Since the new Medicare Part D prescription plan to effect Jan. 1, 2006, thousands of senior citizens have encountered difficulties filling their prescriptions, according to a statement released by U.S. Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana, and Jeff Bingaman, D-New Mexico.

"The Medicare prescription drug plan has been poorly implemented and has left seniors and disabled Americans bewildered, frustrated and in too many cases without their medications," said Bingaman in the statement.

Earlier this month, the CEO of Walgreen Co. Dave Bernauer addressed the Senate Committee on Finance to discuss the problems Walgreen’s has had with the new plan, according to a report from its Web site.

Among them, Bernauer noted incorrect co-pay amounts as well as a problem with the enrollment process itself. "The enrollment lag issue needs to be addressed now. Currently, a beneficiary can join a Part D plan anytime during a month and will expect the enrollment to be effective the first day of the next month. However, important billing data will not be in the pharmacy’s computer system with such a short turnaround," Bernauer told the Senate.

Versailles’ Spencer-Tyson Pharmacy pharmacist John Strautman agreed with Bernauer.

"This whole thing has been pretty challenging. I think they over-stated their capabilities ... They’re not processing the applications quick enough," said Strautman.

Some applicants waited upwards of four weeks for their application to be processed instead of the swift 24-hour turnaround some were told, said Strautman.

Camille Boyken, pharmacist for DeVille’s Dillsboro Drug Store, found other issues as well.

"It was very confusing from the start. People thought if they just had Medicare they didn’t have to sign up. They didn’t realize they had to sign up for a specific plan," said Boyken.

With well over 40 plans to choose from, selecting a plan can be a daunting task and although pharmacists are not technically allowed to sign people up with a plan, said Boyken, they do help out as much as possible.

"We can go over plans with people. We can find a plan that will cover their prescriptions but that’s really the extent of it. They still have to go through the insurance companies," said Boyken.

"It’s more getting the person enrolled in any plan and making sure it’s the correct plan for them," said Strautman.

Boyken also noted that she had been having some problems initially with some of the co-pay amounts being wrong. Bernauer also reported this problem to the Senate.

"Getting reliable and timely data to pharmacies is key to making the program work. In fact, the lack of data in the system with plans was the primary reason so many low-income individuals may have been charged higher co-pays than they should have been charged," said Bernauer according to the report.

Bayh and Bingaman have planned to introduce a Medicare Prescription Emergency Guarantee Act designed to cover any of the problems currently with Part D to allow seniors to still get their prescriptions until the problems are solved.

"While the problems in the Medicare plan are worked out, this legislation will provide our seniors with the peace of mind that their prescriptions will still be available, while ensuring a more straight-forward, understandable system for the future," said Bayh in a statement.

Once all of the apparent kinks in the implementation of Medicare Part D are worked out, everyone believed the program will be worthwhile.

Though it has been rough in the first two months so far, "it’s definitely helping a lot of people," said Strautman.

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