Nov 7/2020
Hello,
I'm writing in for a serious complaint in regards to a major ongoing issue my partner and I had happen at the Sylvan Lake Shoppers drug mart at 3715 47ave bldg 800, Pharmacist Owner Todd Prochnau, Pharmacist License 7832, Pharmacy License 2314.
I have been a loyal customer since I began using pharmacies over 20 years ago throughout Alberta.
A little about myself. I am 35 years old and family is my number 1 value in life. I have 2 brothers and a sister and many nieces and nephews that I am extremely close to. Ever since a young age I have always wanted a large family of my own, I love children and am drawn to them and them to me, so much so that I work with children as my main employment through a central Alberta school division.
I have had fertility issues since my early 20s. I am a patient of Dr. Min at the Regional Fertility Clinic in Calgary Alberta. I have had many procedures in regards to my reproductive system, too many to recall. One in particular was having one of my fallopian tubes removed as it was damaged, my second one was blocked. My partner and I in 2018 started the roller coaster process of beginning IVF.
Fast forward to March 2019.
My plan at the time through Manulife covered $15 000 of IVF medications, for a lifetime. At this point I only had a month left on this benefit policy. However I was told I was covered 100% by Manulife till the completion date. I went to shoppers with my prescriptions and explained to them my situation. The pharmacist and owner worked together to order the medication totalling just under $15 000 ( less than the prescription total of 18 000), as I expressed only what Im covered 100% for. They ran everything through and stated that it all went through 100%.
I said I didn't want anything filled yet as I wasn't doing treatment right then. I was told the medications would stay on my file paid for, for 18 months and I would only have to pay the dispensary fee.
In April I went in for other non related medications and was told I had a partial fill on my IVF medications. I explained I didn't want them filled, however the lady actually made me feel a little bad so I accepted to take them as they had a fridge life of 1 year, even though at this timeI was not in the treatment process. I asked what happened with the rest and was told I could order them when needed, as they are paid for and on my file for 18 months.
Mid April I received a call asking if I wanted to refill my IVF medications, I responded to the lady on the phone that no not at this time as I haven't begun treatment and would call when I need them filled, I was reminded that they would be good to order up until 18 months.
Fast forward again to Jan 2020. I went in to speak to the manager on Jan 11/2020 to discuss getting the remainder of the paid medication refills as I did not want the 18months go slip by.Todd Prochnau stated that the prescription was sent back as I told them I no longer wanted it.
COMPLETE SHOCKED I became distraught and told him that in no way or reason did I say this, that a person needing to do IVF that desperately wants a family would say she didn't want her paid IVF medications.
He had no explanation besides that he has a documented phone call that I said to terminate the prescription and my refills.
At this time I asked for my personal file and the documentation he spoke of.
He left the room to go retrieve it. He came back 10 min later and said he called the pharmacist that called me in April and that she said, I told her it was no longer needed.
Shocked still I asked him how this was documentation or proof? He said he didn't have documentation , only that someone called me in April, he then asked me extremely rudely to leave the store as I was sitting there crying, shocked and in disbelief.
I came home and immediately called Manulife to look into this issue. I was told that at the time I was 100 % covered and even when my plan was discontinued that the medications went through and were covered 100% previously. Manulife said that Shoppers sent back the prescription in Oct 2019 saying the pharmacy reversed the claim.
Immediately after I called the Alberta Shoppers Corporation and spoke in length (at least 1 hour) to Bill who agreed that this was not right and something needed to be done, and told me to be persistent.
I then called the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation in Ontario and began the lengthy process with starting a complaint. Since then nothing has been resolved, there was a 4 months pause in communication when COVID 19 hit and someone was supposed to get back to me but never did. I have then called back in this month to see what was going on with no resolution from the Specialist Thia . In the past year I have spoken to countless specialists and customer service representatives with no help at resolving this serious matter. I will be reaching out to different avenues in regards to this matter such as Alberta College of Pharmacies, Shoppers Corporate (again), Better business Bureau, legal Aid and any other avenue I may find.