Trouble getting your medications? Here's how to cope with pharmacy challenges

Is your pharmacy noticeably different? Maybe the staff is smaller or the business hours shorter. Or perhaps the store you frequented has closed recently. These types of changes are happening across the country. For consumers, that's resulting in prescription holdups, hassles, and potential dangers.

"In some places, it can take all day, a few days, or longer to get a prescription filled. That could be a problem if you've run out of certain medications, such as those for high blood pressure or diabetes, and you need a refill as soon as possible," says Joanne Doyle Petrongolo, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and board member of the Massachusetts Pharmacists Association.

Why is it happening?

Like many other businesses, pharmacies are struggling with budget cuts and staffing shortages. That's leading to challenging working conditions for pharmacists and the technicians who support them. "They're doing more with less, and yet they're expected to fill hundreds of prescriptions per day, administer vaccines, consult with customers, and call insurance companies to resolve billing issues," Doyle Petrongolo says.

As a result, many pharmacy workers are experiencing burnout. They say they don't have the time to do their jobs properly, and they worry about patient safety. Pharmacy workers in some U.S. cities have staged walkouts to protest poor working conditions. Meanwhile, customers are sometimes scrambling to get their prescriptions filled or wondering if they should be concerned about the safety of their medications.

What you can do

Pharmacy issues have been brewing for years, and they're not going to disappear overnight. Until they improve, you can use several strategies to get your prescriptions.

Try a different pharmacy. If you experience frequent delays at your pharmacy, consider switching your prescription to another store. Ask friends for recommendations, and call your insurance company for a list of local pharmacies in your network. You might also consider trying a small independent pharmacy, which might provide more personalized service; seeing if you can switch your prescriptions to your plan's mail service option; or trying an online pharmacy.

But beware of unscrupulous online pharmacies. "According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, most online pharmacies are rogue. They operate illegally and sell bogus or unapproved medications," Doyle Petrongolo says.

To find a licensed, legitimate online pharmacy, such as Amazon's pharmacy service, look for one that's been verified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Use the group's free Buy Safely tool, which allows you to type in an online pharmacy website (the Internet address, not the name of the pharmacy) to see if it's been verified.

Order refills early. If you use maintenance drugs — those taken daily for chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, high or low blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, depression, or anxiety — don't wait until the last minute to refill your prescription. "If you have a one-month supply, see if you can reorder your prescription when you're down to a week's worth," Doyle Petrongolo says. "Or put the prescription on auto-refill, which should allow the pharmacy to refill the prescription within a week or two of when it is due. And even though it's on 'auto,' call your pharmacy a week before you want to pick up the prescription to confirm it will be available."

Double-check your medications. Pharmacists work hard to fill prescriptions accurately, making sure you receive the right drug at the right dose. Yet mistakes sometimes occur. It's unclear if that's happening more frequently now. But Doyle Petrongolo says you should always double-check medications before leaving a pharmacy, no matter the circumstances.

"Make sure that your name is on the label, it's the right medication, and it has the same strength and instructions your doctor mentioned to you. And ask the pharmacist if there are any special instructions," Doyle Petrongolo says.

Also: look at your pills to become familiar with their appearance. If you get a batch that looks different, ask your pharmacist about it or search online to find an image of the pill you have and what it's used for. Generic medications can come in a variety of shapes and colors, which can vary by manufacturer.

Be patient. Pharmacy workers are doing their best to serve you. Try to be patient with them. "They want to give you your prescription as soon as possible, but they want to get it exactly right, and that takes time — especially if pharmacies have fewer people on staff," Doyle Petrongolo says. "Until working conditions improve, it's smart to build in more time to obtain your prescriptions."

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