Rebecca 0:00

It's not a epidemic. It's us aging up into to the point where we can't fucking handle it and there's no amount of caffeine in the world that's gonna keep our shit together anymore.

0:13

I am Jamie. And I'm Rebecca. Welcome to the Burnout Collective.

Rebecca 0:21

Welcome back to the podcast. I just love waking up and being like, oh, we did a war. Now we're doing war, I guess. Oops. Oops. All war. Okay.

Jamie 0:34

Yep.

Rebecca 0:34

That's great. That's great. Oh, did we blow up an entire school full of children? Cool. Love that for us.

Jamie 0:41

The

Rebecca 0:41

And then go to work and act like everything is fine, and go to your meetings and make eye contact with your coworkers. And when you go, how's everyone's weekend? You all go

Jamie 0:51

I don't know. I would

Rebecca 0:52

and everyone.

Jamie 0:52

would just be cameras off and everybody would have to deal. I don't care. I don't care if I'm in charge. It's just, yeah.

Rebecca 0:59

Yeah. Yep, yep, yep, yep.

Jamie 1:02

So today, don't worry guys, we've wrapped on perfectionism. After two episodes, we're done calling everybody out, namely Rebecca and sometimes ourselves because I was like, I actually am recovering. And then I was like, wait, fuck, I am

Rebecca 1:20

Mm. Shit. Yeah.

Jamie 1:22

yeah, we wanted to do an episode on medication, particularly, I think particularly for mental health. but just all medications. Like we, I don't even think we're gonna be able to really go into the horrors of. The healthcare system in the

Rebecca 1:42

Oh no. Absolute. No, no, no,

Jamie 1:45

nobody has time for that. Luigi can, you know, um, but I've just had some medication nightmares come up recently with my A DHD meds and I wanted to talk about it. whew. I don't even know where to start. There's a lot of things

Rebecca 2:05

What, let's start with what precipitated you? messaging me going, I wanna talk about medications.

Jamie 2:10

know, right? all cap, all caps. so it started I think just like two to three weeks ago, maybe about three weeks ago. I was already out of my A DHD meds because I let it lapse. I always think it's like a sick joke that you can't get, and we've talked about this, but you can't get your A DHD meds delivered. I get it, controlled substance. I understand why, and it's like, I'll show you my id. You can take a picture of me holding my ID at the door. I have a DHD, not being able to have it delivered to me is a barrier. And that may seem silly to some people, but it is a massive barrier for me. because I procrastinate a lot. That's like part of it. And. I'll just procrastinate it and I'll put it off until I'm like outta medication for a few days and I'm like, oh, wow, I'm going nuts. I'm crazy. why do I feel so like unhinged? Why do I feel so dysregulated? And then usually Rebecca is like, are you, do you have all your meds? have you been taking your meds? And I'm like, no. So that's just like one, one barrier, that it is. So anyway, so I let it lapse a little bit. it'd only been a few days. I take two different, types of Adderall. I take extended release and then I also have an instant release to take, as needed. I was out of the extended release, so I was able, like in the mornings I was taking the teeny tiny like instant release just to help out. that's what I did today. so what happened was I was out of it and I went to go pick it up. they said it was gonna be ready, previously. I was laid off and I didn't have a job. I didn't have insurance. I finally did get insurance. I just recently got insurance, starting in February, Yeah, so I've had insurance for about a month, and honestly it's been a nightmare, since I've gotten insurance, like insurance has like only cost me money and problems, so I get there to pick up my meds and there was another med I was trying to pick up too, and they're like, oh, this isn't covered. And I felt like an idiot because I wasn't comprehending what the pharmacist was saying to me because I'm used to not having insurance. So she kept saying, this isn't covered this. And I was like, what do you mean covered? I need, this is, I need to get my medication like. It's not covered. I can't get it. And I was like, oh, you mean insurance? And she's like, yeah. And I was like, okay, sorry. Like I just got insurance. I've been paying out of pocket. And then she's like, Ooh, actually, that's another thing that we just put into place. you can no longer pay for A DHD medications or I think I, I don't know if she said A DHD or if she just said controlled substances, prescriptions, out of pocket, like with cash. And so I was like, wait, so you have to have insurance to be able to get like an Adderall prescription? And she said, yes, that's like a new policy. And I just sat there for a minute because I was like, what? yes, I have insurance now. So did that affect me any longer? No. I mean it kind of was, but No, but I was just

Rebecca 5:30

so this was, if this was, if, so you had a prescription from your doctor, but you didn't have insurance. They were, they, you were paying out of pocket 'cause they filled it, but now it has to be run through insurance. What if they deny it?

Jamie 5:43

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So they did deny it. and that, like that was the problem. no. I was thinking of I'm like, okay, I have insurance now, so hopefully I can still get my meds, but I'm just thinking about all the people who don't have insurance.

Rebecca 5:57

So your insurance company has to approve you getting this medication in order for you to access it, and you are not able to pay out of pocket for it.

Jamie 6:07

Yes. Because that's what I said. I was like, okay, if it's not covered, whatever. I was like, I need it. I was like, so let me just pay. And then she was like, Ooh. Yeah. And I was like, what? I've never heard of this before. I look, I looked it up 'cause I was talking to you about it and we were trying to figure out if it was like a CVS thing or if it was like a California new California law. And I found Reddit posts from 4, 6, 4 to six years ago with people saying, it was mostly CVS. But I think some people said at Walgreens it sounds like it's just like a pharmacy per pharmacy basis. Like they just decide this, which also seems illegal to me because it's like I have a prescription. if you're trying to cut down on like illegal drug distribution, like I don't care. The person has a prescription. Like you give them their drugs.

Rebecca 7:01

Right.

Jamie 7:02

There. I mean, there's, there's so much more. But that was like, that was the start of it.

Rebecca 7:06

And so you would have to basically, so you need a pre-auth from your doctor

Jamie 7:10

Yeah.

Rebecca 7:11

in order to be approved.

Jamie 7:12

I just got insurance, this insurance company is Ooh, who are you? We don't know you. what do you mean you're taking Adderall? I know which I also don't understand because it's like, can they not see my history of having been on this for years? That like all your insurance companies can see all, like your information. when you're insured with them, and so she printed me out. She's I'll tell you like what it says about like why they're not covering it. And so she prints gives me this printout and it literally says like a reason why not covered. And it says patient's age. And I was like, what? And it said, I don't know. It was a bunch of Garbo. And it just said something about, anyone who's over the age of 18 needs a prior authorization from their doctor to get at least Adderall, at least I'm sure all A DHD meds, but Adderall at least. And that's another thing. Does that say if you're over 18, you can't possibly have a DHD? that's very bizarre to me.

Rebecca 8:16

I have a friend's brother who just died. He was a drug addict and when he graduated high school, he, you know, at 18 they cut him off from his Adderall prescription because, he wasn't in school anymore. It's like, well, why do you need it? And,

Jamie 8:30

So wait, who decided that? Like his doctors were like, Nope, sorry. oh my

Rebecca 8:35

I'm sure there's more to the story, but that's the gist of it from what I got. And that may be like an outside case, but it's,

Jamie 8:42

But that, that, that happens. And that's why I'm like, I'm actually so pissed. Even though I'm like, okay, I'm lucky enough to have insurance now, and I do have insurance. I don't get it through my employer. I have to pay for it out of pocket. but I'm able to, and I'm thinking about all the

Rebecca 8:56

that like, by the way, signing up for that? so if you're not getting it through your employer still, or at all, what was it like signing up for it? is it still insanely expensive? Are the options better than last time or how bad was it?

Jamie 9:11

I, except for just like short periods, like between a layoff or something, I've not really had to do covered California or whatever. So I don't have much experience except this time again, A DHD really I procrastinated. I like, I didn't have insurance for a year and I should have and I couldn't afford it for most of that time, first of all. but I guess by the time I could afford it, I basically got it. 'cause I started my job Jan in January, the beginning of January of this year. so I signed up in January, but. I could have tried to make it work. It just, I was really just like getting my bills paid with a little bit of freelance work I was doing and didn't really have a lot of money for anything else. So I just did what I could. now I'm trying to remember what your question was.

Rebecca 10:04

Oh, just asking about like the state of the current Yeah, the current insurance, just based on our current administration. I'm just wondering like how hard they made it or how difficult it was to actually get it.

Jamie 10:18

It wasn't necessarily difficult to get it, but it is to me. I'm also the type of person, I don't know about you, but even when, my work offers health insurance, all of it is so complicated to me still. I've been doing this, I've been in the workforce, for so long, for decades, but still. It's just really hard for my brain to like completely understand everything. I guess I get the basics, but it's always just been like a difficult thing for me.

Rebecca 10:50

But the site worked and you weren't kicked off. I guess

Jamie 10:53

yes, the site worked.

Rebecca 10:55

late night.

Jamie 10:56

Yeah. There wasn't anything like big bugs or anything. It was just complicated. I actually reached out to my doctor 'cause my doctor's awesome. which by the way, unfortunately it is owned by Amazon now, which like, I haven't decided what to do. But one medical is like a service you can sign up for where like you have access, you just you can text your doctor. it's very like app based. but you also can go in, there's an office and everything. And I signed up for one medical, like four years ago, maybe four or five, and. It could, maybe I'm lucky and maybe just the doctors at my one medical, are just great. But I found two amazing doctors and I've never felt good about a doctor 'cause I have lots of trauma surrounding like medical stuff and health. So that's another thing I procrastinate was going to the doctor, but I would, I wouldn't procrastinate going to the doctor and I was like keeping up with my health ever since I signed up for one medical and no, this is not a fucking advertisement. but yeah, it just makes it easier. So I just opened the app and texted my doctor and I was like, Hey, this is what's going on. I've never really had to do this before, blah, blah, blah. And I'm glad I said something because there were very specific things, I think with one medical that like they couldn't see me if I was on like. Medicaid or Medicare. and so like he had, like I, I had picked some things out and he was like, no, that's 'cause it was called something else, but it was actually Medicare and I didn't know. And he was like, no, you can't get that. Or like, I can't see you. we will not be able to see you if you get that. because

Rebecca 12:34

Really?

Jamie 12:34

it is supposed to be a more cost effective, I think based on your income. And so because of that they don't

Rebecca 12:44

only see patient with like, with like not private, I guess. Is it private insurance?

Jamie 12:49

Oh, like PPO, No, that's not it. It's like I could still, so like I could still see them if I was on HMO. But I would still pay out of pocket because that they're not with, they're only with, yeah, like p, PO, but I think it would still go to my deductible and everything else. I like how I'm like, health insurance really confuses me and Rebecca's like asking me all these questions and health insurance, and I'm like, I'm trying. no. I'm just laughing.

Rebecca 13:14

the hoops that you have to jump

Jamie 13:16

Oh, yeah,

Rebecca 13:16

I also think as much as I appre, I mean the medic, the medication delivery thing, it's very funny, because like even over COVID we couldn't get it.

Jamie 13:29

yeah. Yeah.

Rebecca 13:32

The other thing about having to jump through hoops is I had to take m in every three months to see her doctor in order to get her medication refilled.

Jamie 13:40

I have to do that.

Rebecca 13:41

And before they did a drug test on her, like before she switched, they used to do drug tests on her in order to make sure that it was showing up in her urine and that I wasn't getting her a prescription

Jamie 13:55

Oh

Rebecca 13:55

I could have access to.

Jamie 13:57

Is that why?

Rebecca 13:58

Yeah. And 'cause I asked, and so they did it one time and it came up negative. I think the nurse was new and it came up negative and I freaked the fuck out I called her doctor, I sent a message. I was like, you can count them. I will come in for a drug test. And she's like, no, the one she's on. I was like, I don't know why she gave it to her. That's not, they won't show up in her teeth. That's not like, that's not, but I panicked because I'm like,

Jamie 14:21

now, they're gonna think, yeah,

Rebecca 14:23

Depending on what it is, yeah. They do urine tests on the kids to make sure that it's in their systems.

Jamie 14:30

so fucked. But then that also makes me sad because then that means that there are people who take advantage of their kids.

Rebecca 14:38

Yep. Oh yeah. It's all kinds of fucked up. I, that broke my heart.

Jamie 14:44

however, I wonder if it's not, oh, like maybe it's just I don't know. It's, yeah, it's a mess. there's too many hoops. and that's why I said like we wanted to talk about specifically mental health medication. I know other medications are very important, and we need those as well, but it's

Rebecca 15:03

favorite is when they give me, so I get a letter from our, 'cause we have an insurer for general insurance, and then we have a prescription insurance, right? And we'll get a letter being like, If you do not get 90 days in a row of medication, you will be paying more. And I find it very funny that my insurance company wants me to have 90 pills worth of antidepressants. I'm like, you just doing the job for me? I guess. So just

Jamie 15:28

Yeah. they do that too with like my sleeping pills and then,

Rebecca 15:32

yeah, making it real easy.

Jamie 15:34

yeah, but then with my anxiety meds, there've, but there's been this like fluctuation of Yeah, ninety's fine. And then it's oh no, we can't do 90, it's only 30, but it's it's gaba fucking pentin you guys. it's not a big deal. so I had to fight too just recently to get that back because with that I take two every day and as needed. So my doctor had to like basically do a prescription that said three a day to just make sure I'm getting enough for it. It's,

Rebecca 16:04

The other thing I've noticed is when there's an insurance issue, like on the app, on the pharmacy app, it'll say reviewing insurance an issue. And then I went back the next day to check it and it was just gone. Just gone. didn't contact me, didn't let me know, just gone. So I had to call and be like, hello, where is

Jamie 16:23

yeah. That's the thing. There's so much follow up. I've never had to do so much follow up in my life on medications until I was on a DHD meds.

Rebecca 16:34

If we don't go through insurance, because of course they don't, of course they don't approve the medication that she's on, then you have to go through a coupon. But every time they run it through insurance, even though I've called multiple times and like, Hey, please don't run it through insurance. Can you put a note on my file? And every time they run it through insurance, it doesn't do it. And then they close it out or whatever they do where it's just gone. And I'm like, please. Just every single time. Every time.

Jamie 17:01

When I lost my job and my insurance, I had to. Call and do that same thing, except I don't have insurance, I'm paying out of pocket. Please put this note on my account. Because every time my scripts would come in for refills, it would be like, oh, can't process. it would just say oh, we can't give it to you. And 'cause they like, and every time I called they were like, what did you change insurance? And I'm like, no, I do not have insurance. I am paying out of pocket right now. Oh, okay. that's why it said you couldn't get it. And I'm like, just,

Rebecca 17:36

Did you find they treated you differently without insurance? did you get different service or worse service? I guess gen. Genuinely. Just curious.

Jamie 17:46

I don't know. I don't think so. That's never something that like crossed my mind. but it was really annoying to, for my meds. All the fucking time to say oh, can't fill contact pharmacy. And so like on top of just the regular back and forth I would have to do with the pharmacy on a DHD meds, I would also have to call them. Oh, and now my C-V-S-C-V-S, I just need to get away from CVS. I did transfer all of my prescriptions somewhere else. cost plus drugs, by the way, also not an advertisement, but especially if you don't have insurance, it takes insurance. And doesn't those

Rebecca 18:24

is that the shark tank guy?

Jamie 18:26

What's his name? Mark Cuban. but he cuts out the middleman and everything's, my sibling told me about it and I was like, I wish I knew about this entire year that I didn't have insurance because I would've been paying way less for my meds.

Rebecca 18:40

The fact that you have to go through a millionaire

Jamie 18:42

yeah.

Rebecca 18:43

I take a special medication. It is cheaper for me to get it from an Indian pharmacy or a Canadian pharmacy, so they have to send my prescription to Canada, and then I have to wait for Canada to ship it. And then when COVID was happening and there were tons of shipping delays, I couldn't get it and it's for my heart and I kind of need it. So like

Jamie 19:05

Oh

Rebecca 19:05

I'm just going weeks without having it.

Jamie 19:07

That's what I'm saying. It's just

Rebecca 19:10

But if it was in the US it would be thousands of dollars.

Jamie 19:13

Yeah.

Rebecca 19:14

So

Jamie 19:15

It's ridiculous.

Rebecca 19:16

it's insane.

Jamie 19:18

I guess the one bright side that I've just now come across of having insurance again is my medications like are cheaper. I'm sure some of them aren't, but 'cause I still have to have, so I still have to do the Adderall 'cause cost plus drugs is delivery. So it's all shipped. so they don't

Rebecca 19:36

ship Adderall?

Jamie 19:37

no, they don't. So they don't, they can't ship that. so I still have to keep that with CVS. But yeah, TBDI really need to change the pharmacy and Gabapentin and they don't have Gabapentin for some reason,

Rebecca 19:50

is it a schedule two s like adderall's, like a controlled, it's like a schedule two substance. Right?

Jamie 19:59

yeah, yeah. I understand.

Rebecca 20:02

when they give, gave housewives meth in the sixties.

Jamie 20:05

Yeah. Can I

Rebecca 20:06

They got so much done.

Jamie 20:07

come in for some brains apps and my girdle, and I'm just kidding.

Rebecca 20:13

Some lady meth just coming in your little

Jamie 20:15

How do we start our own pharmacy, Rebecca called Lady Meth,

Rebecca 20:20

Listen,

Jamie 20:20

where we legally deliver meth to ladies

Rebecca 20:24

there's a whole history lesson in here on, on why it's considered schedule, whatever, that we don't have the time or energy to go into. And so I get it, but also it putting up barriers to get people in mitigation that makes it easier to exist and live and do the things that they have to do to function.

Jamie 20:42

Yeah, it's not okay.

Rebecca 20:44

I don't quite,

Jamie 20:45

and I know I am, I'm very lucky. I'm very lucky that I have insurance now and I can pay for insurance. but I'm just thinking about all of these people who can't because insurance is ridiculous.

Rebecca 20:57

So in 2024 it was 27.2 million. Americans did not have health insurance.

Jamie 21:05

yeah, insane. And then we're like, oh, all these crazy homeless people. Ugh, they're crazy. Stay away from that. Do you know why? Do you know why we have crazy homeless people? Because they're fucking unmedicated. They can't afford their medication. They can't get their medication, one or the other, and

Rebecca 21:25

then all the ways to get it so the VA or Medicare or Medicaid to like the barriers to navigating through those systems, which again, I think are purposefully confusing to weed out. I don't know anyone, having to go through all that to stick with it in order to get seen it's gotta be exhausting for them. It has to be exhausting. I know it's exhausting. It's,

Jamie 21:48

so I had to just look this up because it's been a while, but I actually recently watched this movie with Alyssa, ever after the Drew Barrymore Cinderella movie from like the nineties.

Rebecca 22:01

she did not have insurance.

Jamie 22:02

She was taught, this just reminded me of this quote by Thomas Moore from the book Utopia, for if you suffer your people to be ill educated and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them. What else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them, like that's

Rebecca 22:25

Yes. That's capitalism. 100%. That's exactly what it is So you were saying you don't understand insurance or can't navigate it? I unfortunately can't because the amount of appeals and denials and all the shit that I've had to go through, in order to get actual adequate care and. A, to be taken seriously, B2B to B, seen by the right people or getting to see the right people. And then c to get on medications that actually help. But my insurance is like, what the fuck are you doing? Why do you have to do this? And so then you have to appeal. And that's just for me. Then there's m having to go through all that with her on why are you putting this on her medication? Like she has to be on this medication for this amount of time in order for us to approve this, and you have to, and just, yes, we did that already. So they say, it's it's almost like they just say no automatically. And then if you appeal, then they'll give the second look. And actually almost every time that's happened, every time I've appealed, it's been fine. But having to go through that process, it's like a test, like, how badly do you really want this?

Jamie 23:26

Yeah, that's

Rebecca 23:28

Pretty pretty fucking bad actually. As it turns out, pretty fucking bad.

Jamie 23:32

It's like actually to live and to live, I need these medications like so that I can work my job and make money to keep a roof over my head and my kids' head like, I need these. Yeah.

Rebecca 23:46

It is also very interesting what they make, what they make difficult to access and not difficult to access. I don't know. I'm just trying to think. There was like, like one of my insurances covered fertility treatments. one of my other insurances didn't cover fertility treatments, but would cover weight loss surgery. Like who may, who makes the rules? Why, who decides this? Whose job is it and like why not both. Why not both? You could have both.

Jamie 24:15

Also it's like, Hey, your doctor's saying you, I don't know, like you need to have something removed. And you need to have surgery and have this removed, and your doctor's like you need this. And then your insurance is

Rebecca 24:26

Breast reduction surgery was covered, but only because I could prove that I had sores on my sides from my bra digging in. So you have to be bleeding and injured

Jamie 24:37

have to prove yourself even though you're paying these people so much money, like

Rebecca 24:41

And even though you say, Hey, my fucking back hurts all the time. No, that's not enough. You have to have open sores so you basically have to be in a state of shit assery in order to get any fucking care.

Jamie 24:55

And even then it's difficult.

Rebecca 24:57

our hospital bill for, 'cause m was a preemie, was over a hundred thousand dollars.

Jamie 25:02

oh my God,

Rebecca 25:03

That was fun. They covered it finally. But like I definitely shit my pants when I saw that.

Jamie 25:09

how much did they cover? All of it?

Rebecca 25:11

All of it.

Jamie 25:12

Oh, thank God.

Rebecca 25:13

No, that's not true. There was, we had to pay some, but it was not even close to. That much like It was I think just like the, yeah. But

Jamie 25:20

2000, 4,000.

Rebecca 25:22

love those letters that you get. They're like, this is not a bill. This is just to let you know how much we paid for you. Fuck off. That's your job. That's why I pay you.

Jamie 25:29

Yeah. I'm still.

Rebecca 25:30

see, I feel like there's a bigger, I feel like there's a bigger show here with the history of insurance and like why they make it so difficult and who they make it difficult for. And then I think it just comes down to fancy eugenics where like with cryptocurrency, I was telling you the other day, like cryptocurrency, we make it as inaccessible to as many people as possible. only the few can have it. And that's how I feel about insurance coverage too. But on the flip side, my friend Ash in Canada, they have Canadian insurance. But the waiting list to get in to see an actual fucking doctor are months, if not years long. And there's like only one, which is insane. I do agree universal healthcare, but you have to do it in a way where people can actually fucking access it. Because if you have it and you still can't get it, what's the fucking point? But I was like, oh, did you go to the, your doctor? And they were like, no, I can't get into. I was like, what do you mean? They're like, no, the waiting list is literally months long. I'm like, so if you're suicidal or if you are whatever, what are you supposed to do?

Jamie 26:34

Call the

Rebecca 26:35

What are you supposed to do?

Jamie 26:36

you call 9 1 1. That's what they tell you to do.

Rebecca 26:38

You have to wait. You have to, so okay, I guess I'll make it through seven months to see you, and if I'm not dead, then I'll keep my appointment. what are you supposed to do?

Jamie 26:47

That would make me more suicidal, honestly.

Rebecca 26:50

How I just, again, I don't understand how, it's not eugenics in disguise. I really don't.

Jamie 26:56

And I also think it like, depends on, the whim of all of these different people's slash company, all these different people in companies. So like my pharmacy, like my specific CVS being like, no, you can't pay out of pocket. And first of all, that's like a big change. I had been paying out of pocket for a year. Why did no one like send me a message to let me know this was happening? She's oh, this just went into effect last week. And I'm like, okay, why did no one tell

Rebecca 27:27

How bad do you really want it?

Jamie 27:29

I had, I had a horrible time getting my A DHD diagnosis and getting on meds for that. I went through three different psychiatrists, two of which actually made my mental health so much worse. I reported one of them and the psychiatric group to the Better Business Bureau. I was hung up on, I was ignored. I had a doctor after having an appointment with my doctor and her asking me what I was allergic to Medwise, I told her. Gabapentin, not gabapentin, sorry. Wellbutrin, and refused to actually prescribe me an A DHD Med and instead pro prescribed me. First of all, Wellbutrin, right after the appointment that I said I was severely allergic, caused me to not be able to breathe and have hives all over my body. what happened to, first of all, do no fucking harm bitch? are you kidding? and then prescribed, I don't even remember what it was, but it was like some med that wasn't really an A DHD med, but she was like, this might help. And I took it for like almost two months and it did nothing. And I was like, this isn't doing anything for me. And she was like, resistant. 'cause a lot of psychiatrists are, because there's that stigma of, oh, doesn't everybody have a DHD? And everybody's getting diagnosed and, or people are just doing it to get Adderall, like to get drugs.

Rebecca 28:59

Or we're all reaching our late thirties, mid forties, which in women is when A DHD symptoms become a lot worse and your ability to handle it goes way down the fucking toilet.

Jamie 29:10

Mm-hmm.

Rebecca 29:11

And we're all reaching this age together at around the same time.

Jamie 29:15

Yep.

Rebecca 29:16

It's not a epidemic. It's us aging up into to the point where we can't fucking handle it anymore and there's no amount of caffeine in the world that's gonna keep our shit together anymore.

Jamie 29:28

Yeah. We've had we've had our own, we've created our own coping mechanisms and. Things to do to like work around our A DHD. And it's insane. It's insane when I like, when I first got on meds, it blew my mind. And it's the same with antidepressants. Like after taking a DHD meds and antidepressants, I was like, whoa, why did I wait so long? this is making everything so much better. and I think I waited so long because of the stigma around mental health meds. oh, just do x instead. Like you just need more discipline. Just make lists. Just make more lists. couldn't take, I had the hardest time. I still do taking tests growing up. I was lucky enough that I had a couple teachers, let me take 'em like after school, or out in the hallway, where it was like usually quiet, while everyone else was like in the room because I couldn't focus and I just put so much pressure on myself that I would literally fail tests and my mom would be like, I studied this because it was like grade school. Like my mom would be like, I studied this with you. I know you know this. How did you get a D on this? And

Rebecca 30:48

Well, and unfortunately A DHD and girls, they knew nothing about back then either. That's the sad part. Like they, because they weren't presenting as the boys do, so it was just like, oh, you have failed, or, oh, you didn't try your best. Instead of, Hey, you really struggling.

Jamie 31:04

Or you're not hyperactive. I think that was like the big thing. 'cause that's what I always saw is the only kids I knew with A DHD or were on meds were boys that were very hyperactive.

Rebecca 31:18

Except think of all the ways you were, you're chewing your fingernails, you're peeling the cuticles off, like all these little ways to let that energy out.

Jamie 31:26

Mm-hmm.

Rebecca 31:27

But again, I. Because you're a girl. Yeah. No. It's,

Jamie 31:30

it's like when you have like an invisible, disability, you can't have a DHD like what you've, I like, I still have people that I think that about me. I think that. people that think they know me well are like, I don't see how you have a DHD.

Rebecca 31:46

And to that, I say, listen, if I'm going to scam a doctor to get fucking drugs, it's not gonna be for Adderall. Okay. I'm gonna scam a doctor. It's to get my hands on some of those old school quaaludes. If they, even if they have any around, give me like,

Jamie 32:02

got any old school Quaaludes lying around? Hey,

Rebecca 32:06

Please. Like, I'm gonna scam you outta some good shit. Not on a fucking Adderall.

Jamie 32:11

qua Lulu, anybody?

Rebecca 32:12

You know what I mean though? It's like that is not worth my time. Adderall's not worth my time to scam you. I'm coming to you 'cause I actually do need

Jamie 32:19

That's like when we had PreOn. I remember, I like, I loved that she said this. She said. It was when like, people are like, oh, it was just an A, DHD, everybody has a DHD. and even some doctors are thinking that and she's I just lost my train of thought.

Rebecca 32:35

Case in fucking point.

Jamie 32:36

God damnit. oh, she said, chances are, 'cause like we, we were saying that sometimes it's I think I have a DH adhd. Do I have a adhd? And she's if you're like, I might be autistic or I might have a DHD, people who don't have those things, like normally would not think that, that's not the norm,

Rebecca 32:53

Yeah. Yeah. Let me put myself through this entire assessment of trying to figure out if I'm autistic, just for funsies. 'cause I'm bored.

Jamie 33:01

Yeah.

Rebecca 33:02

That's, I just, it's, I forget like when they would check my ID for things, I'm like, if I'm gonna steal someone's identity, it's not gonna be for this stupid shit. I'm gonna go for the fun shit. come on. I feel the same way about medications, and that's the other thing. When you do go to ask for the medications that you know you need that work, you feel like you're being sneaky or getting away with something. A lot of times, I don't know why me, that's just me, but I always feel like I'm, and I'm like, no, I really do genuinely need. Because I'm so afraid they're gonna think I'm trying to scam them outta something.

Jamie 33:32

Why would you be taking

Rebecca 33:34

I know,

Jamie 33:35

a medication that you don't need?

Rebecca 33:38

right? I do miss the days of Obama where you got birth control for $0. And every time I went to pick up my birth control, I would go, thanks Obama. And I'd be very happy. And I really miss those days.

Jamie 33:50

I love my IUD

Rebecca 33:51

And that's a whole thing we could talk about is certain pharmacists who wouldn't give you your birth control or like

Jamie 33:56

Or the morning after pill. Yeah. Oh my God.

Rebecca 34:00

yeah. That's a whole other thing too.

Jamie 34:02

It's funny because I'll see that in movies I think a lot where or TV shows or someone's trying to, a woman's trying to get the morning after pill and they're giving her a hard time or shaming her or whatever. And I think people think that's just oh that's just something in like movie. It's not like

Rebecca 34:18

No,

Jamie 34:18

that still happens.

Rebecca 34:20

And again, I'm not taking it for fun. I don't wanna be here either. That's what kills me about, it's I don't wanna do this. It's just been years of having to justify myself to doctors, not only on my behalf, but on my kids' behalf and having to fight for, and again, I will say this as a white lady, I feel like I'm pretty fairly lucky in that we've had insurance all this time. So I know there are people out there who. Have it much worse and you've had like cancer treatment denied or that type of thing. So I am, I'm caveating that with like, might look like a drop in the bucket, but if it's that frustrating for my drop in the bucket, how fucking insane is it for somebody who actually needs it?

Jamie 34:58

Yeah, exactly. That's what I'm trying to say. It's like I am lucky enough to have insurance now, but it's

Rebecca 35:04

I'm sorry, I did not mean to like repeat your stuff at you like a man in a different way,

Jamie 35:08

oh.

Rebecca 35:08

the same. I didn't mean to do that.

Jamie 35:09

No, you didn't do that.

Rebecca 35:11

Oh, okay. Sorry.

Jamie 35:13

no, I was just agreeing with you. I was like, yeah, I think it's just what about the people who depend on this CVS that I go to or their A DHD meds that don't have insurance now? Like they're just fucked

Rebecca 35:27

And you know what? If you have a moral whatever against, don't be a fucking pharmacist. Don't be one. Go be something else. Don't be my fuck. Don't be a fucking pharmacist. Go find a different job. Why would you get that job if you're gonna have a moral

Jamie 35:42

and they talk, they always talk to me like I'm stupid.

Rebecca 35:45

Oh God, yes.

Jamie 35:46

or just, oh, that's what I was gonna say. Another thing I was gonna say. So first of all, the CVS app is like shit. And like hardly ever they did a whole revamp of it. It still doesn't completely work.

Rebecca 35:58

It's still shit.

Jamie 35:59

yeah. And and when I call, they would even sometimes say like, well, you can just do this on the app. And I'm like, no, I can't do it. On the app, it says I can't get my prescription. Contact your pharmacist. trust me, if I could not be calling you now and take care of this, I would be,

Rebecca 36:17

That's the other thing is like, I don't wanna talk to you. I'm not.

Jamie 36:20

Yeah. I don't use my phone to call people.

Rebecca 36:23

I'm not having a good time. You are not having a good time. No one's having a good time.

Jamie 36:27

But my, so my pharmacy just started. Now when I call and I say speak to a pharmacist, I don't get to speak to a pharmacist. It sends you to a voicemail. you have to say, yep.

Rebecca 36:40

They send you to voice, they have voicemail.

Jamie 36:43

they send you to a voicemail. You have to say what the issue is and then they'll call you back. Sometimes I've been not called back a ton. They just didn't call me back. I just, I need to get out

Rebecca 36:57

And the answer is going down in person, so you need to go down in person.

Jamie 37:01

yeah. Oh God. Waiting in line at the CVS pharmacy at rush hour in Los Angeles is like

Rebecca 37:11

Gross.

Jamie 37:12

the saddest, we're all just trying to get in there and get out, man. But there's always problems. And then there's the people who are like, ugh, like thinking like people are taking long and it's. I'm not taking long. It is these incompetent pharmacists.

Rebecca 37:28

I think this episode is called Please Give us Our Legal Meth, because when I had COVID last year, I was like, I need Sudafed and I need like the meth Sudafed because I just, I couldn't breathe and I was miserable. So I go to Walgreens through the drive-through and I was like, hi, I like the meth Sudafed. And she said, I can't sell it to you through the drive-through, even though I could give her my id. I can't sell it to you through the drive-thru. And I was like, why not? She goes, that's just our rules. Or I don't know whose rules or laws, whatever. And I was like, so you want me just so we're clear, I have COVID and I'm telling you I have COVID and just so we're clear, you want me to come into the store? She goes, well, not really. I was like, I want my legal method. And she's like, well, then you have to come into the store. Okie dokie. That's on you. So like I'm putting, and also all the old fuckers who hang out at the pharmacy, you know, they're all there. I'm putting them at risk by going into the store to get my legal fucking meth, even though I politely went into the drive-thru with my mask on in my car to minimize contact.

Jamie 38:28

is another one of those stupid fucking rules that it's like, because this is how we've always done it, and it's like, Hey, shit has changed. have you heard of COVID? do you understand what has happened and how many people have, what is happening and how many people died? Like you need to change your shit. Also, what a luxury to have a drive through at your pharmacy. What a luxury. I always thought that,

Rebecca 38:52

I, it's 'cause it's Walgreens. You need to go, you need to stop

Jamie 38:54

I thought you had CV.

Rebecca 38:55

to Walgreens. No, CVS is dog shit.

Jamie 39:00

I always thought you had CVS.

Rebecca 39:02

I have Walgreens and Costco. Costco does not have a drive through, but Costco also has hot dogs. So I will get at my car for Costco, go.

Jamie 39:09

We'll get out of her car for a hot dog. We'll get out of her car for a hot dog.

Rebecca 39:13

I take Rob with me so we can go get a fun little treat and get my medications. but oh, here's the other thing. When I am in line, don't make me, they make you tell you your name and date fine, whatever. But then they like say your medication out loud. Really fucking loud. Could you

Jamie 39:31

Oh wow.

Rebecca 39:31

that

Jamie 39:32

Yeah.

Rebecca 39:33

could you not, please? No, I think mine's a, I think mine is mean. I think the Costco lady is mean, but she gives it to me though, so I can't complain

Jamie 39:43

I did hear that

Rebecca 39:44

she does,

Jamie 39:45

pretty good for a pharmacy though, especially

Rebecca 39:46

yes, they're great. But Helen does yell whatever I'm taking out across the fucking store. So it's the one downside. But yeah. no, Costco is great.

Jamie 39:58

Yeah.

Rebecca 39:58

don't know. I don't know. I think it's just a shit show. And again, the other caveat is I know we don't have enough pharmacists. I know we don't have enough like healthcare workers. I know that. I know. I know. Everyone is. I know. I know. Which is why, to your point, things have changed. We're not there for fun. We just need our shit. We're willing to make it easy if you're willing to make it easy. But I think that's like a state and federal law thing.

Jamie 40:21

Yeah.

Rebecca 40:21

Just give us our legal meth, please.

Jamie 40:24

I guess that's something that I didn't look up because it doesn't seem legal that they can say you can't pay out of pocket for this. Sorry.

Rebecca 40:33

Can you look that, because my other thing is like when you use a pharmacy, are you basically saying yes, I agree to your rules and your terms. I don't know if terms of service, but I don't even know if pharmacies have terms of service. They don't 'cause that sounds stupid.

Jamie 40:47

Yeah. I don't know. This is like the longest fucking, it is not inherently illegal for a pharmacy to refuse to dispense medication if someone can't pay for it with or without insurance. Oh, that's just for nonpayment though.

Rebecca 41:01

Oh, it's state by state. 'cause I'm looking at Washington.

Jamie 41:03

I just spoke to the pharmacist at, this is Reddit. I just spoke to the pharmacist at my local Walgreens and was told that it was his personal policy that he would not dispense any controlled substances if the customer was paying out of pocket. He noted that he wouldn't fill controlled substances. Of this high amount as well. Is this legal?

Rebecca 41:25

Who made you God of the fucking pharmacy? Again? We're not here for a good time.

Jamie 41:31

Oh my God. I think like when I go in, I actually think I have to go in today after this. So I think when I go in, I'm gonna like ask about it.

Rebecca 41:40

You should,

Jamie 41:41

they like withhold my meds longer because I'm asking questions.

Rebecca 41:44

she asked questions. Again, I realize I have very little to actively, like on the whole, and very lucky. I guess these are just blips, but when you're trying to get care for like somebody else, or your kid or it's just, just give us our legal meth, please. we just want it.

Jamie 42:00

Most states now have investigative branches, which try to bust doctors who over-prescribe listed narcotics. Some pharmacies will not even fill certain medications, regardless of who wrote them. I walk into a pharmacy with a legal prescription from a doctor, hand it to the pharmacist. He asks if I have insurance, I say, no, I'll pay cash. It doesn't matter what insurance coverage I have, unless I seek reimbursement. what I don't know if this is accurate. In Arizona, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Idaho, a pharmacist can ref, pharmacists can refuse to provide certain meds on moral or religious grounds.

Rebecca 42:39

Yes. That is for Arizona at least. Yes, that is true. that's like where the birth control thing comes in.

Jamie 42:45

And also I assume like probably some transgender people,

Rebecca 42:49

And are you being a pharmacist so you can control who gets it and who doesn't? Like, why are you doing that? If you know as if you know and are going to pharmacy school, that you're gonna have to dispense medication that you don't fucking agree with, why are you becoming a pharmacist?

Jamie 43:02

this is ridiculous. People are like, oh, the pharmacy slash pharmacist wants to make sure they get paid, blah, blah. And it's what if I'm like, Hey, I'll pay out of pocket and I pay them, I'm paying them.

Rebecca 43:11

It's not a First Amendment thing. Whatever it is, you work for a company, you as a person should not get to decide

Jamie 43:19

No,

Rebecca 43:19

that I don't get my fucking medication because you have a religious stance against it. Fuck off into the sun my friend.

Jamie 43:27

I don't know, man. I, yeah, I can't find any like straight answers on this, which is crazy.

Rebecca 43:33

So we're gonna update you in part two of Give me My legal Meth and we will let you know what the pharmacist says

Jamie 43:40

Oh, it's just, yeah. I think that's why I think, like I did look this up, but I really couldn't find anything and so I was like, I'm giving

Rebecca 43:48

it's not a thing and it's fucking stupid.

Jamie 43:50

It is fucking stupid.

Rebecca 43:51

Did you ask to speak to the manager?

Jamie 43:54

I should have

Rebecca 43:55

Well, we have to go 'cause Jamie has to go to CV. S.

Jamie 43:58

fucking Christ.

Rebecca 43:59

Because this is the fucking Burnout podcast, having or not having access to your medications or easy access to your medications that make it possible for you to exist in this fucking world, just compounds and contributes to the nightmare that is today.

Jamie 44:13

a nightmare that is being alive.

Rebecca 44:16

Yes. And again, if I was gonna do drugs, it wouldn't be that, it would be something fun. I think that's the takeaway from all this is I'm willing to do drugs, but only fun ones

Jamie 44:29

It makes me so mad

Rebecca 44:30

it. I hope you go in there pissy. I cannot wait to hear. Please let me know. Anyway, find us on social media.

Jamie 44:38

I start reciting utopia to them.

Rebecca 44:40

Yeah, find us on social media. Find us wherever you get your podcasts.

Jamie 44:44

take your meds. that's the least we can do for you today. It is just a reminder.

Rebecca 44:48

just realized this was another episode of things we don't like.

Jamie 44:52

How dare anyone refuse a Taurus anything.

Rebecca 44:57

Oh, it was the sneaky things we don't like, but it was the things we don't like.

Jamie 45:00

See, but the thing is you keep calling it out,

Rebecca 45:03

Our ability to work in bitching and moaning through a educational and research filled lens delights me.

Jamie 45:11

Don't give the listeners any like fodder, like

Rebecca 45:15

Oh, fuck. get the fuck outta here. Go pick up your meds.

Jamie 45:21

take your meds. Sorry. If you have to pick 'em

Rebecca 45:23

Take your meds.

Jamie 45:24

out cost plus drugs.com guys. Not an ad. Just check it out. Just see.

Rebecca 45:29

Try to scam a doctor out of some fun drugs. See what happens. Who knows

Jamie 45:33

Also, if you are a doctor or a medical professional, and you know the answers to some of these questions, like, is this legal? Please email us, podcast@burnoutcollective.com. let us know. And if you also feel passionate about this, whether or not you are in a medical profession, reach out to us. We're still looking for guests for season two.

Rebecca 45:58

Yeah. Come talk to us about drugs, please.

Jamie 46:01

come talk to us.

Rebecca 46:02

Okay. Bye.