Now here's where it gets interesting...

Customer Service Representative #1: Now ma'am (all these people sound like they're from the south), I'm going to put you down for a tentative delivery of Thursday.
Self: OK...wait, tentative delivery?
CSR1: Yes ma'am, we have a new computer system so someone will need to call you back to schedule the delivery of your medication.
Self: Oohhhhh-kay. This is new.
Self to self: Uhh... we don't like change around here!
CSR1: Yes, we have a new computer system and we're still transferring records over so someone else will need to call you.
Self: Okay. When will they be calling?
CSR1: I don't know. Soon.

This was not filling me with the utmost in confidence. However, considering there wasn't much I could do at that point and I had enough of the medication left to get me through at least a week plus a couple days, I hung up and commenced getting depressed and going through all that stuff I wrote about on Monday. Meanwhile, the pharmacy was, apparently, doing nothing.

Thursday arrived and by about 2 pm I realized I a) hadn't gotten my Copaxone, and b) had never received a call to schedule the delivery. So I call the specialty mail-order arm of Big Confused Pharmacy back:

Self: Hi. I was supposed to get my medication today and it never arrived.
Customer Service Representative #2: Okay ma'am, you do realize that the date you were given was just a tentative date??
Self: Yes, but I never heard from anyone so I assumed there was no problem.
CSR2: No, they need to call and schedule a specific delivery date. Because our records are being transferred to the new computer system.
Self to self: Still?
Self to CSR2: Okay, can you schedule a delivery date for me?
CSR2: I'll put in the order and someone will call you.
Self: Ummm.... but that's what they told me before and no one called me.
CSR2: Someone will call you. But we'll give you a tentative delivery date of Tuesday.
Self: Okay, but I have only 5 doses left so I have to get my medication on Tuesday so I have something to take that night.
CSR2: I understand. I'll put in the order and someone will call you to schedule the delivery.
Self: No really. I'm not kidding here. Please don't just tell me they're going to call. I need them to call and I need to have my medication.
CSR2: They will call.

So I hung up with CSR2 with absolutely no confidence they would call and, lo and behold, by Monday morning no one had called! (Shocking, I know.) So I called again and explained the situation to Customer Service Representative #3:

CSR3: Hi. I'm very sorry for the mix-up. It looks like your prescription is waiting to be reviewed by a pharmacist. So as soon as the pharmacist reviews it, someone will call you to schedule a delivery.
Self: Hold on a minute. My prescription has been in the system since LAST THURSDAY and it STILL has not been reviewed by a pharmacist?
CSR3: Yes; we need to have a pharmacist review before we can schedule delivery.
Self: I understand that, although I've been getting this same prescription for 5 months now. What I don't understand is why it's been hung up FOR FIVE DAYS. What if I were taking insulin or some other life-sustaining medication? At this rate I would be dying tomorrow.
CSR3: Well, we have a new system and..
Self: Yes. A new system. I've heard that already. Your company's service is to send out medication and so far you have failed to do that. I've never had any trouble with your service before and I don't understand why I'm having so much trouble now.
CSR3: OK, I understand that and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'll put a rush on your order and someone should be calling you today to schedule delivery for tomorrow.
Self: Okay, I'm sorry, but this is the THIRD time I've called and the THIRD time I've been told someone would call me. Please forgive me if I sound skeptical.
CSR3: Well ma'am, the only thing I can do is send it as a rush to the pharmacist.
Self: That's not good enough. Can I please speak to your supervisor?
CSR3: Yes ma'am, one minute please.

So I'm put on hold for some time and then Mr. Supervisor comes on the phone.

Mr. Supervisor: Hello, Ms. LastName? I understand there's a problem.
Self: [And here I go into the full explanation. AGAIN.] ...So, I'm sure you can understand my frustration.
Mr. Supervisor: Yes ma'am, I do understand and I apolo..
Self: [Here I cut him off] ....yes, you're sorry for the inconvenience. What I need for you to do is make this right. I take my LAST DOSE of my medication tonight. I NEED to have my medication by tomorrow. I mean, if I wanted to stop taking this medication I would talk with my doctor and we would decide together that I needed to stop taking it. I wouldn't just STOP, which is what you all are about to make me do because of your inability to do the service your company provides.
Mr. Supervisor: Yes, I understand your frustration. You see, the computer system...
Self: Yeah, the records are being transferred. I don't care why there's a problem. I just want you to fix it.
Mr. Supervisor: I was just trying to explain why you're experiencing this mix up.
Self: Yes, I know. And again, that's really irrelevant to me at this point. What I need to know is what you're doing to send me my medication.
Mr. Supervisor: Okay. I'm having CSR3 put a rush on your order and someone WILL call you today and set up an overnight delivery for tomorrow morning. But there's really nothing I can do until the pharmacist reviews and approves the prescription.
Self: Okay. Can I please have your name and phone number?
Mr. Supervisor: Yes. FirstName Supervisor, Eight Six Six, Five Five Five, Three Three One One. Then press One and ask for me by name.
Self: Thank you. If I don't hear from anyone by 2 pm PST, I will be calling you back.
Mr. Supervisor: Okay, that's fine.

And then I got off the phone and commenced with my day. Two o'clock came and went and, again, no phone call. At that point, I just kind of threw up my hands. Comical didn't begin to describe this; nor did ridiculous. I knew I wasn't going to get my medication by the next morning, so I just gave up. After talking to four different people, you'd think I'd have had some sort of luck in getting the company to perform the service for which they were in business. But no. So I just went on with my day and resolved to make call number four the following morning.

CSR4: Hello, Big Confused Mail-Order Pharmacy, how can I help you?
Self: Hi. This is the FOURTH time I've called in the last two weeks to try to get my medication and I STILL have not received anything. Can you fix this?
CSR4: I'm sorry ma'am. I will be the last person you have to talk to. Let's get your problem resolved.
Self: Thank you.
Self to self: I'll believe it when I see it.
[At this point, she took my information and pulled up my records.]
CSR4: Okay, your prescription has been reviewed by the pharmacist and is ready to be shipped. When would you like it?
Self: Today.
CSR4: I'm sorry, ma'am, I can't get it there today, but would tomorrow morning work?
Self: Well, no. I'm out of the medication so if I don't receive it today I'll be missing my dose tonight. But if tomorrow's the soonest you can get it here that will have to do.
CSR4: Yes, we'll send it FedEx overnight and it will arrive tomorrow.
Self: Thank you. But I'm not paying for expedited shipping.
CSR4: Oh no, of course not.

And, at that point, she went on to confirm my address and take down my payment preferences. And true to her word, my Copaxone arrived yesterday afternoon. Thankfully. I regret not taking down her name, as she was the only person I talked to over this whole fiasco that seemed actually interested in helping solve the problem rather than making excuses for why it was happening.

You'll remember that my company is switching health insurance in the new year? Well, this is the first time I'm thankful for that, as my next refill of this prescription will need to be filled by the new insurance company's specialty pharmacy, because I'm almost afraid to deal with these people again!!! Nevertheless, I'm going to start calling on January second to get this thing moving because it just might take the entire 20 days to get my prescription filled... What happened to customer service?