Some readers don’t seem to understand what I have been talking about..
The people that are interest in obtaining legal drugs can be general put into four categories:
1. Legit pain pt
2. Pseudo Addict.. The under dosed or token doses legit pt.. that seeks early refills or ends up seeing multiple prescribers and multiple pharmacies trying to optimize their quality of life. Being a good spouse, parent, worker. The system is “abusing” them by not adequately treating their medical issues.. so they end up “abusing” the system.. the former is questionably legal.. the latter is considered illegal.
3. The substance abuser/addict… all or nearly all of these people have some sort of undiagnosed/untreated/under treated mental health issues. In 1914 our bureaucracy passed the Harrison Narcotic Act, during our prohibitionist period, and that law was influenced by racism and bigotry and the court system determined that opiate addiction was a CRIME and took opiates from the OTC market place… and created a “black market” similar to the “black market” they created a few years later when our country tried prohibition of alcohol with the 18th Amendment.. which lasted a dozen years but did little to decrease alcohol consumption… and was later repealed with the 21st Amendment. So the bureaucrats started the BNDD/DEA to combat the black market that they created. The same system made it illegal for a prescriber to treat/maintain a opium addict and if a addict is caught with what use to be OTC medication in their possession… they disease state makes them a CRIMINAL.. These people need some sort of treatment/support when they need/want it.
4. Diverter.. They have a business plan.. obtaining and selling control meds to those that like to abuse opiates and other substances. Because of the “black market” that the bureaucrats have created… what a pharmacy sells for PENNIES.. they sell on the street for DOLLARS. They are entrepreneurs that need a change in their business plan. Maybe even a new place of residence !
IMO.. the first three categories of people have a recognized disease and should be treated like any other pts with a chronic disease. However, our bureaucracy and jurisprudence system has puts obstacles in place that hinder healthcare professionals from determining who is a legit pt and who is a diverter. We legalize all drugs and the black market will go away.. and the diverter will have to find something else to peddle.
Corresponding Responsibility has been in the regulations since day one… now .. all of sudden .. the DEA deems it is very important ? Chiefs of Police, Sheriffs , Governors and members of Congress are starting to understand that addiction is a disease… and needs to be treated as such. There is even a group of former members of our judicial system that has come out against prohibition www.leap.cc (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).
Corresponding responsibility does not mean to find a reason to decline a control med.. but.. when you are looking for a reason to say no.. most likely you will find one. I was taught to treat every pt as if they were a member of your family.. maybe that is just “old school philosophy”.
Filed under: General Problems
I have personally seen a sign in a Walgreens pharmacy that stated they would not fill any narcotic prescriptions and it was right next to the new good faith policy stating it may take longer now since they may need to verify your prescription with your doctor. This is as ironic as hell. How can both of these signs be the store policy since they contradict each other. When I asked the pharmacist he stated that it did not matter what the corporate policy was he was a licensed pharmacist and had the right to refuse to fill any prescription. What an attitude. Walgreens should fire these pharmacists immediately when they refuse to follow corporate regulations. Any other employee would be terminated.
IMO.. it would strongly suggest that the Pharmacists in this store got their PharmD degree because of the paycheck/salary and pt care is the least thing that concerns them. Someone needs to get a pic of these signs and share them with Medicare OIG.. since they are in violation of the contract with multiple Part D/Advantage insurers, as well as other PBM’s.
I will take a picture the next time I am in that store.
I continue to pray that as a law abiding disabled patient that I can continue to live the limited life that I have with narcotics. I should not be punished for those that DO not follow what the doctor ordered. I am punished every 30 days because of government interference when I use to be able to go every 90 days again costing government, -Medicare, insurance and me money. Government has already cost me the ability to attend grandchildren because of medication cuts and my increased pain and limited movement. Government has discriminated against the disabled by punishing doctors and pharmacies that deal with narcotics. Please deal with the guilty and leave the chronic pain patients alone. Please. Let me live rather than suffer.
When I think of diverters, I think of all the people they sell to who wouldn’t have access any other way — who can’t afford to pay the doctor toll to get a legitimate prescription. Or don’t have transportation to travel to the doctor or pharmacy. Or don’t have insurance. You can’t get a prescription for pain meds filled at the pharmacy if you don’t have insurance. (Unless you want to raise a red flag and be turned in to the DEA.)
When I think of diverters, I think of a personal grower who has extra and, instead of destroying it like the law says to do, sells it to other medical cannabis patients.
When I think of diverters, I realize they are only considered criminals because of the products they deal with. If drugs were legal, why would we need diverters?
And then there are the ones I’m reading about outright refusing to fill out a patients of state narcotic scripts where the scripts meet legal criteria. Where now there is now cross state PDMP access (in many states) which even if the Dr Lic isnt matched against the BMV database..it’s better than nothing which is what we had before and I would give benefit of doubt since its long holiday time. These patients MOST likely knew they could not get early fills for their extended out of town trips so they took their scripts with them, playing by rules and still are being denied…am I right?? What I’m reading is sounds like they don’t even check the database or even wait til the business day to verify it with the doctor…just outright refuse it…nope…we don’t fill out of state narcotic scripts..not gonna do it…(sucks for you..don’t it……you passed hundreds of pharmacies on your way here shoulda filled it then….Definitely a red flag when they tell you up front they’re from out of town and ask if its a problem..)
(cue in voice of revival preacher 😉 ) Can we have a Like!!
Great post!!