Early in my transition, I had a lot of problems getting my hormones from my pharmacy. Prescriptions would disappear, estrogen would be “out of supply” for weeks, and medication would need to be “confirmed” every time I got a refill. After a few months, these issues stopped occurring. I have been able to get my hormones without much trouble. However, I am currently in the process of switching from oral estrogen to injections and these issues have arisen once again.
A month ago, I convinced my doctor to approve me switching from oral estrogen to injections. The HRT provider was going to send the prescription to my pharmacy so that I could bring it to my next appointment, where they would explain how to inject it. Last week, I realized that my pharmacy had never contacted me about the prescription. This is a serious issue since my next appointment is coming up. The pharmacy denied ever getting the prescription, but my HRT provider insists that they sent it over. I got my HRT provider to send it over again and got confirmation that the pharmacy they received it. The pharmacy said it would be available for pickup soon. A few days later, they contacted me to tell me that they did not actually have the medication and needed to order it. They said that it would available in a few days. That was Monday. Today, the pharmacy told me that they need an alternative medication. An alternative to the medication they supposedly ordered two days ago (They declined to say why they needed an alternative). It is not looking like I am going to get those hormones soon.
This extended delay poses a problem because my next appointment is in a week. I am supposed to bring the injections so they can teach me how to use them (This is something my HRT provider requires, I understand the process). I have no idea when I can expect to get the new hormones, my pharmacy is pretty lackluster when it comes to communication. I can only ever get an automated system when I call, so accurate information is hard to come by. I feel bad about constantly bugging my HRT provider, but I need to make sure that the pharmacy is actually reaching out to them and not just telling me they are (which has happened before). With luck, I will get the medication by the end of the week, because if not I doubt I will get it in time for my next appointment.
Natalie's Transition Diary 