Alta Bates Outpatient Pharmacy Services

When you’re prescribed a new medication, the health insurance company that handles your prescriptions has to receive a prescription claim. Once they approve the claim, they’ll agree to pay all or part of the prescription cost.

Once your insurance has approved your prescription claim, your medication will usually be available within the next few business days. A pharmacy staff member will contact you to let you know when a prescription is ready for you.

We can transfer your medication to another pharmacy at your request. Please have your preferred pharmacy call us so we can transfer your prescriptions. After the transfer is complete, please follow up with the new pharmacy about the status of your medications.

Our pharmacy fills cost-saving, generic-equivalent prescription medications as required by state law, unless you or your physician require otherwise. Many specialty medications don’t have available generic equivalents, but if they do, we substitute only FDA-approved generic equivalents to brand name medications.

No. By California law, you can’t return a medication once it leaves the pharmacy.

A drug or medication recall occurs when a prescription or over-the-counter medication is removed from the market because it’s found to be defective or potentially harmful. Sometimes, the makers of the medication will discover a problem with a drug and voluntarily recall it. Other times, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require the recall of a medication after receiving reports of problems from the public. Once a drug is recalled, the medication is removed from our pharmacy stock. Our pharmacy watches out for these recalls from federal and state agencies, manufacturers and distributors. We’ll contact you and the prescriber if your medication is recalled and inform you about next steps.

You can ask us for an interpreter at any time if you’re deaf, hearing impaired or if English is not your primary language. We’ll assist you by providing the means necessary for effective communication.

The Patient Management Program was created to help optimize patient medication outcomes. It’s designed to help you stay in compliance with prescribed medication therapy and as a result, better control your disease.

Patients are automatically enrolled in the Patient Management Program. You have the right to opt-out of (or opt back into) the Patient Management Program at any time. If you’d like to opt-out of the program, please notify us by either:

• Calling the pharmacy and speaking with a staff member about your wish to opt out of the Patient Management Program.

OR

• Filling out the “Patient Management Program Opt-Out Form”, and mailing it or handing it to a pharmacy staff member.

Opting out of the Patient Management Program in no way affects the services available to you through our pharmacy. If at a later time, you’d like to opt back into the Patient Management Program, please contact the pharmacy and speak with a staff member regarding your desire to opt back into the program.

Please don’t hesitate to call us during regular business hours if:

• You’d like to check the status of your order or inquire about a delay in delivery.
• You have questions about your medication related to its storage, administration or potential side effects.
• You believe you may be experiencing a non-life threatening adverse drug reaction (if you’re experiencing what you think is a life-threatening reaction, immediately call 911).
• You need an early refill due to scheduled travel. Please call us at least 5 days ahead of your scheduled travel date.
• Your insurance has changed.
• You’re concerned about access to your medications during natural disasters or emergencies.
• You believe an error may have occurred with your order.
• You need help getting a medication that’s not available through EBAC Pharmacy or ABSOP.
• You have a question about a medication recall or how to safely dispose of your medication.
• You’d like to transfer your prescription to another pharmacy.
• You have questions about any substitutions we’ve made on your order (such as a generic substitution).
• Please call us if you only have about five doses of your medication left and we haven’t contacted you. We’ll work to process of your refill as soon as possible.
• A pharmacist is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer any urgent or clinical questions you may have.

To reach a pharmacist, please call us:

EBAC Pharmacy

• Local Telephone Number: (510) 869-8451
• Toll-Free Telephone Number: (888) 815-6656

ABSOP

• Local Telephone Number: (510) 204-6550
• Toll-Free Telephone Number: (855) 744-1692

Listed below are just a few resources dedicated to helping patients learn more and connect with support groups and organizations dedicated to educating patients about their conditions. In addition to education, these organizations can provide valuable support to patients dealing with complex and difficult healthcare needs.

• HIV/AIDS Hotline: (800) 367-2437
• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship: (877) 622-7937
• Hepatitis C Care Line: (844) 737-6676
• MS Advocate for Change: (800) 344-4867
• RA Advocate 101: (844) 571-4357
• Crohn’s and Colitis Advocacy Network: (800) 241-0758
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: (800) 344-4823
• National Psoriasis Foundation: (800) 723-9166

To learn more about consumer protection and advocacy services, visit:

• National Association of Consumer Advocates
• Department of Consumer Affairs

Check our Diseases and Conditions site to learn more.