Aug 27 2012 I want to get a refill on a prescription. Using my iPhone, I opened the Walgreens app and scanned the bar code on the pill bottle which had printed on it “3 refills until 12/2/2012” and this is only August. While the scan was accepted, a message came back telling me I would have to call a Walgreens’ pharmacist since I could not get my refill accepted online.

When I called, the pharmacist looked up the prescription and queried Medco, my insurance provider. A message came back to her that they’d have to get permission from my physician to okay the refill. So, the idea that I could get refills easily by just asking seems not to be an option. She said she’d take care of contacting my doctor and they would then let me know when the prescription was ready.

About 15 minutes later, the phone rang. It was a recorded voice from Walgreens telling me that “your prescription scheduled to be picked up at 1:45 today has been delayed. We will contact you when your prescription is ready.” Since there had been no time mentioned for any pick-up and I already knew the prescription hadn’t gone through, I wondered why I got this recorded message.

And 10 minutes later my iPhone chimed with a text message from Walgreens: “Your prescription is not yet ready for pick-up. Call xxx-xxx-xxx for details.”

Sort of like the old Saturday Night Live news report: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. Yes, my prescription is still not ready.