Tough Pill To Swallow

My husband has IBS, a stomach condition that can be annoying and painful. He has been on a medication that has it under control for 20 years. Last week when I tried to refill the prescription, the insurance company denied it. It was no longer approved on the plan. I called the doctor and asked for a comparable drug and he sent the Rx in the mail. Before I went to the drug store, I called them to see if it was approved by my insurance. It was not. By now, my husband had run out of the medication and was beginning to feel stomach pain again, for the first time in 20 years. I called the insurance plan's pharmacy and had a three way call with customer service, the pharmacist and me. After 2 hours we came up with a medication that was comparable and approved. It was not able to be called or faxed into the drug store, so this morning I will have to drive to the doctor's office and pick it up. What a shame when the insurance plan becomes the doctor.