Dr Mark Ibsen at the Don’t Punish Pain Rally in MT
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Don’t Punish Pain Rally 10-16-2019
Posted on October 19, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Don’t Punish Pain Rally 10-16-2019 from Susie Scott on Vimeo.
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LA TIMES: CALF seem to have a strange urge to elect really obnoxious women to HIGH OFFICE
Posted on October 19, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
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Please pass along advise I was given by a lawyer to contact law schools
Posted on October 18, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Please pass along advise I was given by a lawyer to contact law schools as it could mean free media attention for the schools!!! Offer them the chance to be in history books. A lawyer suggested I contact my state`s law school, (bedridden twice 5 months after healing from a triple bypass, it took a year for me to find a doctor “after mine retired” that would prescribe both pain med. and zanax thatI have been on for 16 years) I called them but was told I was too far in distance from the school for them to consider my request.
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Dr Drew Pinsky pod cast (09/17/2019) on treating chronic pain
Posted on October 18, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Medical Board of California
Licensing details for: G 55092
Name: PINSKY, DAVID DREW
License Type: Physician and Surgeon G
Primary Status: License Renewed & Current 
School Name: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine
Graduation Year: 1984
Address of Record:
2050 HUNTINGTON DR STE D
SOUTH PASADENA CA 91030
LOS ANGELES county
The following information is self-reported by the licensee and has not been verified by the Board.
Are you retired? No
Activities in Medicine Other – 10-19 Hours
Administration – 1-9 Hours Teaching – 1-9 Hours
Patient Care – 10-19 Hours Research – None
Telemedicine – 1-9 Hours Patient Care Practice Location
Administration – 1-9 Hours Teaching – 1-9 Hours
Patient Care – 10-19 Hours Research – None
Telemedicine – 1-9 Hours Patient Care Practice Location
Zip – 91030
County – LOS ANGELES
County – LOS ANGELES
Patient Care Secondary Practice Location Not identified
Telemedicine Practice Location Zip – 91105
County – LOS ANGELES
County – LOS ANGELES
Telemedicine Not identified
Secondary Practice Location Not identified
Current Training Status Not in Training
Areas of practice Other – Not Listed – Secondary
Internal Medicine – Primary
Internal Medicine – Primary
Board Certifications American Board of Internal Medicine – Internal Medicine
Postgraduate Training Years 4 Years
Cultural Background White
Foreign Language Proficiency French
Gender Male
In listening to this program… two things seemed fairly odd…
Dr Drew repeated several times that he was not aware of any chronic pain pts having trouble getting their medication(s)
Dr Drew repeated several times that Suboxone DOES TREAT CHRONIC PAIN VERY WELL.
I guess that Dr Pinsky’s neighborhood or “circle of friends” live in a “utopia” in regards to ready access to adequate chronic pain treatment… or all the FB messages, emails, phone calls that I get every week are from chronic pain pts are just “unlucky” or lying about not getting proper pain management prescribed… or having Pharmacists refusing to fill the controlled substance Rxs and/or PBM/insurance companies refusing to pay for only some or none of the Rxs that their prescriber writes.
Suboxone may well work for some chronic pain pts …but… the only FDA approved use for Suboxone is for opioid dependence… of course this can be used/prescribed “off-label” for just about any health issue.
Where are the clinical studies that support the long term use of Suboxone being effective in treating chronic pain… ? Isn’t this what all the anti-opiate zealots use as a reason why opiates should not be prescribed long term to treat chronic pain ?
Just imagine this… a pt is being given some Suboxone for chronic pain… maybe works a little bit… but the pt is offered no other medication options… the pt’s doc retires, leaves town, or stops treating chronic pain pts..
In searching out a new prescriber to treat the pt’s chronic pain… the pt gets routinely turned down in their search of new prescriber… BECAUSE… these prescribers see SUBOXONE on the pt’s medication records… It is a controlled substance and would show up on a PMP report… and the prescribers “jump to the conclusion” that the pt is in REHAB for substance abuse…
May make no difference that the pt’s medical record does not have a ICD10 code for substance abuse.
After all, the only FDA approved use for Suboxone is for SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
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Is this what you get when you elected a state AG who is married to a DEA agent ?
Posted on October 17, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Atty Gen Moody Calls on DEA to Reexamine Opioid Prescription Quotas to Help Curb the Opioid Crisis
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody joined seven states in pushing federal regulators to consider more information as they set manufacturing limits on prescription painkillers in hopes a more thorough review will lead to fewer overdose deaths as the fight against the opioid crisis continues. The coalition filed comments late Tuesday arguing Drug Enforcement Administration officials must do more to account for over-prescribing and expand its universe of information sources.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Seventeen Floridians are dying every day from opioid abuse, as the national opioid crisis continues to ravage our country. To help reduce the excess supply of prescription opioids and save lives, I am calling on the DEA to reexamine the quotas that drug manufacturers have for specific painkiller production. This action could help reduce drug overdose deaths by limiting the amount of leftover pain medication that could fall into the hands of Floridians struggling with addiction.”
The coalition recognizes that current data sets make accounting for diversion difficult but argues such complexity cannot hinder progress. For instance, its members suggest that the DEA take into greater account data from its Drug Take Back Day as evidence of over-prescribing.
The states also suggest DEA officials should consider best practices developed by the medical community and state regulators, in addition to improving the usability of its reporting system and its suspicious orders database.
The DEA’s proposed limits for 2020 slash hydrocodone manufacturing by 19 percent and oxycodone by 8.8 percent in one year.
Florida’s attorney general joined six other states in the filing, including attorneys general in Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, West Virginia and the governor of Kentucky.
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Floater Pharmacist and “just like to say no” ? could care less abt the consequences to the pt ?
Posted on October 17, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Steve I have a CPP that is in a very bad place. Is there any way you can guide her through this. She was denied all of her meds. and now today is cold turkey. She said she wishes she was deadshe was denied her meds from prescriber or pharmacy ?
Pharmacy and now medicare pulled her prior approval
Now everyone has gone home knowing she has nothing
why was PA pulled
She has no idea
let me guess she is dealing with a chain … maybe CVS or Walgreen ?
CVS
I would bet that the pharmacist is opiophobic and called the Part D prgm and told them some sort of lie
Oh I am guessing same
She is in late 60’s to early 70’s
have her find a independent pharmacy http://www.ncpanet.org/home/find-your-local-pharmacy call CMS 800-MEDICARE and file complaint against CVS… have her go on line pharmacy board and file complaint with board of pharmacy unprofessional conduct, denial of care, pt abuse.. for starters… have her call the Part D and ask for reason PA was withdrawn – IN WRITING … file a complaint with CMS against them as well … tell me that it is not SILVER SCRIPTS Part D ?
Not Silver Scriots it’s the other one and I am beain dead
who is the PBM ?
She has an electronic script and they are refusing cash pay. It’s Express Scriots
Scripts
Paying cash when a pt has insurance is consider a RED FLAG by DEA
She tried that after pharmacy refused to fill
Dr. told them to let her pay cash
My understanding is that some chains … no insurance … no controls filled… even if the pt doesn’t have insurance… which means that they will not fill Rxs for about 10% of the population that doesn’t have insurance
She has Medicare Part D and I am pretty sure it is because Rx is ER
have doc to send new Rx to local indepenent and pay cash and argue about insurance covering when the sun comes up tomorrow
Dr. went home
doc could call in some Tylenol No.4 to hold her over for the night
Good idea. I even thought Clonidine
Clonidine MAY help with withdrawal issues but not pain…. Tylenol No.4 is still C-III and can be called in
I am letting her know
sorry couldn’t give you much more help tonight
I understand. I hate all of this
Once this is all straightened out… I would still file complaints with various oversight agencies
Ih I am making sure she does
She just sent me this Believe me, I realize that!!!!! Dr won’t call Tyl 4 in. He wants me to get thru til tom’w & see how it goes. So I don’t offend him, I gotta do what he asks. He really has been very good to me. He is the one who got me emergency surgery 10 mos ago after a Henry Ford Hospital neurosurgeon put surgical date 3 mos out. My MRI showed just millimeters away from severed spinal cord at C2 ( not conducive to life). PMP got me different Dr & surgery within 36 hrs!!! I owe him some respect
Also
My PMP called CVS pharmacist. Tonite’s “fill in” pharmacist absolutely REFUSES to fill my MS 60 at all!!!
Dr says the regular pharmacist will be there tom’w & he will fill it for cash. 
. Those night time hours tick by so slowly under circumstances like this.
Both my sons are very upset because they feel so helpless. They remind me that this will only get worse & worse every month. They think I am at a crossroad – put up & shut up OR. Sign myself in & get off MS & pray I will be able to function
You know what is happening here
As if # dozen Tylenol No.4 could cause the his world to come to a end… i guess that his empathy is only good during office hours
Floater pharmacists are the worse… they don’t know the pt… they don’t know the prescriber… so … they just say NO
I fear tomorrow reality is gonna hit. I’m afraid she is losing her Dr. Will blame on DEA flag
Part D prgms don’t normally pull a PA without some outside “bad news” being pushed at them
They want her tapered
who is “they”
Medicare
This is her current dose MS Contin 60mg 3x/day. Plus MS Contin 15 mg 2x/day breakthru
one of the basics of the practice of medicine is starting, changing. stopping a pt’s therapy… Part D is NOT MEDICARE .. it is private FOR PROFIT insurance … so the private insurance company is attempting to practice medicine ?… no license… just interested in increasing their bottom line
Yes
Find out who the Part D medical director is… he/she is responsible for this… is the only one who has legal authority to practice medicine… but…doubt if he/she has a license to practice medicine in the state the pt lives – ILLEGAL… and according to the Controlled Substance Act… it is ILLEGAL for a prescriber to prescribe for a pt .. who they have not done a in person physical exam… call the Part D and tell them that she is going to file a complaint with the state he/she is licensed in and the state the pt lives in … as well as the DEA for violating the controlled substance act.. I have had to do that a couple of time with our Part D and they seem to quickly change their mind about PA
Thank you Steve
I have NEVER lost a PA nor a rejection with our Part D… I know too much… and it is easier just to approve the PA for me or wife… than to risk just how much trouble I could cause
she would like your email so she can update you on her status and thank you for your advice and compassionLinda just heard from Exoress Scriotscand this is what they said You will NOT BELIEVE THIS!!!!! I just got a call from EXPRESS SCRIPTS PHARMACIST in approval Dept. He says my rxs were NOT DENIED. They continue to be approved thru Feb 2020. Those CVS pharmacists yesterday were called by him to tell them they were coding wrong AND how to fix it STAT so I could get my rxs. Both those pharmacists told him they refuse to fill them anyway! UNFUCINBELIEVABLE!
She just got her rx
This is an exchange with a chronic pain pt’s advocate/friend. Once again this sort of scenario involves a “floater pharmacist” and one of the two major chain stores.
Pt can file complaints with the Pharmacist’s employer, the state board of Pharmacy, the PBM/insurance company and most likely the pt will get the response that “they” can’t force a Pharmacist to fill a Rx… which is true…
But we have a very serious and growing Pharmacist SURPLUS and if the Pharmacist’s employer was not happy with how their employee Pharmacist is treating pts who wish to patronize their pharmacy… They could fire them on the spot… but.. they don’t… so are they condoning this sort of denial of care ?
The Board of Pharmacy will tell the pt the same thing… Is this because the pt has not filed a complaint about being lied to, denial of care, pt abuse – intentionally throwing a pt into cold turkey withdrawal… IMO … all involving UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT… it is normal for bureaucrats not to really look for trouble.
The PBM/Insurance company MAKES MONEY when they don’t have to pay for a prescription that they should have paid for… because Pharmacists deny filling legit prescriptions most of these are FOR PROFIT COMPANIES.
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT is a very broad/vague concept and maybe it is time for pt denied appropriate care start filing complaints with the state board of pharmacy for all the UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT that I heard from pts every week…
One or two complaints are not going to get the BOP to take action… they will dismiss the complaints are “disgruntled substance abuser”… because they don’t know/understand that a substance abuser would never call attention to themselves with anyone in law enforcement.
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Man is dead after CVS pharmacy medication mix-up
Posted on October 16, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Man is dead after CVS pharmacy medication mix-up
https://www.fox13memphis.com/top-stories/man-is-dead-after-pharmacy-medication-mix-up/997776393
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – One man is dead after a Southaven pharmacy allegedly mixed up the dosage of the man’s medication.
Jeffrey Dale Simmons, of Clarksdale, died after a CVS pharmacist filled his prescription with four times the dosage that the doctor had prescribed.
Simmons’ family is suing CVS and the pharmacist in federal court, according to the lawsuit.
We spoke to a northern Mississippi pharmacist who told us it is easy to be your own advocate and to make sure you get the right medicines and use them properly.
The pharmacist said when a doctor prescribes you medicines, you need to ask the doctor questions at that point.
“Ask what are you writing for me,” said Mike Klepzig, a pharmacist at Mike’s Pharmacy. “What is it for and what does it do and what is its strength that way you are more educated on what he is giving you, versus you just taking it for granted.”
Klepzig is an Olive Branch, Mississippi, pharmacist. He tells us to not just ask questions at the doctor’s office. When you go to the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist questions about your medication. The pharmacist should be open to a consultation about the medication, especially if it is new.
The important questions to remember include:
- What is the dosage?
- Medication interactions?
- Does it need to be taken with food or shaken up?
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Protesters voice concerns about lack of pain medication
Posted on October 16, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Protesters voice concerns about lack of pain medication
MADISON, Wis (WMTV) — Protestors voiced concerns surrounding policies that restrict access to pain medication during the 5th annual nationwide “Don’t Punish Pain” rally.
Protesters took to the streets with colorful signs and their voices to tell their stories of pain.
“I’ve been in pain… constantly,” Joanne Cocchiola, protester said.
She has degenerative disc disease among other health complications, and she said pain is all she knows.
“I have arthritis in my knee. I have a plate in my foot, and they take the pain medicine away,” she said.
She said she used to paint pictures and ride horses, but now that piece of her life is gone.
“I can’t go for a walk with my husband anymore because of my knee and my feet and my hips. So what do I do all day? I have to lay down. It’s either on the couch or the bed,” Cocchiola said.
In 2016, the CDC issued prescribing guidelines highlighting risks of addiction encouraging providers to lower dosages when possible.
Pain experts said after the CDC released those guidelines, prescribers reduced or completely stopped the availability of opioids to chronically-ill patients.
“The problem with that is that in many of these patients, on an individual basis, they do obtain a substantial amount of benefit in addition to other medications, but they still get a benefit out of opioids and safely, ” Paul Hutson, UW-Madison Pharmacy Professor said.
Health experts said the regulations don’t consider that there’s no “one size fits all” with medical care.
“We’re having negative consequences from rapid stopping of individuals with opioids who have legitimate needs for these prescriptions. So it’s finding that balance,” Cody Wenthur, UW-Madison Assistant Pharmacy Professor said.
State lawmakers have passed bills over the last three legislative sessions to combat the opioid epidemic.
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Medicare open enrollment period is now on going
Posted on October 16, 2019 by Pharmaciststeve
Everyone who has a Part D prescription program needs to look at Medicare plan compare to see what plans are coming in 2020.
Most all of the programs that I looked at now has DEDUCTIBLES UP TO $450 for 2020.
Using this website… one can sort the resulting Part D policies by several different options… default is lowest monthly premium.
BE CAREFUL.. if you go to a previous page and return to the list of policies the program goes back to the default sort
BE CAREFUL… one of the policies I checked on my wife showed that she her med costs would exceed and put her into the catastrophic level… but.. then also stated that she would not even get INTO the “donut hole” … in looking at the information… one of the very inexpensive meds – WAS NOT COVERED…. but did not PLAINLY STATE SO..
BE CAREFUL…. I called one of the programs – talking to a “insurance salesperson” and was told that the monthly premiums was $2+ more per month than stated on the website.
Medicare open enrollment ENDS DECEMBER 7th
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