Hello. I'm hoping someone can help me understand a problem that's come up at my pharmacy.

Last month I was waiting on a Prior Authorization for Fent. Patches with my insurance to go through when my fill date came around, so I was dispensed 1 BOX of patches that I paid for with cash.

I always receive 4 BOXES PER MONTH, which comes out to approx. 1 BOX PER WEEK, and when I asked about what would happen as far as coverage and dispensing is concerned once the PA was approved I was informed that the pharmacy couldn't dispense more than 4 BOXES per a 1 MONTH period beginning JULY 23rd, so if I'd only paid for 1 BOX by that time I'd only receive 3 BOXES instead of 4 (instead of beginning the 4 BOX PER MONTH cycle at that time) And if I ended up having to pay for another box while waiting on the PA to go through - if a week had gone by and the first box ran out, that I'd receive 2 BOXES covered by the insurance, etc.

In other words beginning JULY 23rd the total number of boxes dispensed had to remain 4 or less.

Fair enough because I don't want anything extra or early, I was just trying to figure out if we would be able to get the insurance coverage aligned with the next prescription fill date so I wouldn't have to continue paying for a portion of the prescription in cash continuously into the future.

So, I paid for the 1 BOX on JULY 23rd, and the insurance ended up going through on JULY 30th, at which time they dispensed 3 BOXES instead of my normally covered 4, assumedly because the 1 month period for only dispensing 4 BOXES in total began on JULY 23rd with the 1 BOX I paid cash for and JULY 30th obviously falls within that time frame. Again fair enough.

However, later when I asked about receiving the next 4 BOX prescription and how that would work out with the insurance coverage, I was told I couldn't get ANYTHING until a month after JULY 30TH (which ends up being around AUGUST 28th or 29th).

BUT THAT'S A 38 DAY PERIOD FROM THE DATE THE 1 BOX WAS PURCHASED WITH CASH.

JULY 23rd - AUGUST 29th

I went around and around with the person at the pharmacy trying to make sense of this, but was told this was what the California Board of Pharmacies requires, and there's nothing that can be done.

That doesn't make any sense to me logistically, or on principle. If the "4 BOX PER 1 MONTH" period started on JULY 23rd like I was initially told, then they should dispense 4 BOXES during the period of JULY 23 THRU AUGUST 22, which is allegedly why they only dispensed 3 BOXES on JULY 30th.

1 BOX on JULY 23rd + 3 BOXES on JULY 30th = 4 BOXES.

But, if the "4 BOXES PER 1 MONTH" period didn't begin until JULY 30th like I'm now being told, then they should have dispensed 4 BOXES on JULY 30th when the insurance kicked in since they apparently weren't working within that 1 MONTH time frame yet.

How can the "4 BOX PER MONTH" period begin on both JULY 23rd AND JULY 30th?

I can't wrap my head around it. Based on their proposed timeline THEY'RE ONLY DISPENSING 4 BOXES IN A 38 DAY PERIOD IN THE NAME OF ONLY DISPENSING 4 BOXES IN A 30 DAY PERIOD.

It doesn't make any sense to me.

Does anyone know more about this issue, because I'd like to understand what's going on, and hopefully get it resolved. (This is obviously not a case of getting anything early, or getting more than what's allowed)

And what this dispensing guideline the pharmacy is supposed to be following actually states?

Thanks.