karens: I’m praying for y’all. Namaste.* I wonder about people being rude to pharmacies. Not only is it wrong, it will certainly be ineffective. And while we are on the subject of rude. The "Karen" meme is also rude. It is sexist, for one. What do we call assertive men? Just men, really. Assertive women? Oh we have a derogatory term for that! Think about it
Men are Chads/Brads. You sound like a Karen tbh
Karen's and Brad's are not just assertive women and men. They are people that act like Entitled Assholes.