Prescription Drugs & Vitamins

Good news, the Bausch & Lomb Ocuvite w/Lutein that I am taking does NOT contain casein / dairy. The calcium carbonate in it, is from lime. Thank you to Bausch & Lomb for making it so easy to get that information.

I've also learned that my various eye drops, including Restasis, Refresh PM Refresh Celluvisic and Refresh Optive do NOT contain dairy / casein. A phone call to Allergan confirmed that. Thank you too, to Allergan, for being so responsive to allergy concerns.

I wish I could give the same thanks to Walgreen's. I called my pharmacy this morning to ask if any of the other prescriptions I have might contain casein and you'd think I had asked her for her right arm. The hemming and hawing, the obvious lack of concern for my health, was actually a bit alarming -after all, why does the pharmacist ask if you have any allergies every time you fill a prescription if they really don't care?

I started the conversation by saying that I had just learned I was allergic to casein and needed to find out if any of the prescriptions I currently have contain it. The response I received was nearly "What do you want me to do about it?" Well, um, for starters, help me figure out if my prescriptions contain casein.

I told her I didn't mind doing the research and had already called some of the companies myself but in the case of generics, I didn't know where to start. Finally she offered to get the me the ingredient lists that come with prescriptions (unfortunately, I never kept them) but even that was clearly a major ordeal for her. She said I could come pick them up and I asked if tomorrow would be all right and it was clear from her response that it wasn't. She wasn't listening particularly well either because I told her more than once during the phone call that I had already checked with the company that produces Restasis and she continued to list that as one of the ones she would need to research on her time off. I'm not really sure why Walgreen's would expect a pharmacist to research medical information for a customer on his/her time off to begin with, that seems like it would be part of their job if it concerns prescriptions filled at that company.

Anyway, the pharmacist begrudgingly agreed to gather the information I needed and have it ready for me by tomorrow. I'll cross my fingers as I haven't had a lot of luck with Walgreen's pharmacy in the past; I only continue to go there because it is convenient and my insurance pays more towards prescriptions there than some of the other stores in the area.