CVS is horrible. They are refusing to fill a 10ml vial of test cyp. Help!

[bbnoob25]

I am having some serious difficulties with CVS. In order for my insurance to cover a 90 day supply, I am required to use CVS (complete BS). Anyway, CVS is refusing to fill my prescription for a 90 day supply of testosterone cypionate because they are saying the contents of the 10ml will begin degrading after a month, and they cannot in good faith (their system won’t allow it) fill the prescription knowing that the potency will be reduced towards the end of my supply. I have called multiple other pharmacies and they agree its BS, and have offered to fill the script, but I will be out $130.

CVS is only willing to give me 12 1ml vials. The 1ml vials are insanely inconvenient, as I split my dose in half each week, so sometimes I’ll only fill a syringe half way before the vial is empty then I’m either stuck with contaminating the fresh vial with the same syringe, or sticking myself twice with two fresh syringes.

Anyone else run into an issue like this? Any recommendations?

[Osprey]

This is getting more an more common which is why more and more of us are paying cash for our test.cyp.

Try GoodRx.com. Right now they are showing a 10ml vial costing about $50 in my area.

[golfboy307]

I am on a 30 day renewal cycle with Walgreens for the same reason.  Can your doctor rewrite the script for 30 day increments?

[Joe Sixpack]

CVS/Caremark is absolutely the worst.  For me they made a mandatory drug substitution, 1 drug, for another drug that is in no way equivalent.  I appealed, but no dice.  So now I have to pay out of pocket.   

[Boxcar]

I have no complaints about CVS employees, but the company has policies with regard to controlled substances that show little regard for the patient. They have told me that their supplier rations shipments of controlled substances to each store. So when they reach the monthly quota for that store, they will actually say "we have run out, bla bla..." sometimes they will blame it on the DEA  (as if planned Rx shortages are part of the war on drugs). The employees generally try to help, but this is clearly a policy issue.

I actually prefer the small vials though. With 10 ml vials, there is the risk of losing months worth of medication, all from one screw-up (either from loss, breakage, contamination, etc.)  I am not sure I understand how drawing from more than one vial into the same syringe would "contaminate" the contents. Yes, there could be some mixing from one vial to the next, but if it is all sterile and all the same medication, what is the concern?

[Runnerman]

I have the same issue with CVS. Get two 1ml vials for the month. Plus in CA, I have to show my drivers license each time.

[PeakT]

CVS/Caremark is absolutely the worst.  For me they made a mandatory drug substitution, 1 drug, for another drug that is in no way equivalent.  I appealed, but no dice.  So now I have to pay out of pocket.   

You should be able to switch pharmacies, but one comment:  I have heard you can only switch pharmacies so many times during a year with controlled substances.

[HRT Guru]

FDA is making them, even the compounders, go to 5ml vials for that reason. 1mL vials are pretty dumb but being upset about it is going to take you nowhere.

[bbnoob25]

CVS/Caremark is absolutely the worst.  For me they made a mandatory drug substitution, 1 drug, for another drug that is in no way equivalent.  I appealed, but no dice.  So now I have to pay out of pocket.   

You should be able to switch pharmacies, but one comment:  I have heard you can only switch pharmacies so many times during a year with controlled substances.

Unfortunately, my insurance only covers 90 day supplies from CVS, so I'm stick with them if I don't want to pay full price. In new York you can't even transfer a controlled substance, so my doc would have to calls new script in to the other pharmacy.

[PeakT]

CVS/Caremark is absolutely the worst.  For me they made a mandatory drug substitution, 1 drug, for another drug that is in no way equivalent.  I appealed, but no dice.  So now I have to pay out of pocket.   

You should be able to switch pharmacies, but one comment:  I have heard you can only switch pharmacies so many times during a year with controlled substances.

Unfortunately, my insurance only covers 90 day supplies from CVS, so I'm stick with them if I don't want to pay full price. In new York you can't even transfer a controlled substance, so my doc would have to calls new script in to the other pharmacy.

See Osprey's post above: it will very likely be very affordable.

[JBone]

Why not just pay for it? It's $130 and lasts for months.  I get 10ml bottles from Walgreens and I pay $110 which last 5 months. 
Contamination is not gonna happen either.

[Avies48]

Why not just pay for it? It's $130 and lasts for months.  I get 10ml bottles from Walgreens and I pay $110 which last 5 months. 
Contamination is not gonna happen either.

WHAAAT? 110? FOR 10 ML VIAL? is that 1 10 ml vial? or a few?  WHERE DO YOU LIVE?? thru goodrx coupon thru walgreens cvs I pay like 40-50 for a 10 ml vial...

[Mojo88]

I also use CVS. They refuse to even allow me to buy 10ml bottle. They will only sell me enough 1ml bottles to fill one 30-day scrip. It's incredibly annoying.

10ml bottles might almost be too big for me. But would definitely go out of my way to buy 5ml bottles (referenced by "HRT Guru" above). Hopefully 5ml bottles start appearing in marketplace.

[Hydranted]

I know that this doesn't solve your problem, but I just wanted to point out that there's nothing unsanitary about drawing from multiple vials for a single injection.  As long as you're not going out of your way to contaminate things, you shouldn't have any issues. 

[kcrunner]

I am having some serious difficulties with CVS. In order for my insurance to cover a 90 day supply, I am required to use CVS (complete BS). Anyway, CVS is refusing to fill my prescription for a 90 day supply of testosterone cypionate because they are saying the contents of the 10ml will begin degrading after a month, and they cannot in good faith (their system won’t allow it) fill the prescription knowing that the potency will be reduced towards the end of my supply. I have called multiple other pharmacies and they agree its BS, and have offered to fill the script, but I will be out $130.

CVS is only willing to give me 12 1ml vials. The 1ml vials are insanely inconvenient, as I split my dose in half each week, so sometimes I’ll only fill a syringe half way before the vial is empty then I’m either stuck with contaminating the fresh vial with the same syringe, or sticking myself twice with two fresh syringes.

Anyone else run into an issue like this? Any recommendations?

I use 1 ml vials.   I use 25 gauge needles with 1 ml tuberculin syringes.   I always draw one needle, and sometimes have to draw from 2 vials if one is empty, then I draw the syringe back and replace the needle with a new one before injecting.   Never had any issues doing that.