THE WORD "SAME" - It's Meaning ....... Very Illusive, To Some

Actual Letter - Names changed to protect the sane.

Hi Very Nice and Helpful VAC Staff Person; I am going to write about a very serious issue with humor. I have to do this because my "I don't believe this!" meter, is off the scale.

Here goes. 

I went to the Specialist doctor with a medication problem. It was not the medicine per say it was my reaction to the method of it's delivery. You see the medicine comes in a gel. It is greasy. It burns my skin. I have mild joint pain from it and takes a long time to dry before I can dress.

I asked the Specialist if there was any other medicine that was the same but had a different delivery system. He said yes. It is not greasy. It is a little harder to apply but dries very fast, it does not burn and I don't have the joint pain. It is the same medicine and gives the same results just, a different manufacturer and delivery system.

THIS IS WHERE IT GET's TRICKY - TRY AND STAY WITH ME NOW!

1. Same Specialist doctor.

2. Same usage.

3. Same cost

4. Same pharmacy

5. Same condition as original medicine was treating

6. Same person requiring medicine

7. Same requirement for the medicine

8. Same Special Authorization Unit (SAU) at VAC that approved the original medicine

9. Same Special Authorization Unit (SAU) at VAC that knows my requirement for this medicine

10. Same Specialist doctor who prescribed the original medicine

11. Same Specialist doctor who prescribed this new medicine as an alternative due to side effects

THE VAC (SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION UNIT) DENIED ME THE REPLACEMENT

Did I happen to mention something about everything is the SAME, except for the delivery system?

I see we are still hiring the top achievers from the school of;" how not to understand and just say, "NO". 

No thought or explanation as to why, just ....."NO."

Glad I got that out. Hope it made you smile. Seriously, these are exactly the same medicines with a 1% increase and a different delivery system. The cost saving for VAC, you can sell that point is, ( count it to be sure, but the savings I am proposing to VAC is exactly $1.25)

With that poultry sum, the Special Authorization Unit (SAU) could get a coffee and wake up. 

Now the real info you need.

Te 1% DIN: 02200000  NOT on Formulary - Approved

A 2%  DIN: 02300000  NOT on Formulary - Denied

Can you please fix this for me? My sense of humor is spent now.

Definition of STRESS: " The mind over-riding the bodies basic desire to choke the living sh $^&% t out of some "A" hole (SAU) that really deserves it!"

Drug Generic Name Drug Brand Name PA Status Average cost per claim ($)  1% gel Te PA   $   2% solution A PA   $1.25 cheeper

Thank-you in advance. I am still unsure of what language VAC uses. It obviously does not come in the common sense form you seem to use or understand. Thanks for being a translator. You will have to teach me that type of speak some day. I really do try and make it simple to understand. I really thought the repeated use of the word the same might give them a crumb to follow on that logic trail but....... no luck for me. To them at the VAC SAU, the complexity of my thought patterns coupled with my repeated use of the little known term of "SAME", was far too much and exceedingly complex to grasp. Sorry about that.

They wonder why Veterans with mental disabilities, 

don't get better very quick.