One of my favorite sayings is “Knowledge is knowing the rules and experience is knowing the exceptions to the rules “.. In medicine there are very few black/white rules. In fact what medical science knows about the array of human diseases.. is DWARFED by what it doesn’t know about human diseases.
Since I have been a licensed Pharmacist for some 44 yrs.. I can say with some confidence that I have a “boat load” of dealing with exceptions to the rules.
According to this posted Good Faith Policy of Walgreens Walgreens Opioid GFDdocuments
If this Walgreen’s Pharmacist followed company policy when she turned down filling a controlled Rx.. she would have faxed a copy of the prescription to the local DEA office.
So these Walgreen Pharmacists are sending to the DEA all your PHI (Personal Health Information) and unless you are currently under investigation of law enforcement.. I believe that may be a HIPAA violation.
Also declining your control Rx and sending it to the DEA.. they must have done so because they have determined that the prescription was not written for a legit medical necessity… so either you physician is violating the law or the pt is … Why wasn’t the police called and have you arrested… for attempting to obtain controlled substance under false pretenses ?
Isn’t that being falsely accused of breaking the law… Could that be consider as slander/defamation of both the prescriber and pt ?
Many of these Pharmacists will defend their actions by quoting the law.. and it is THEIR LICENSE… THEIR LIVELIHOOD … THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE..
Let’s look at the numbers… there is a estimated 6 million chronic substance abusers and 100 million chronic pain pts.. so every Rx they decline to fill … because they are not comfortable.. there is a 80%-90% probability that they are turning down a legit pt..
I guess that the consequences of throwing a chronic pain pt into withdrawal.. and the risk of a hypertensive crisis, stroke. death… is off their radar…
Apparently there is equally of little concern that chronic pain pts are twice as likely to commit suicide… denial of their necessary pain meds.. could cause one to do something impulsive.
If a Pharmacist sells controls to someone who OD’s .. they can be held responsible… It may be just a matter of time.. before someone dies from being thrown into withdrawal or commits suicide because of denial of care… before the family of that pt comes after a Pharmacist for reckless negligence… that is the other side of the coin of corresponding responsibility.
Filed under: General Problems
The consultation window at your local big chain pharmacy. Anything I can help you with sir? (Overwhelmed RPh) This is something you should discuss with your Dr, sir.Yes ma’am, but…..well, what about…. sir, uh, talking on phone, trying to multitask, well, again, your provider should be the one offering the options. What about? ….uh sir, (overwhelmed) I have patients waiting…. I knew better than to ask for more than 4 minutes, but offering any help seemed less than I wanted but got more than I expected.
https://www.research.net/s/WalgreensGFDPolicy
EVERYONE!!! KEEP FILMING THESE BLATANT DISCRIMINATION AND LYING TO PATIENTS!! WE WILL WIN THIS!!
I’M CURRENTLY GOING TO THE MEDIA ABOUT THIS RIGHT NW, WAITING FOR A REPORTER TO CALL ME BACK!!
WALGREENS WILL PAY!!!
I love it! Now there are 2 videos here ! PLEASE patients?? Keep these videos coming and post them here with Pharm Steve. Let’s get a massive amount of them. With a whole folder of these we should be able show a Law Firm with PROOF for a class action Lawsuit!
(Even a new lawyer trying to make a name for himself could get really famous for taking a case like this.) Where many of TOP ones are afraid to even try this case.
I would bet that 10’s of thousands of patients across the country would be happy to join in for this FIGHT!
Discrimination, Federal Violations of civil rights and American Disabilities ACT still stands as law in the USA!
What a day in court this day will be!!
Amen Peon!!!!
I don’t know why it is but it seems the vast majority of people doing the right thing are punished because of the few that do not do the right thing. The paltry 6% of people that abuse or divert drugs is causing problems for the other 94%. This is WRONG! I too had rather err on the side of trying to make sure that a patient got their meds than deny them on the slim chance they are abusing or diverting drugs.