On March 1st 2017, I went to my local CVS on Lantana Rd and Military Trail in Lake Worth Fl to refill a prescription. It was a new script because the old bottle had no refills remaining.
I drove up to the window and handed the young man Ash the new script. He went into the back and a few minutes later stated it would be ready by 2pm that day. I asked the young man if I could have it sooner since I was expecting a DHL delivery at home that required my signature. (My wedding dress)
He then left the window, returned to the back and then returned to the window with the pharmacist Muneera Imam. She told me that she would now, not fill my prescription and I should “do the math”, stating that I should have 4 pills remaining and she would not fill it until the next day.
I have been on a low dose of Alprazolam 1mg 2xday for anxiety for years.
In my opinion, she should have asked me to come inside and talk.
According to the CDC and the DEA, this prescription can be filled a few days early. If the pharmacist did not feel comfortable filling it at least she could have, again according to the CDC and the DEA gave me a couple of pills then subtract that amount when filling the script.
But NO, she embarrassed me in front of the other employees, made me feel stupid and acted like I was abusing my medication.
According to the law, when filling a controlled substance the attending pharmacist is supposed to circle the quantity of pills and initial the bottle. Which was not done for the February 2nd 2017 bottle.
I have never abused my medication and she had no right to accuse me of such. I also, have never “run out” prior to this last bottle. How do I know that someone at CVS didn’t count incorrectly since the amount on the bottle was never circled and there was no initials on it?
Let me now tell you what I experienced as a result of not having my medication.
My feet and hands went numb and we’re tingling. My heart was racing and the heart palpitations were so extreme it was like I was having a heart attack. My brain hurt. My eyes were blurry. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t move and I actually seen my muscles twitching under my skin. It was something that I had never experienced in my life and never want to again.
The next day my fiance had to lose a day of work to pick up my prescription since I couldn’t move. I took a pill and slept most of the day. The following morning a awoke with extreme chest pains and went to the emergency room. The nurse at the hospital said I could have died because Muneera Imam put my health at risk. Aren’t pharmacist properly trained on what could happen if a patient abruptly stops a benzo medication?
I already have heart issues and all she had to do was to talk to me like a human being.
Now I am REQUIRED to see my primary doctor and my cardiologist to see if I have any damage to my heart as a result of the extreme withdrawals.
I uploaded the last prescription bottle as proof that there was NO circle and NO initials. Maybe CVS made the mistake. But Muneera Imam actions almost costed me my life. I am a mother and a grandmother and I want to be around for a very long time!
In case you haven’t figured this out by now this is from the GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA… Here the FL Board of Pharmacy Regulation that went into effect Dec ,2015 where a Pharmacist is suppose to NOT start looking for a reason NOT TO FILL a prescription http://floridaspharmacy.gov/latest-news/validate-pain-medication-prescriptions/
The cold turkey withdrawal can be more lethal/fatal than that of a opiate.
I have this pt’s name and pictures of the CVS labeled prescription bottles, but as usual.. I don’t divulge that information that is sent to me.
This is another example of a Pharmacist that will get her paycheck regardless if she fills prescriptions or not and apparently does not try to see if there are some extenuating circumstances.. just “DO THE MATH” … that is what healthcare is all about “DOING THE MATH”…
Once again, I suggest that pts that receive such treatment from a chain pharmacist, that they go looking for a independent pharmacy (Mom & Pop)… here is a website where you can find them via zip code http://www.ncpanet.org/home/find-your-local-pharmacy
Where you will be dealing the Pharmacist/owner.. who doesn’t get paid unless they fill legit/on time/medically necessary prescriptions. If they participate in your insurance company’s network, normally your copay will be the same.
Pts with chronic health conditions should not be expected to BEG a healthcare professional to take care of their needs. In this case there was “financial damages” incurred by the pt and her spouse… so an attorney might be interested in seeking restitution to “make them whole”
Filed under: General Problems
Talk to an attorney
Is kind of confusing to be honest …. So far I know the control drugs can’t be dispense partials or give few tables I advance
The only exception in really extreme cases are when the drug is out of stock but not even that in occasions since doing that invalids the scripts in the pharmscy systems
I used to work on pharmacy and even if you want to do that , they are regulations and laws tk follow
Patients left often due to that
Per Federal DEA law – state laws my override – a pharmacist can do a partial fill and has 72 hrs to provide the balance or the Rx is voided for any additional doses. Professional ethics – if nothing else – requires the Pharmacist to notify the prescriber the number of doses that the pt was provided and/or doses that were not provided… so that the prescriber would not question the pt when they request an additional Rx to get the doses not provided.
Thanks for the info, Steve. I remember a few years ago when my dad was allowed the oxycodone he took for over 30 years with no problems (before being completely cut off through no fault of his own), I would usually pick his medication (along with the other 19/20 different meds he was on) up at the pharmacy. One day, I went to pick up his usual prescription of oxycodone and pharmacist told me they didn’t have enough in stock and ordered it to be shipped overnight, so the remaining shortage of pills would be in the next day and to be sure to pick that up within 72 hours. If one of us didn’t pick it up within the 72 hours, by law they had to void the remaining prescription. This was probably back in 2008 or 2009. I’m seriously trying to figure out how on God’s green earth that ridiculous regulation helps fight abuse, addiction or diversion in any way. I swear these idiot bureaucrats sit around, twiddling their thumbs, thinking up some of the most ludicrous rules, laws and regulations regarding CS medications.
I just went thru the exact same thing,,A nurse,,,who has out for me from the get go,,,claimed I had filled my scripts 12 hours early,,and,,because my 30 day mark fell on a sunday,pharmacy closed,,,on day 29,,,,,,Geez,,,when we had money,,,my hubby and I would go away for a weekend fillen my scriopt on day 27 because we’d be going out of town,,10 years ago,,,,,never a peep out of anyone,,and my next script I filled on day 33,,,,Now a days,,if a nurse basically CANNOT COUNT its your fault..We’ll once i told the pharmicist,,this nurse was down in Milwaukee bad wrapping her,, her pharmacy for fillen scripts early,,did she agree to help me find the truth..Soo we printed out thee actual receipts from her computerized register of when I actually paid,,,for many many times,,,if we were in town on friday,,we’d dropped off the scripts to be ready for a monday pic-up..We’ll the pharmicists techs would enter my script in the computer on day 29,,,easier on them if they have time,,to fill the scripts of those pic-ups for everyone,,,,but we would not pic it up till day 30 or 31,,,pending on how many times I puked my medicine up,,,,We made a special appointment w/my Doc,,,he was for the 1st time in 20 years,,rude,,mean,,and heartless,,,,telling me if I kept fillen my scripts on day 29 to find a new p.m.doc up here,,knowing we already tried that the last time this BITCH of a nurse claimed some other lie,,,We’ told him,,I have copies of all the receipts when I actually pic-up my script and paid for them,,,Day 30,31,32,33,,,many times the nurse was late getting the scripts out,,,2 times 11 days late!!!!!!!in a 1 year peroid,,,,We proved,,beyond a reasonable doubt,,that I was taking my med’s exactlly as he prescribed them,,stretching them because of my pancreas issue if I puked,,,,NOT THEE OTHER WAY AROUND,,LIKE THIS IDIOT NURSE WAS CLAIMING,,What she was doing was looking at her computer screen/print outs,,,and counting off of them,.,,,,,not a actual calendar,,,,Thus the computers does not take into acct…month w/31 days ,,or 28 days etc,,,,At first when this bitch called my pharmacist of 26 years,,,,,she tooo went along w/this bitch,,but as soon as I threw back onto this pharmacist,,like hey,,,were in this together,,i go down,,u go down,,,she changed her tune and started actually looking for the truth,,,,,,it took 2 visits w/her for her to even seee the truth,,,Each time,,i put a actual calendar infront of her,,counted out 30 days,,,falling 2 days earlier on a actually wall calendar,,she just refuse to see this truth,,finally,,,she actually ,”saw,” and registered,,the truth…and acknowledge this nurse was a bitch,,and that this was a form of discrimination,,,for no other medicines are treated like ours,!!!!!and it is!!!!!fight back for truth matters in a court of law!!!!!!!usually,,,maryw
My sister, [untreated infectious disease case], was not notified of emergency blood-results from a “one-appointment pain mgt dr.for 7 mos. We went to his small office, other doctors called and requested this blood-work, w/o response.
Over 1 month ago we received the emergency results, [a2s did her new primary].
Aside from CDC standard Lyme results, she had serum b12 levels that are off the charts HI. [only cancer patients are known to have very hi plasma B12], very HIGH PLASMA B12 are a test for cancer.
Primary doc ignores the bloodwork, and threatens my sister with breaking a pain mgt agreement because her sacral pain was hitting the roof and she called and asked if she could take an xtra pill, [primarys only focus was to REDUCE her, while in an emergency and unaddressed abnormal state.
Her new primary REFUSED TO CALL IN HER PAIN MEDS-STATING THAT “I CAN”T, I ALREADY REPORTED YOU”.
This isn’t HEALTHCARE, IT”S DEATH & TORTURE PROTOCOL.