I don't know about you, but handling medications in my household is more than just a minor project. I take a cocktail of medications (5 psych meds, Synthroid, Inderal, and a multi-vitamin) plus I handle filling hubby's pill box, too, and picking up his meds. Some of our meds are filled through mail order, which is nice because they give us 90 day supplies, but though some are on auto refill, others we have to manually order each time for some unknown reason. Luckily the mail order company contacts my doctor when the refills run out, but if my pdoc changes my dose or adds a new medication the mail order pharmacy is slow to get the medication to me. My husband's pdoc is such an old foggy that he only writes paper scripts, so my husband has to mail them to the mail order company. Sometimes I end up having to go to brick and mortar pharmacies either for the prescription to be filled or to get a 14 day supply to hold me over until the mail order gets them to me. And of course, my medications aren't coordinated to run out at the same time!

My husband and I have some medications at the brick and mortar pharmacy either because they are controlled substances (like benzos or stimulants) or are medications whose dosages are changing frequently. Of course the timing of them running out isn't coordinated either. Though they say they could be, sometimes they really can't be. It is up to me to call for the refill. And it is usually also up to me to make the drive to the pharmacy to pick up the medications. Some, like my husband's Aderall, require a new paper script every month that I have to drop off at the brick and mortar pharmacy. Hubby only takes his Aderall M-F, even though he gets 30 pills per month. That gives a little wiggle room, but I have to take my Klonopin daily. Once I accidentally took 2 instead of 1, and that made it so I have to go to the pharmacy the day I run out, instead of the day before. Most medications can be refilled around 1 week before.

Between running to and from the pharmacy numerous times per month, and the mail order (less often, but still a hassle sometimes) I feel like I have a job.

My psychiatrist supposedly has a database saying when he last prescribed new refills, but it's unreliable with the exception of the controlled medications. Often I go to see him and forget to check my supplies to see which I need refills for. One quarter of the time I end up having to call him when I get home because I've forgotten that I was running out of one (or two).

My pharmacist at the brick and mortar knows me very well. I swear I see him at least 8-10 times per month. How often do you see your pharmacist? And do you have as much of a hassle with your medications?