ATLANTA — 11Alive has heard from hundreds of people complaining about missing mail or packages all linked to a new United States Postal Services (USPS) facility in Palmetto. A handful of people have also complained about missing critical medication that appears to be sitting at the distribution center.
For some, like Kate Vicario, whose mother and husband get their medications through the mail under their Veteran's Affairs coverage, the delay has gone from irritating to dangerous.
"This isn't, you know, oh, your package is lost. This is you're messing with my family's health. I could lose family members because of them playing around with this," said Vicario.
Vicaro says her mother has now gone two weeks without her diabetes, blood pressure, and heart medication.
"My husband is due to make an order soon from the VA for his blood thinner, which is extremely important to him. And I'm scared it's going to get tied up in this hold-up as well," said Vicaro.
Both Vicaro's mother and husband get their medication through their VA health benefits, which, according to their website, predominately uses USPS to ship medications.
She says according to the tracking information, her mother's medication has been stuck at the Palmetto facility for days.
Independent pharmacists, like Ira Katz, are offering people suggestions if you're missing medications related to mail service delays.
He suggests that patients contact their neighborhood pharmacist who will most likely find a way to help them with the gap in coverage.
“Not just me but most of my colleagues in independent pharmacy will go out of their way to reach out to the doctor, give the patient just a day or two to cover them," said Katz.
Katz also recommends that patients opt out of mail service whenever possible.
“You lose that connection between the patient, doctor, and the pharmacist, and they don’t care if it gets lost in the mail," added Katz.
While some pharmacists, like Katz, will help individuals pay for their medications out of pocket, those who are dependent on coverage, like Kate and her family, say this is unfortunately not an option.
"When all you get is Social Security or survivor benefits, you have such limited income. And most of these meds are outrageously priced," said Vicario.
11Alive reached out to officials with VA benefits to gain more clarity on what those who are missing medication should do. At the time of this publication, there was no response yet.
USPS officials still have not provided any updates or answered our questions regarding these complaints.
Those experiencing delays or who have not received mail can contact the newsroom with your concerns as we continue to cover this story. Fill out our online form below, and someone from our news team will follow up with you.