Corresponding responsibility: Implications for pharmacists and physicians
From the article:
One of the obvious methods to deter prescription drug abuse and a legal obligation both for prescribers and pharmacists is to ensure Controlled Substances are being issued for a legitimate medical purpose as required by the Controlled Substances Act. 21 C.F.R. § 1306.04(a) sets out the legal requirement:
A prescription for a controlled substance to be effective must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of his professional practice. The responsibility for the proper prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances is upon the prescribing practitioner, but a corresponding responsibility rests with the pharmacist who fills the prescription.2
Generally, incorrectly determining whether one prescription was issued for a legitimate medical purpose does not pose an issue. Rather, case law suggests that parties violate Corresponding Responsibility through a pattern of neglecting red flags over a long period of time
In conclusion, pharmacists must identify red flags, and use their professional judgment to resolve if possible and exercise Corresponding Responsibility when appropriate. A partnership between the legitimate healthcare provider and pharmacist assists pharmacists in satisfying their legal obligation and ensures patients have the best outcomes. When the healthcare team truly works together in a collaborative spirit, the patient benefits by receiving better care. It is our duty as healthcare professionals to ensure we all work together in the best interest of our patients
Opioids prescriptions: Are pharmacists waving white flags?
http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drug-topics/news/opioids-are-pharmacists-waving-white-flags
As pharmacists we can do much to reduce the very real problem of prescription drug diversion, but we must also care for patients. Sometimes we will be wrong. The law does not demand that pharmacists be perfect, only that we think before we decide and that we not force a legitimate patient in real pain to leave without at least a hope of relief
Filed under: General Problems
I have always been uncomfortable making a judgement as to whether a patient needs a drug that has been prescribed by a physician. First, I don’t have the patients medical history. Second, without that information I cannot render a ‘professional’ decision. I think that too much is being placed on the pharmacist with regard to filling controlled substances. It is the prescriber that makes the decision to write the prescription. Ultimately, it should be their sole responsibility concerning the legitimacy of the prescription. The DEA licenses these prescriber’s and it is their duty to monitor them. It is not my, the pharmacists, place to be monitoring physicians and trying to insure they are properly prescribing a drug. We are being placed in a precarious position where we are often ‘damned if we do and damned if we don’t’.