PHARMACIST STEVE

Media pointing out pharmacy’s shortcomings UPDATED 12/17/2014

18 Responses

1. 

   Anonymous, on December 11, 2014 at 2:07 pm said:

   I used to live & get some prescription filled at the Giant food & Pharmacy in Bethesda, Maryland. In fact, my pain management doc was located just a 1/2 mile from them, off Rockledge road. That area is a very high end, expensive area to live. Avg home prices are 850K and its located just 1-1/2 miles north of the huge Bethesda lacation of the National Institute of Health, our federal government at its finest……. puke.

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2. 

   starwood500, on December 10, 2014 at 11:38 pm said:

   Thank you

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3. 

   Donna Ratliff- FFPCAN, on October 29, 2014 at 3:51 pm said:

   Awesome record keeping. WoW look at just how many complaints in just one year? These pain prescriptions problems need to be fixed. As the list gets longer? I would think Congress would take notice at some point and work on the Civil rights and ADA issues. So many Federal violated here!

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4. 

   boilerrph, on October 12, 2014 at 9:04 pm said:

   Teresa its only a violation of hippa with regard to the use of the patients name. If the patients themselves wish to OUT themselves to the media as in a MASS COMPLAINT against the state AG, pharmacies refusing to fill their legitimate prescribed medications, pharmacies who put them on banned filling lists, falsely advertise carrying medications they do not have, then there is no violation because the patients habe chosen ON THEIR OWN TO DISCLOSE PUBICALLY THEIR MEDICAL INFO

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5. 

   Teresa floyd, on October 12, 2014 at 5:38 pm said:

   Violation oF HIPPA!!!!!

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6. 

   Coonhound, on July 31, 2014 at 5:09 pm said:

   Thank you Steve. VERY interesting information.

   IF enough patients would be more proactive in standing up for themselves
   I believe we might be able to right this ship……….IF

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7. 

   Crj, on July 14, 2014 at 3:13 pm said:

   Most of the demands by CVS and other chains is to gain better contracts from insurance. Insurance companies are requiring extra things in order to give better contracts to the big chains. The chains do not increase help so these demands can be meet by their personnel. As more and more dispensing errors happen because of this overload it seems to me that the insurance companies who make these requirements in order to give a better contract should also be named in law suits for dispensing errors. Most of these errors come as a result of not having enough time and/or help because others are making calls, etc. to see if the patient wants their RX filled. Insurance companies feel that if people were more compliant they would require less hospital visits. If they want compliance why don’t they increase the copayment if the Rx is not filled as it should be. The patient should have to take more responsibility for them self. I feel if insurance companies want to make more demands on pharmacy they should share in the responsibility of meeting these demands. They could also pay the pharmacy more thus allowing the techs and others to at least have a living wage. On the other hand I not sure the chains would share the increase in income they are greedy you know.

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     Coonhound, on July 30, 2014 at 3:00 am said:

     1 question I have-
     In regards to these contracts between insurance companies and their ‘in network pharmacies’ if anyone can help. Some of the pharmacists are telling customers that they are or will no longer be carrying certain medications.
     IF they are being truthful (a bit difficult to determine at this point in time) that their pharmacy will no longer be carrying a medication, and said medication is listed in the insurance company’s formulary, are they not REQUIRED to carry that medication? If not, how do they circumvent this issue?

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       Pharmaciststeve, on July 30, 2014 at 1:23 pm said:

       It depends on the cooperation you can get out of your insurance company. You can ask your insurance company to investigate if a particular pharmacies had bill them for any patient for the particular drug that the pharmacy claims they don’t stock. They may not want to do this.. because it will prove that their network of pharmacies are basically violating their contract with the insurance company.. IMO, if they decline/refuse.. then it would seem appropriate to file complaints with the state insurance commissioner that the insurance company seems uninterested in assuring the integrity of their pharmacy network. and if Medicaid/Medicare monies are involved then a complaint to CMS would be called for. The other potential direction is to put the onus back on the insurance company to provide you with the name of a pharmacy in your market area that will fill your prescriptions. They claim/advertise that they have a extensive pharmacy network to fill the prescriptions of the people that they insure. If they can’t find someone, then are they involved in false advertising and/or fraud – collecting premiums for products/services that they are unable to provide. False advertising would file under the state’s AG office and since we are talking about a interstate issue the FTC could be involved. A pt just has to take one step at a time to give every entity involved enough “rope” to hang themselves.

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         Coonhound, on August 1, 2014 at 1:36 am said:

         The ultimate irony it seems would be for legit FL pts to force the FL AG’s office into prosecuting pharmacies for false advertising for not carrying/filling prescriptions for oxycodone and other schedule II meds no?

         Monkey wrenches have always fascinated me. It’d make for a heck of a news story too but that’s just my opinion.

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         KLS, on November 24, 2014 at 6:01 pm said:

         I need to do this. At the beginning of this year, suddenly, my son’s injectable methotrexate was not on the formulary for United Health Care. Either that, or if I understand you correctly, Walgreen’s is no longer contracted with United Health Care or are not a preferred pharmacy.

         I thought it odd that something like methotrexate would drop off a formulary. But, it was 30 bucks out of pocket and my son’s health was more than worth it. So I let it go.

         Thanks, Steve. I hate to switch pharmacies and I will make some calls. But in the end, it may be worth it to stay with someone who knows me and my son.

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           Pharmaciststeve, on November 24, 2014 at 8:34 pm said:

           At some point… when they stop CARING about you and your son.. I doubt if they dropped United Health since they are the insurer behind AARP’s Medicare programs.. Call your insurance company and tell them that you want an exception to the formulary.. and that they are screwing with your son’s quality of life.. by denying the med.. if they blow you off. tell them you are going to file a complaint with State Insurance Commissioner for denial of care or practicing medicine without a license

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8. 

   Jason Poquette, on June 28, 2014 at 6:13 pm said:

   Steve this is a great service you are doing. It highlights the dangerous working conditions that are now becoming even more common due to staffing and work environment situations that are being ignored by most boards of pharmacy. Keep up the great work!

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     Pharmaciststeve, on June 29, 2014 at 7:40 am said:

     Jason, thanks for reading my blog and making comments.. However, I am only aware of the State of Oregon making inroads in addressing bad/dangerous work environments in the Rx dept and they were even given some award by the NABP’s..but have seen little movement by other BOP’s in emulating what OR is doing.

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9. 

   Pharmaciststeve, on June 18, 2014 at 4:48 pm said:

   To the best of my knowledge, the Judge granted a summary dismissal to the whistleblower part of the lawsuit.. which I understand.. that ruling was based on some very questionable case law.. Joe’s law firm appealed the ruling and that appeal has to be answered by end of month +/-.. presuming appeal is granted..next phase is deposition.

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10. 

    boilerrph87, on June 18, 2014 at 2:43 pm said:

    Steve
    Any further word on Joe’s case?

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11. 

    james, on March 14, 2014 at 10:02 pm said:

    in the above link to uscourts ,roger harris’s case did make it to trial and the jury award him 400,000 dollars in damages and another 400,000 because they found cvs was willful in firing him final judgement should be out within the next couple of months .i know that his lawyer has also filed for fees and training for cvs management on age discrimination which should put the award above a million dollars

    ONE VICTORY FOR THE “GOOD GUYS” … THE FIRST BUT NOT THE LAST !! per pharmaciststeve

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      starwood500, on June 2, 2014 at 4:25 am said:

      Congratulations. We need help in Tennessee too

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