I was told by my RX provider, MerckMedco, that minimed will only give me a 30 day supply of the 23 inch infusion sets. I know about the recall last summer but I cannot believe that the merco pharm and minimed “reworked” my 90 day RX to a 30 day RX. I will have a huge increase in cost and now have to worry about getting the quicksets. It has been over 2 weeks since i ordered a refill on a script that does not expire until aug 2010. Medco gave their reworked RX a new number and never notified me or the doctor. Has anyone else heard of rationing by medco?? Lucky I kept my old lot 8s so i have a reserve. I would never recommend minimed to a new pump user. It has not given me security but only headaches.
Whatever limit is determined entirely by what Medco will pay for, not Minimed rationing supplies.
I live in Canada , in my Province one goes to the local Pharmacy to pick up pump supplies , no problem when I order 3 boxes at one time or more ; I am not rationed. . …my observation : one cannot generalize on delivery and service .Have you spoken with MM recently ? I am not familiar with " how things work for you " as far as your RX provider is concerned .
I am a MM pumper since 2001
Yes, others in the USA mentioned that their supplies are being sent in smaller shipments. You should get all your supplies just not all at once.
Interesting that this has not affected my Minimed supplies in Hungary at all. I never had Lot 8’s though.
Medco is certain that minimed is rationing the supplies. Minimed has not replied to my request to speak to a customer representative. I believe that minimed ships to their customers first and the rest of us (who have to used third parties like merckmedco) get the rest. I am glad i never sent in my original lot 8 because I found out that minimed opened them up, “redid the sets,” and sent them back to customers as new. No one had an idea where these came from in the first place. Reshipping refurbished medical supplies just seemed like a bad practice to me.
I just got my first reorder from MM directly and it was my full 3 month supply. I can get them from Medco for no copay but now I better stick with MM.
I’ve been having the staggered shipment for what seems like months now. I have a surprise box waiting for me at the front door about every month. I thought they’d have caught up by now.
geckoaz : how did you find out quote : "that minimed opened them up, “redid the sets,” and sent them back to customers as new.No one had an idea where these came from in the first place.…am I daft or ??
Can you call YOUR customer rep …do you want to talk to mine ??..really I am in awe about these statements …Are your connections to suppliers so different than my connections to my Canadian ones ???
Truly , hope you get your problems resolved , what ever it takes … I never had any of these concerns with MM
Is it just me, have I grown incredibly cynical in recent years, but does it seem as if Medtronic is totally confusing the issue so you can’t figure out if they’ve actually replaced all the sets you sent back or not?
I had accumulated 20 boxes of infusion sets which had to be returned due to the lot 8 recall. At some point I called and they actually gave me a schedule of when those boxes would be replaced (with scheduled ship dates through about 14 months.) I also received one 90-day supply order after that. Now, suddenly, my refill orders are being shipped one box at a time, and I’m not sure what’s being shipped when, and it’s been impossible for me to determine if they are replacing the sets they were supposed to replace or not. Is anyone else having this problem, or is it just me?
Ruth
sorry, I assumed original post about possible cost increases was faulting MM. Maybe get them directly from MM and cut Medco out of the picture? I’m getting 3 mo’s from MM, no problem.
I had a similar situation. I’d been “stockpiling” supplies for years. I returned all of the dreaded lot 8 sets, but never got replacements for all that I’d returned.
That’s just one of the (many) reasons I ditched MM once and for all. They might be a market leader, but their customer service and QA programs need work.
OK ok ok… I’ve apparently missed alot here… First, Anybody feel like tellin me about this recall and lot - 8? What’d I miss? Secondly… I’ve had ups and downs with MM, but I was also… misled… (actually just plain lied to) by another company regarding my questions about their pumps and CGMS developments, etc., so I have mixed emotions both about MM and that other party… LOL
Next, I have seen no issue as yet regarding receiving 3 months of supplies… Apparently others have, though… So what’s goin on with having recalled supplies not being replaced? Seems like MM or whomever is supposed to replace them isn’t in a hurry to do so… Why would that be? Why in the world would a company NOT want to give you what you’ve already paid for, rather than just sell you new stuff…?? hummmm…
((Was that toooo obvious?)) hahahaha
Last summer when I had trouble getting replacements, I spoke with the mm contact for the Lot 8. She explained to me in detail how they retrofitted the first returned units and returned them to the field. This took place because they did not have the ability to manufacture new units. The problem with the units was discovered by one of their own employees. I applaud them for stepping forward to acknowledge the problem. I have also talked to the FDA. The individual I spoke to indicated that retrofitted replacements had to adhere to the same standards as new units including sterilization. You and I know that part of the unit is the adhesive attachment. I don’t know how these were sterilized and still functioned. However, every unit I have ever received looked like it was sealed in a factory and I have not had any problems. I just can’t seem to get an adequate supply. Diabetes will be with me for the rest of my life and I don’t want to have to fight MM and Medco for a 30 day supply every month of it.
Today I was told by MM supply that it is likely that MM and Medco entered into some agreement to only ship 30 day supplies and changed the terms of my medical plan. I am seeking an appeal. MM needs to publish these contracts so we can make intelligent choices in health plans that seek to minimize the supply to their financial benefit.
Funny… my issue is that they wont STOP sending me supplies. I have asked to be taken off the auto refill list twice now and I still get boxes of supplies every few months! I am getting only one box of infusion sets at a time but I have about 6 boxes of them piled up now. I change my infusion set every 3 days so it is not that I’m keeping the sites in for longer than recommended.