Recently I share the hyperlink below outlining the 13+ billion settlement between 50 state AG’s & others with Walgreen, CVS, Walmart. While I have not seen the agreement there has been some leaks that these three chains agreed to fill fewer opioid and/or controlled med Rxs. Below is a 23 item questionnaire apparently given to a pt to have their prescriber to fill out. Apparently so that Walgreens could decide if they were going to fill this particular prescriber’s Rxs going forward. I have no idea which Walgreens store it came from since there is no address on the form. So it must be a generic form that is used for all the 9,000 odd Walgreen USA pharmacies.
Notice # 14 – asking about prescribing > 50 MME’s/day. Apparently someone has read the 2022 CDC opioid dosing GUIDELINES and maybe decided to make them a hard/fast limit rule.
Is this questionnaire something like a psychological test – there are no really WRONG ANSWERS ? Some of the questions require a narrative response. I guess the leaked parts of the agreement – to reduce the number of controlled Rxs seems to have some merit.
the questions on this form is more invasive into the prescriber’s practice than the last colonoscopy I had, at least they sedated me to do that.
50 states sign up for Walmart’s opioid settlement framework -3.1 billion
Here is another lawsuit by the 50 state AG’s & others where the nearly 600 page agreement the three major wholesalers agreed to reduce the number of opioids and/or controlled meds sold to ALL PHARMACIES
Here is the SMOKING GUN to prove civil rights violations – could support a class action lawsuit – but the community needs to stand up
Is this how the DEA is directly/indirectly observing the June 2022 SCOTUS (9-0 vote) ruling that basically stated that the DEA could not use objective criteria to judge prescribers when/how they are treating pts dealing with subjective diseases ( pain, anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, various mental health issues)
Opioids In Good Faith: Dr. Jay Joshi Weighs In On The Supreme Court Decision On Opioid Prescribing
Let’s take a “long view” of what is happening. The DEA has annually reduced the pharma’s controlled med production quotas. The DEA – thru their surrogates ( 50 state AG) they are forcing drug wholesalers and at least major chain store to find justification for wholesalers to sell fewer controlled meds to ALL PHARMACIES and at least some major chain pharmacies to find “reasons” to dispense fewer controlled Rxs.
I may be wrong, but it does appear that the FDA approved controlled meds in the Rx distribution is being THROTTLED ? Given the DEA statistical justification in 2024 to reduce – ONCE AGAIN – the pharma control med production quotas.
Since I have a pilot’s license, it appears to me that the availability of controlled meds is in a DEATH SPIRAL. When a pilot finds themselves in such a death spiral, the pilot has two options.. make the appropriate correction to level the wings and maintain appropriate altitude – OR DIE WHEN YOU CRASH INTO THE GROUND.
Filed under: General Problems
[…] and a “line drawn in the sand.” I suspect that this pharmacist works for one of the three chain pharmacies that agreed with 50 state AGs & others. In which they agreed to reduce the opioids and/or controls that they […]
[…] & others. In which they agreed to reduce the opioids and/or controls that they dispense. https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/dea-surrogates-are-trying-to-throttle-the-availability-of-controlled… This Pharmacist seems to be VERY RELUCTANT to explain what and where the criteria behind the […]
[…] DEA & surrogates are trying to throttle the availability of controlled meds to pts […]
I have been fortunate enough to have a wonderful mom and pop pharmacy who was always looking out for shortages and even proactively called my doctor to change my script when it did happen. This month, due to disability and loss of work, I had to go on new insurance. Mom and pop are “out of network” and they want me to use Caremark. Over my dead body (because it would be soon if CVS was in charge). I did luckily find a smaller pharmacy that they will cover, but it’s 30 mins away which will ding my Narxcare. No win. They are coming for us all.
im feeling this violates some law that the doctor would posess pertaining to his own privacy. like hippa but who can interrogate a doctor in such awildly worded way unless you have agenda? this has to violate the doctor and patients right to privacy even thru hippa
[…] DEA & surrogates are trying to throttle the availability of controlled meds to pts […]
This is not American democracy. This is power moves that are killing ill and injured sick people. How can this happen in our country?
This PETRIFIES ME. I’ve already suffered 2 heart attacks when my opioids were reduced. This week, CVS did NOT have in STOCK my 2 most important meds…After waiting 5 days, they gave me HALF of what I’m prescribed. Now I’m just waiting for 3rd & FATAL heart attack. God help me.
Have you seen this link? You can drill down to, if not all, most of these state AG “settlements” documents. https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/
No Dr is going to fill that entire form out, are they kidding?? It’ll be too much of a hassle, added on top of the already taxing list of steps they have to follow. They’ll just stop.
What bothered me the most about the questionnaire though, was this:
” Have you prescribed single ingredient buprenorphine instead of buprenorphine/naloxone? If yes, what is your clinical rationale?”
WTAF. There’s absolutely ZERO reason for this question to be on a sheet like this. Explain the rationale for this question. ?????? I cannot find one legitimate reason to ask this. Not one.
Just proves to me that they know that shit is poison.
And look! First primary Drs refused to take any pain pt on as a new pt; now we’re blocked from pharmacies too!!? Stupendous.
Tortured. To. Death.
seems like it would violate a doctors & or patients right to privacy or something like that.
[…] DEA & surrogates are trying to throttle the availability of controlled meds to pts […]
I haven’t been able to fill my Adderall ER since December. My doctor told me to try and call every pharmacy around me to see if they have it. If they don’t she will write a different type of adhd medication for me. I called 26 local pharmacies within a 30 mile radius. Walgreens, CVS, RiteAid and a bunch of mom n pop pharmacies. Many said they no longer will take new patients needing to fill an adhd prescriptions and all did not have Adderall.
When I called my doctor to let them know my findings, they decided to me they changed their minds and will not RX a new adhd medication and I’ll just have to wait.
This is now what patients will continue to face when trying to fill their prescriptions. No I will not die or experience new health issues just because I can’t fill my adhd medications, but will happen to patients and their health when they are no longer able to fill their high blood pressure medications or diabetes medications?
Patients living with incurable/painful diseases have been already having issues filling their pain medications for over a year now. Now this is an area where patients can develop new dangerous health issues if they can’t control their high levels of pain. They can develop heart attacks or strokes.
Dr. Dan Laird, who is also an attorney is looking to air on new cases concerning any patients that have died due to the ability of not being prescribed pain medications.
Sadly A DEAD PATIENT is worth more than a living patient.
America’s healthcare system is going down the toilet.
THATS AWEFUL,,, as u know many of us have been medically hurt by those forced reduction,,,,and our healthcare sytem doesn’t care i bit,,,,maryw
People with life-threatening diseases are already experiencing this. For 3 years now people with Adrenal Insufficiency have struggled to find and fill our prescriptions for steroids. Most of the issue are with Pfizer who is the only manufacturer. I struggled for a year chasing down my refills.
I was using a small local compounding pharmacy. Last week when they received my monthly “time released Ritalin”prescription – they called me later that day and informed me they would no longer be filling prescriptions of that medication and it had to do with changes as the pandemic came to an end. Back to a nationwide chain.
I find it disgusting and obscene that nowhere do they ask the question: “is there a valid nd for this pain relief?” or “how do you choose who “wins” the PROP lottery among the very chronically ill, pain patients? “oops, I just ha a patient in who n the prescription a little less than you but that was the last of my quota. It is not even comprehensible.
The PIC at the independent pharmacy that we patronize told me that she was not taking on any new pts needing controls. She is hoping that she can get enough in to take care of her existing pts. She said that she use to give a pt a few days worth if she did not have all that the Rx called for, but she has stopped that because she no longer knows if what she orders one day will come in the next day as expected. This is a pretty typical mindset for independents .. I have heard of some chain pharmacists it is first come and first serve, money in the register is what is important
I’m sorry to hear Steve. My husband couldn’t get his nebulizer medication for 4 months, people are waiting months for BP Medications.vvThank you so much for informing people!
What do you think will happen if the prescriber just tosses that into the round file?
If the pharmas can’t make it -can’t sell it… if wholesalers can’t get it – or refuse to send it to pharmacy – if pharmacy/pharmacists can’t get the med and/or refuse to fill it … the prescriber is pretty much out of the loop
Gee, imagine that! Just what I’ve predicted the last 2 years. And no one seems to care to learn how to stop it.
I believe that the SCOTUS ruling ( Raun/Kahn )forced the DEA dramatically change the path to their end goal.
I certainly hope so. I have been having difficulty getting one of my meds and my mom/pop store have an upcharge to get the med. I need it, I’ll pay the damn upcharge w/o argument. The DEA needs to have some of their power pulled away. They are NOT doctors and do NOT know what is best for the patient. I can hope those in charge see the damage the DEA is doing not only to private citizens’ lives – pain patients, but the doctors’ lives, the ones who care for them.
U know 42-1395 was suppose to prevent the DEA from doing this to us/doctors,,but no attorney is willing to go after the DEA,, yet,,,Also i forget who said it,,but some 1 said,,,make our MEDICINE a completely different category and not IN ANY LEGAL/LAWFUL category at all,,,meaning never again can the dea abuse the rule of law to come after us or our doctors,,I think he suggest under the control of the surgeon general,,,but never again under the rule of law when prescribes by a doctor,,None of this sh-t where they bring in some liar who they paid to bare false witness about our doctors medical necessity crap,,,,Solely all our meds would be a non lawful issue,,thus no-one could ever break that law,,As asinine as it sounds,,I have actual hear maybe 1 person in the pain community state,well we can’t take all control substances,the words she used away from the control of the DEA,,,I SAID,,,yes we can,,look at the ABUSE OF POWER that has happen’d whilst under government/dea control,,how many dead we have,,how many being literally tortured,YES,,, take alll so-called control substances’ away from the dea,for historic data proves,,THEY WILL ABUSE THAT POWER FOR $$$$,,AND IN DOING SO,,KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE,,DESTROY DOCTORS LIVES,THEIR CHILDRENS LIVES ETC,,,,,SOO YES TAKE ALL OUR MEDICINE AWAY FROM ANY CONTROL OF THE DEA FOREVER,,,,,,jmo,,,maryw