19th of May 10.45
Yep... still waiting !

12.00
Oh yes... still waiting. Two phone calls later.

3 p.m.
Well I am starting to hear the tick tock of the clock on the wall much louder now! Time is running out. Less than 48 hours to get my prescription filled or I fly home with a problem.

Here is what has happened:

As I mentioned the Mylan guy told me to expect delivery before or by 11 a.m. this morning at the latest. After 11 a.m. I phoned him and asked what time I might expect the tablets to arrive. He told me by 12 noon. At about 12.20, after waiting two hours in the hotel lobby I was about to phone him from the reception desk when the phone rang and it was a different guy from Mylan saying he was on his way with the tablets. Fifteen minutes later he arrives with one bottle (28 tablets) of Sovaldi and the month’s course of Ribavirin!!!

I was slightly aggitated when I realised what he had brought but one third of my prescribed dose, but I did my best to conceal my agitation... though my quavering voice, clenched fists and shaking hands might have given it away.

Still I had no interest in shooting the messenger. He was just the delivery guy and it would be stupid to get angry. This is India, things rarely run smoothly.

I explained to him that a one month supply was of no use to me. A head wobble and a smile and the gentleman explained to me that Gilead would not allow Mylan, or anyone else, sell more than one bottle to a particular person at one time because they do not want foreigners taking the Sovaldi back to their home country. So very sorry sir but there is nothing I can do about it.

Of course I had gone through all this with the other fellow yesterday afternoon and explained that If I could not get the three bottles of Sovaldi then I would go to Myhep instead.

How much is lost in translation? How much is lost in paperwork, procedures, poor lines of communication? I don’t know but it is frustrating in the extreme.

The gentleman who delivered the one month supply tells me that he has sent an SMS to the main man.... but has he??? I try to phone main man but his line is engaged (is it a call block or am I getting truly paranoid?). The delivery guy says he must be in a meeting and can not answer his phone; but I don’t know. So I send him an email. No reply. So I ring again. Engaged.

So it is now 3.15 and I live in hope that I can speak to this guy and arrange something before I fly out in two days time! I knew this trip was never going to be easy but the dance steps are more complex than I had expected.

Anyway I paid for the one month supply of Sovaldi, thinking that I will just now get the two months of Myhep. This was on the assumption that I could actually speak to the Mylan guy and place the order.

I will post again this evening. Hopefully with good news.

This entry was originally published on My Hep C Diary. Reprinted with permission.