Someone shared this blog hyperlink ( https://youarewithinthenorms.com/ ) with me… it would appear that it has been around for about two years… I have only read a few posts but definitive whoever is contributing to this blog… has NO USE FOR THE DEA and that breed of pharmacists who believes that they have the instilled belief that they have the right to basically practice medicine without a license and working on a very limited about of medical information about the pt that they are more than comfortable with refusing to fill a prescription because “I’m not comfortable”…
For the record… “I’m not comfortable” is not a valid clinical reason for refusing to fill a Rx… it is an EXCUSE based on the pharmacist’s person opinion generally based on their own personal biases or phobias.
One of the basics of the practice of medicine is the starting, changing,stopping a pt’s therapy… thus any pharmacist outright refusing to fill a legit Rx without contacting the prescriber… Is, most likely, practicing medicine without a license.
If the Pharmacist believes that there is a potential LEVEL ONE drug interaction, the pt is allergic to the medication and/or the prescribed dose is way outside of what is recommended by FDA. The pharmacist has a duty to explain this to the pt and inform the pt that the pharmacist is unable to fill the Rx until the prescriber has been contacted to clarify his/her concerns. If the pt elects to take the Rx back and try to get it filled at another pharmacy… that is the pt’s option.
The Pharmacist also has the duty to put notes on the pt’s medical records in the pharmacy’s computer system of the advice provided to the pt… and the pt decided not to have their Rx filled at this particular pharmacy… In healthcare, there is a very important saying “if IT is not documented… it didn’t happen…” It his type of situation, the pharmacist had some valid clinical reason(s) to HOLD UP the filling of the pt’s Rx(s) and the pt decides not to take the pharmacist’s advice and find another pharmacist that would fill the Rx.
If for some reason, the pt filled a complaint with the Pharmacy board about “denial of care”, if the BOP followed up with an investigation… in all likelihood that the complaint would be dismissed with no action.
https://youarewithinthenorms.com/
Filed under: General Problems
Can you imagine, if we allowed this “I’m not comfortable” to be a standard of reasoning for everything? The possibilities are endless, ramifications enormous. Racial disparities would be out of this world.
Only one state board of pharmacy – Alaska – has sent a letter to the state’s pharmacists to: State, Pharmacy Board tell pharmacies: ‘Fill legitimate opioid prescriptions”
to the best of my knowledge the other 50 BOPS’ position is: “.. we can’t tell a pharmacist to fill a prescription …” and “… we can’t tell a pharmacy permit holder how to operate their business …”
IMO.. what the BOPS’ could do… is call a pharmacist in front of the board to explain their clinical justification for refusing to fill a Rx … especially without contacting the prescriber for any clarification the pharmacist needs for them to fill the Rx. Here is a article on how non-practicing corporate pharmacists dominate the boards of pharmacy https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=6552337&page=1 and one would think that it would not be impossible if a chain pharmacist involved in denial of care… would the board decide to pursue actions against a chain pharmacist ?