Health care costs out of control: Reason 1.

I plan on listing some things that cause health care costs to be out of control.

This first one is just a minor thing, but I'm sure it happens a lot; adding up to significant waste. I ordered a refill for a prescription through the mail-order pharmacy my company has contracted with. I printed off the order number. A few days later, the refill order disappeared. So I had to call them, and they resubmitted the refill. So what's the waste?

Only problem is, is that I will run out of medicine before the refill arrives. The pharmacy phone rep's solution? Call the doctor and ask for a prescription for a temporary supply! So I will

• Have to call the doctor's office, tie up the receptionist for 5 minutes
• Then the doctor has to take 10 minutes to pull the chart, and possibly call me, to ask why I need a temporary supply, assuming the receptionist didn't bother to write down why I need the prescription.
  
• Then the doctor's office staff has to fax the prescription to the local pharmacy.
  
• The local pharmacy will probably need to call the mail-order pharmacy for an override code, since I've had the mail-order refill order placed.
  
• The local pharmacy files an on-line claim
• The local pharmacy fills the prescription
• I have to drive to the pharmacy, burning fossil fuel on the way