Released: January 17, 2006
Help Desk FAQ
Health Care
Why won’t the pharmacy give me the drug my doctor prescribed?
The pharmacist probably told you that the drug your doctor requested is not covered by your HMO. This means that if you had wanted that particular drug right away, you would have had to pay for it yourself. Otherwise, the pharmacist was probably offering you a substitute for the medication that would have been covered by your plan. However, your doctor can request that the HMO cover the exact drug he or she prescribed, especially if the substitute drug did not work for you. This is called “prior authorization.” Talk to your doctor immediately.