Why is it always the new/floater Pharmacist ? Don’t they know there is a process to display the pt’s previous med history at the store from the pharmacy computer system? Don’t they have access to the state’s PMP ? Do they just have a chronic case of LAZY ASS SYNDROME ? I would sure hate to throw someone in their 60’s with all her medical issues into withdrawal.
My Wife and I are in our sixties and we are both disabled and in constant pain. Our prescription lists are both quite long and among other things contain pain medication, muscle relaxants. My Wife has has severe Scoliosis and significant Spinal Stenosis and Gastrological problems, Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis, early onset Alzheimer’s and she is also a Cancer survivor, just to list the main issues. I am not much better off with A-Fib, a Clotting Disorder, a Panic Attack Disorder, severe Osteoarthritis of my knees, hips and lower back, and I too am a Cancer survivor. Our daily live contain a lot of pain. My Wife has no health insurance so she can’t get into Pain Management any more so her GP manages her pain and her other issues. I have Medicare so I can go to Pain Management. We both have been on the same pain meds for about 12 years now, with a few variations.
About a year ago our Walgreens Pharmacist (he was new to the store then) started challenging and then refusing our pain medication prescriptions. At that point in time we were both being seen by the same Doctor. He said that our Pain was being mismanaged and that the 240 tablets (2 pills every six hours) of Hydrocodone (10/325) was too many pills to take per month. He then told us that he wanted to intercede on our behalf with our Doctor to see about changing our meds to a time-released medication that would involve fewer pills per day. Now at that point I felt like to was actually practicing medicine without a license and overstepping his bounds as a Pharmacist. More about this later in this message. Please bear in mind that my Wife has been hospitalized 72 times since 2001 and through ER 148 times in two states (Michigan & Florida) and her formulary has been reviewed by Hospital Pharmacists, Specialist, GPs and Pain Doctors and no one as every challenged her meds, not until Walgreens.
Then about a year and a half ago I got into a Pain Management Clinic and I changed to a different GP, one that my Cardiologist recommended. They did not change my medications either. Then in July of this year they (collectively as a Practice) changed there formulary (probably due to DEA and other pressures here in Florida). They moved me from Hydrocodone to Oxycodone time-released 40mg tablets every six hours. The copay for the Oxy was over $220.00 and we cannot afford that on my Social Security, so they changed it to two Methadone tablets every six hours. When I took my new scripts into Walgreens the problem Pharmacist never said another word to me but he still will not fill my Wife’s scripts for Hydrocodone. So we moved all of our prescriptions to Publix, except for my Methadone, Publix does not carry Methadone. She has been getting her scripts filled at Publix for over a year now.
Now today I went into Publix and there was a “floater” there (a stand-in Pharmacist) I gave her the same scripts that I give them every month for my Wife (pain meds and other meds) and that they have been filling for over a year and a half, and she refused to fill them. She said that since my wife was on an Alzheimer’s that it might not be safe and that she was not comfortable with filling them. I explained to her my wifes medical history (in detail) and reminded her that Publix had been filling her scripts for almost two years and that the hospital pharmacists had reviewed her scripts three different times on the past four months (during her hospitalizations) and no one had challenged anything! She said that if she could have reviewed this with her doctor then perhaps she could have, so I said call him but then she refused. So I took the scripts back and got them filled at at a different Walgreens store without issue.
The reason that I am writing to you today is two fold, at least. First to share the story with you and to ask advice. Secondly to explore what my Wife’s rights are, how to file a complaint and with whom. The publix Pharmacist refused to fill my Wife’s meds today for HYDROCODONE /ACETAMINOPHEN 10-325 T, CLONAZEPAM 0.5MG TABLETS, CARISOPRODOL 350MG TABLETS and AMITRIPTYLINE 100MG (HUNDRED MG) TAB. Two of the four will cause her to go into withdrawal and in her condition this could easily prove fatal and at the least it subjects her to incredible pain. So please explain to me how any Pharmacist can ignore a VALID PRESCRIPTION and knowing full well that she would be putting my Wife’s life in jeopardy due to withdrawal??? I always thought that it was the doctors cll as who get what meds and when. So who can I call or write to to complain and who is legally culpable in the case, the Pharmacist, the Pharmacy or who? Obviously, I am really upset and I am willing to pursue this to the max, because I know we cannot be the only ones that are being harassed and discriminated against!!!
Filed under: General Problems
Ronnie M
November 16th, 2014 at 13:40
ive filled four complaints against the pharmacy in general. The last complaint which was made because the main pharmacist in charge was on vacation so, of course there was another “temp pharmacist”. I came in 1 day before my refill was due and as the pharmacy technician like always has to ask the pharmacist “temp” at this moment and its a C2 controlled substance. I know that They have the medicine in stock but after the temp pharmacist looked at my prescription, without even looking by checking the safe where the regular full pharmacist has to go to fill it. He bluntly lied to my face and informed me that he didn’t have that prescription in stock and like the majority of pharmacist assumed I’m some drug seeking addict.. But, anyways I first informed him that sir, you do I fact have it in stock as the main pharmacist keeps it in stock as I get it filled every month. I then continued to direct him to please actually open the safe under you and actually look. Guess what…? He has it!!! Go figured right. Then, as I’m still standing there with people other customers behinde me, he looks at my prescription and looks at the bottle of medicine that he said he did t have then looked at me and loudly asked from the middle of the pharmacy area ” WHAT ARE YOU GETTING TREATED FOR??” He DID NOT ASK ME TO come to the CONSULTANT DESK and I was already embarrassed by the way he was treating me then I had to loudly answer back where everyone else in line and also picking up their rx in another line could hear and know all of my medical problems and personal health and private information. After I told him what I was getting treated for he finally filled the rx..of course I had to wait over 30 minutes as I’m sure he wanted to verify the rx whih is TOTALLY fine with me and should have either done that in the first place and or ask to see me at the consultation desk and ask me what I’m getting treated for. I’ll never forget this and nener forgive cvs for this..Tim the temp pharmacist was in the wrong, violated my
Hippa rights, and treated me unjustly. After I left I was mortified, embarrassed, depressed that I had to go through this. I looked up if there was anything I could do and I got advice from pharmacist Steve stating to file a complaint regarding CVS ciolsting my hippa rights and also I filled s complaint with the Louisiana board of pharmacy. Well, after CVS got a call from a compliance officer and spoke to the main pharmacist Jessica … I got an email from the compliance officer stating he spoke to Jessica and asked her to cal me and try to resolve the issue. About an hour later I do get s call,but Jessica just says she no longer feels comfortable filling ANY of my prescriptions.
I will continue to tell my story regarding I was treated, labeled, and punished for filling s complaint. The point of complaints is to be able to provide feedback and the store or company to better themselves and their customer service.. But, now I have to drive about over an hour round trip to get my prescriptions now. Lawyers tell me that it would cost me more money to possibly just slap them with a fine. The compliance officer and to the companies that I have submitted s legit complaint did nothing to help the consumer.
I hope that And know I’m not the only one out there and I pray and hope that something can get done to this pharmacist and temp pharmacist along with cvs.
Thanks for your time in reading this
Sincerely,
Ronnie M
Please support your local pharmacy sand not these big chains as they don’t give a two craps about your health or you as a human being
Re
Cvs store
70550 LA-21
Covington LA 70433
United States
+1 (985) 893-7681
Reply
I am 62 soon to be 63 (Jan) and really don’t like to call myself elderly..however every time, not just once in a blue moon but every time there is a floater on duty when I drop off my refill Rx they just scan it into the Walgreens system and there it will sit for at least two to three days! I have even made many a joke to their faces now, “oh, your a floater,right? answer “yes” me, “oh I can count on getting sick,I already KNOW you will leave these scripts for the managing pharmacist when she comes in”. Oh yes they star at me, but in the almost seven years of using the same Walgreens,not a one FLOATER pharmacist will fill my scripts. BUT, they will fill my none CL II Rx’s right away! Go figure?
He did say early stages of AL.
Pharmacist Steve? Do you see a problem with her medicine? I would like your opinion. I’m not a doctor or a pharm but I think if she’s got a tolerance to the medicine? Then she should have it. My husband is now 52 and he takes 300mgs of trazadone with lots of benzos for PTSD. He is veteran, Is he going to have to quit the traz and benzos just because he turns sixty something even if it helps his mentality? I think it matters if the patient is well established on the meds or not. In this case.. The lady has been on them for years and so has my husband. What is right ?
Donna..my husband is the same age as yours is bipolar and takes several meds including xanax he is maxed out of his xanax. Make sure your husband doesn’t miss too many doses, benzo withdrawal can be more dangerous than opiate withdrawal….seizures if cold turkey. I had his psych doc put him on XR 3mg and his other doses then after he gets off work so I can remind him..he would forget at work alot to take them. I go to his psych appts with him when I can I did alot of psych in LTC. His psych doc and I can discuss alot of current therapies. If your husband is stable he should not change and you may have to fight for it. I feel mine is maxed on meds and now i have to get on his therapist to actually do something or find another one. have you looked into NAMI? I have found that support group a godsend in dealing with him when his bipolar comes out of the closet. BTW he has sleep apnea so he is also on Adderall for that, a sleeper for when he’s manic and cant sleep all in addition to his bipolar meds….some times im exhausted fighting the insurance as a spouse with a pharmacist backround to get proper mental health treatment….which is IMHO..is.looked at worse than chronic pain.
Sending support and thanks to you and you husband for his service and the sacrifices you have made from another service family member..I was a navy brat growing up.:)
12Review…first off he doesnt say what stage of Alzheimers his wife has. As you know the definitive diagnosis cant be made until after death and on autopsy. My MIL has all the indications of it but her primary diagnosis is dementia alzheimers type. His wife is probably in the very early stages. If you read the whole post, her meds have been reviewed by several pharmacists during her hospital stays. Remember, you dont have her whole history in front of you and neither do I. I would bet she is being seen by a neurologist. Granted her meds can exacerbate her mental status, but if the docs and those pharmacists all looked at the history and meds and are on the same page, it boils down to risk vs benefit and how is she doing…which then becomes the decision of the patient and her husband. If she is like my MIL, she is most likely scared to death about losing her mind little by little, and her husband, god bless him, is doing what he feels is the best for her to keep her comfortable before he has to make that decision to turn her care over to others for his own health. I’m basing my comments on my 15 yrs of LTC consulting experience and working with a good LTC psychiatrist and personal experience.
im so sorry for u n yours im in the same boat we need to ban togather an fight this we must we cant do this on our own i just moved my family down an had no idea what i was walking in to florida was going to b a new start for me an my family now its a new battle for no reason because they r uncomfortible what we go through is more uncomfortible than they could ever imagen i have a 40’bus an will paint pain needs a voice an drive us all to every pharmacy around a picket the crap out of everyone its a driving billboard all aboard my email is on another post lets get legal help to we need it
JonJon77, I love your idea!! Yes! Paint that bus! with, “Give Pain a Voice” and Let’s do go around holding signs and go to pharmacies and interview them on video tape, asking why they feel they are GOD?!
Contact me at: Fight For Florida Pain Care Action Network.com
WE need more people willing to advocate for our rights! 🙂 I would seriously do that and raise the money to do it!
Donna-I’m in 100%! Just let me know when and where…
now I feel that I have heard it all when to elderly people that are sick and can barely walk in severe pain and design it and other medical problems at their age still have trouble getting their medicine and felt what in the world is wrong with the USA Today.? I think this is by Fay the saddest story I have ever read. I always thought, well when I get old I know I can get pain just a little easier due to my age. I guess not. How dare a pharmacy not fill meds for them is beyond me, n I feel sick now. I take Duragesic now, much easier to fill, no questions either.
Wow, this is very sad to be readin today. My very first concern myself was the fact that a patient with Alzheimer’s is taking these medicaitions in the amount that is being prescribed. 99% of the time I am on the side of us, the patients.
But, here I am honestly concerned about the medications being prescribed in the doses they are are prescribed to a patient with Alzheimer’s.
I hate to say this, but I actually do see how a pharmacist could be concerned and not comfortable dispensing these. The only fact on your side is that you seem to be a caretaker for her and are responsible for her medications. The pharmacist does not want patients with dementia or an altered mental status to die on this dangerous combination of medications.
I hope my thoughts help, I am sure it is frustrating but risk assessments seem to be the reason why.
This is just another example of how far out of hand the situation with chronic pain has become. It is so easy for young people to go and blow their money “on the streets” and buy illicit drugs. With a legitimate prescription though, I just “don’t get” pharmacist’s “playing doctor”. They should have gone to med school if they wanted to make those types of decisions. Enough is enough already/ Many medical doctors are refusing to practice medicine at all when it comes to chronic pain. This is such a serious issue now as so many chronic pain people are being downright discriminated against. It is all so very sad to me.
Your lucky that this only recently started happening to you its been happening for 2 years now, i was being denied 5 norco per day and your wife gets 8 your very lucky. My new dr doesnt seem to care that 5 a day no longer helps me and i cant function on the stronger stuff that ue says works better but for me it does not work better at all. Good luck ive been contacting lawyers for 2 years as i lost a well paying government job due to this bs as they caused me to go without my meds and was unable to work. Nobody will ever sue them it seems why? id love to know. I had to move where im in more pain due to the cold weather because florida was so ridiculous with this bs. Now i have zero quality of life and beyond depressed.
So whats the problem with Publix ordering methadone for this patient if hes getting other stuff there? As a float, it was not my job to rock the boat, a check of the patients profile would tell me these were legit. Unless there was a glaring bad PMP report, alterations, would I question it. In addition to the usual screenings I would do as a pharmacist. Having been an LTC consultant, amitriptyline is on the Beers list as bad in the elderly, but since she has been on it foe some time, I would believe somewhere in a chart I dont have is the documentation to justify its use…so I again this would pass. Theres something to be said for risk vs benefit and I think some have forgotten that.