This email is from a medical doctor and how one of CVS’ Pharmacist intervention caused so much distress with a mental health pt that the pt quit seeing the doctor..
Hello,
I came across your website when I was looking for cases regarding CVS. CVS has discriminated against a patient of mine by scaring her regarding the medication I prescribed and then recommending another one (in the same class) that they make more of a profit on.
So I lost a patient, the patient did not get the help they need, and CVS is stating it is an “internal issue”.
The pharmacist wouldn’t give me her last name either when I asked for it so I had to get it from her district manager.
What to do?
This is a person’s notes from the CDC conference call today 01/07/2016 There is a open comment period on the web until 01/13/2016 here is the link http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2015-0112-0001 As you can see .. the CDC had their hand picked members of this committee (many of the “experts” are known to have a anti-opiate mindset) and would not entertain adding to the committee… Does this mean that the DECK HAS BEEN STACKED so that the outcome will be what the CDC wants to happen. Regardless of what the 106 million in the chronic pain community wishes….
Notes:
It was obvious to me on the end of the call (as they had to take a vote) after listening to all of the public comments and the recommendations of the BSC (with the exception of one brave soul) that they did NOT want any input from additional experts in the field either as actual additions to their 10 (ten) member Workgroup nor as experts in a consultative capacity to the workgroup as many of the callers asked for more patient representation both from the patients themselves and their families as well as requests for Dr’s Tennant and Fudin or other doctors specializing specifically in the treatment of severe, chronic pain disease. Even a couple members of the BSC mentioned they felt the workgroup lacked in patient representation. This was not agreed to by the majority of those voting on the workgroup members.
There was an amendment to the vote requesting that experts be included on a consultant basis – again this was shot down to only include the words “encouraged” and not added to the workgroup and only in those areas mentioned in categories as needed such as obstetrics, pediatrics, etc.
They felt that the doctors they had already chosen as “practicing physicians” in their respective fields would suffice. See their following choices:
(1) [not sure of spelling] – Dr. Aaron Krebs or Erin Krabbs?? Do not know background?, (2) Dr. Mitchell H. Katz, (3) Dr. Mark Wallace, UC-San Diego Board Cert. Anesthesiologist, (4) Patients – Only one representative – Penny Coen, (5) Dr. Gregory W. Terman, Former President of the American Pain Society, currently Professor & Director of Pain Medicine Research, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine & Professor, Graduate Program in Neurobiology & Behavior for University of Washington, Medical Center (6) Dr. Christina Porucznik (see research below on Prescription Painkiller Overdoses**) University of Utah, School of Medicine – Served on the Core Expert Group
I’ve not had time to do much research on any of the following and very little on the former:
7) Dr. Cunningham, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (8) Ann Burns, American Pharmacy Assoc. (9) Dr. Green, Emergency Medicine & Epidemiology, Boston Medical Center (10) Kathryn Golodny – Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia College if Osteopathic Medicine
Areas represented in the order they were given but not in the order the members were given:
1) Primary Care/Internal Medicine
2) Pain Medicine
3) Public Health
4) Patients (only 1)
5) Behavioral Health
6) Substance Abuse Treatment
7) Pharmacy
8, 9, & 10) Research – From this category one must serve as the Chair For the Workgroup
Another CDC “trick” with the conference call… apparently changed the number to call in on at the last minute.. Does it appear that the CDC is “playing games” on getting these guidelines published and enacted with as little public knowledge/input possible ?
They’ve CHANGED THE NUMBER AT THE LAST MINUTE!!
New number is:
1-888-469-1243
Passcode: 4709506
Filed under: General Problems
At the end- all i heard was- we, MIGHT, or MAY consult CPP’s . Maybe, If we NEED to. all wishy-washy crap !!
I know that several of my fellow advocates were on the conference call from the very beginning and then they abruptly ended the patient comment time leaving all of us hanging after we held on the conference call for 3 hrs 40 minutes. During the call before the break it was stated they had time for extra patient comments. In my opinion this is only a dog and pony show to cover their ass and they have no intention of changing anything about the guidelines. This knee jerk reaction to this imaginary epidemic is going to have serious and grave unintended consequences for chronic pain patients who are not terminally ill. I wish I could leave the country so I don’t have to see what’s going to happen over the next few years. It’s going to be absolutely heartbreaking how many people will take their lives as a result of going crazy from unending pain.We thought that things were bad in 2015 and prior? That was just the opening act I’m afraid. SMH
I am thrilled that so many pain patients are making comments on the CDC website (even though I wish there were more). I’ve read hundreds of comments and made about 10 myself. I’ve also posted some of the comments from other pain patients on my blog, as well as my own.
Even after all this activity, I know that none of this will help. The CDC’s guidelines are similar to those that have already been enacted. In fact, in many states, opioid regulations are even stricter. Insurance companies and Medicare joined the opioid war years ago. The DEA is as powerful as it has ever been, with even more money this year to fight the opioid war.
In the hierarchy of the drug war, the CDC is a very small player. Even the FDA has more power than the CDC.
I just don’t want pain patients to expect progress, no matter the outcome of the CDC’s part in our struggle.
I walked away from this very skeptical. I didn’t feel at all relieved in any way about what could happen as time goes on. The outcome of the comments on the CDC ending on the 13th will be very interesting. If it doesn’t look “right,” we’re going to have another fight on our hands.