this probably isn’t what you wanted but I wanted you to know that I took advice from your website and contacted corporate at rite aid after the pharmacist, travis, Sandusky , ohio refused to refill my prescription for Percocet BECAUSE HE COULD.  I filed a complaint with the board of pharmacy and the ADA.  I got an apology and my prescription 2 days later.  travis and a pharm tech yelled that they wouldn’t fill my prescription before I even got to the counter.  I was humiliated.  I dont even know if anyone was around I was so embarrassed I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  I tried to make a joke about it and laughed so I wouldn’t look like the criminal they tried to imply that I was.  my insurance company tried to intercede on my behalf and they gave me the prior authorization without the 7 day fill and a new prescription.  they had me on a 3 way call trying to fix the mess that travis started.  I was on pain managment for 9 years. I used the same pharmacy.  my doctor office was raided by the dea and they took all his files.  I was on 3 40mg oxycontin a day along with 3 Norco and 3 10mg flexeril a day plus a 100mcg fent patch every 3 days.  I took my august prescriptions and tapered off of them at home alone and it was hell.  I wanted to rip off my own face.  I asked my PCP to help me and he wrote me a scrip for bentyl.  I took the sept. prescriptions to the hospital and let them shred them.  I kept one box of fent patches so I could kill myself when I couldn’t take the pain anymore.  someone took them from me. I lasted until January and went to a pain managment 65 miles away.  they made me take injections that damaged nerves and it took 7 months for them to heal. I went to the emergency room and they offered me a shot that I declined because I didn’t want them to think I was drug seeking. I am allowed 3 5mg percocets a day now.  I hate the night time.  the pain is so bad I cant sleep.  if I take a 4th pill I have to decide what day I can only have 2 pills.  I have a hard time even getting the flexeril to calm the muscle spasms that never stop and have pulled the lordotic curve from my spine.  the pain never stops and I cant work I cant sleep.  I am sorry that I have written a book.  dr Gregory gerber was my pain managment doctor, he kept me working and now I cant even go to the grocery store.  he did a stupid thing now all of us from 3 counties are being punished.

thank you for letting me rant

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DOCTORS in CALF with action against their license by state medical board over last few years

Pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 11161.7(b), the Board of Pharmacy is distributing this list of prescribers whose authority to prescribe controlled substances has been restricted by the Medical Board of California. Oher then this, if you search for better the just join JulieHanCoaching. The board is making this information available to prevent the dispensing of prescriptions for controlled substances issued by restricted prescribers. For anyone interested in becoming part of this industry, look for the email coaching service that  It is similar to having a pen pal, but one pen pal is entirely focused on the other achieving their goals and dreams.

To unsubscribe from the PHARM-GENERAL list, click the following link:
https://www.dca.ca.gov/webapps/pharmacy/subscribe.php

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Oak Hill pharmacy has registration suspended for improperly dispensing prescription drugs

wvmetronews.com/2019/08/08/oak-hill-pharmacy-has-registration-suspended-for-improperly-dispensing-prescription-drugs/

OAK HILL, W.Va. — Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration began raiding the Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy Thursday morning in Fayette County as the pharmacy faces civil charges.

Mike Stuart, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, stood alongside DEA officials Thursday morning at the Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse in Charleston to announce the pharmacy has had their DEA certificate of registration suspended for prescription drug abuse.

Stuart said the message is clear that prescribing controlled drugs is a privilege and not a right.

Mike Stuart

“Every pharmacy that fills prescriptions of scheduled narcotics has a corresponding responsibility to assure that those prescriptions do not include unresolvable red flags and are for a legitimate medical purpose,” he said.

The suspension is based on improper dispensing from at least December 2016 to March 2019, of certain prescription drugs including Subutex, an opioid replacement.

The order said “Pursuant to Sections 303 and 304 of the Controlled Substances Act, Title 21, United States Code, Sections 823 and 824, Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy has had its DEA Certificate of Registration suspended because it constitutes an ‘imminent danger to the public health or safety.’”

Stuart’s office said the pharmacy filled approximately 2,000 prescriptions for Subutex, a widely-abused Schedule III narcotic, with numerous red flags and diversion. The pharmacy is registered with the DEA to handle substances in Schedules II through V.

The red flags according to the DEA were over half the prescriptions came from an out-of-state clinic located almost 200 miles away from its 819 Main Street East location Oak Hill. The pharmacy’s customers drove long distances to obtain and fill prescriptions, in some cases more than 600 miles. Stuart also said many of those customers paid in cash.

Stuart’s office revealed more details about the prescriptions that included they were issued by out-of-state physicians and approximately 96-percent of the prescriptions were paid for in cash. Added that multiple patients frequently presented prescriptions that had been written on the same day and the patients traveled long distances for even partial refills.

The suspension of the pharmacy’s registration will continue until a final determination is reached. During the suspension of the pharmacy, under the ownership of Martin Njoku, it may not fill any prescriptions for Schedule II through Schedule V narcotics.

Stuart said regular patients at the pharmacy will be directed to state Department of Health and Human Resources to get prescriptions filled.

“It’s very important the folks who have legitimate prescriptions be able to get those prescriptions,” he said. “We don’t want anybody to go without essential medicines needed for their health.”

There is a possibility of criminal charges down the road but currently it remains civil charges, according to Stuart.

“Oak Hill Hometown Pharmacy will have an opportunity to show cause before the DEA at a location to be determined on October 15, 2019, as to why its registration should not be revoked,” Stuart said.

The release stated that within 30 days after the date the pharmacy received its Order to Show Cause and Immediate Suspension of Registration, the pharmacy may file a written request for a hearing or file a waiver of hearing with a written statement regarding its perspective on the matters of fact and law involved in the Order.

Failure to do so results in the pharmacy waiving its right to a hearing and a final order may be issued.

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FDA says some data used to approve world’s most expensive drug was faulty

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/fda-says-some-data-used-to-approve-worlds-most-expensive-drug-was-faulty/ar-AAFqWvw

The world’s most expensive drug was approved using data that was partially faulty, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

© Getty Images FDA says some data used to approve world’s most expensive drug was faulty

The drug, Zolgensma, was approved in May at the sky-high price of $2.1 million, and treats the deadly childhood disease of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

Now, the FDA is saying it has learned that some of the product testing data used to approve the drug was faulty.

The FDA also said the company that makes the drug, AveXis, a unit of Novartis, learned the data was faulty before the drug was approved, but waited until after approval to tell the FDA.

“The agency will use its full authorities to take action, if appropriate, which may include civil or criminal penalties,” Peter Marks, an FDA official, said in a statement.

Despite the problems with some of the data, the FDA said it “remains confident that Zolgensma should remain on the market.”

The FDA said “only a small portion” of the product testing data was faulty due to a “data manipulation issue.”

The revelation is sure to increase scrutiny of Novartis, which was already facing criticism from drug pricing advocates for the price tag of the drug. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The totality of the evidence demonstrating the product’s effectiveness and its safety profile continues to provide compelling evidence supporting an overall favorable benefit-risk profile,” said the FDA’s Marks. “However, the integrity of the product testing data used in the development of the product’s manufacturing process is still a matter that we are continuing to evaluate and take very seriously.”

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Want to be fined? Follow CMS’ opioid guidelines.

https://www.physicianspractice.com/opioids/want-be-fined-follow-cms-opioid-guidelines

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Hello! My name is Todd. I am writing to tell you of my work injury that had a poor outcome and the treatment I’ve received since surgery.

I was on a call to pick up a stranded vehicle, as I was working as a tow truck driver at the time. I was placing chains underneath to get the vehicle to get it hooked up. There was a piece of steel that had been displaced and hit my wrist where upon it fractured my scaphoid bone. Because of the nature and position of the injury the physician decided the best course of treatment was to remove the bone fragments and fuse bones of my wrist together. Well let me tell you about www.msinsight.dk first,You can solve your many kind of health issue.After the surgery the healing did not progress well as I continued to have throbbing, burning, pain, and sensitivity to the lightest of touches. I was dismissed as a drug seeker by the surgeon because my primary complaint was pain. I had developed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 2 because of a nerve that was removed during the surgery. The doctor treating me postoperatively had no experience in treatment of CRPS and did not recognize it for it was, as it is a very rare disease. I was discharged from his care and all of my pain complaints dismissed even though my physical therapist at the time included in her report that I had CRPS. One must hire lawyer for construction accidents and make sure the victims get the right compensation.

After searching for a short time I was able to find a pain management doctor. This pain management doctor examined me and looked at my records and prescribed me a mid dose (oxycodone 10 mg 3x day)opioid, a sleeping aid (trazedone) and spasticity medication (tizanidine).  I was able to resume a fairly normal life even for the limited use of my dominant hand, I could cook and clean and do some light hobbies and near regular usage time on my computer. I participated in DVR and vocational retraining (not fully successful due to the CRPS and the fusion in my dominant hand but I could mostly participate in the instructional activities). The company I was working for closed and I was dropped from workman’s comp. Because of that, I was forced to stop seeing the pain management doctor. My quality of life quickly diminished forcing me to be incapacitated from the pain. Because Work Comp ended and I was financially unable to care for myself I ended up homeless. Unable to prove residency during that homeless situation I was unable to apply for medical aid.

A couple years passed regularly in and out of hospitals the pain was getting worse as the CRPS progressed in my hand and spread to my other, and the feeling literally as if my hand was on fire or like someone was pouring boiling oil on me and then rubbing a wire brush into my knuckles causing constant severe muscle spasms. Because of that debilitating pain it progressed to the point I could no longer use my hand in any capacity, developing what the doctor described as mannequin hand (affixed to a single position) with my small and ring finger forever curled contracture on my dominant hand. I had a feeling like a nail sticking through my wris from a stitch that didn’t dissolve and was pressing on a nerve cluster. Dr Butler at the hand and shoulder center in Appleton WI dismissed me about it after the surgery.

I was able to find a place to live with assistance from my girlfriend and applied for aid about a year later. I finally found a surgeon who would give me a consultation about it. The surgeon found a screw protruding into my joint several mm and abrading a small groove into the bone below it and that a stitch had never dissolved and was agitating my radial nerve cluster causing severe pain. This had been X-rayed numerous times and never been disclosed or discussed with me during any emergency room visit. Again, I was always dismissed and treated like a 3rd class citizen as they again misdiagnosed me as a drug seeker because my primary complaint was pain. I was able again to go to physical therapy where the therapist identified my rare condition again. I had been misdiagnosed and ignored for 2 years leading to this point, so it was quite relieving to hear it’s not me and it’s not all in my head. I had just been treated horrifically because I was a pain patient needing treatment and for no other reason. Now the feeling of relief passed quickly as it was explained to me that this progressive condition doesn’t go away and it’s a life long battle I will have to deal with.  

My girlfriend was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and is dependent on my taking her to and from work for her traveling job.  She was being transferred to Washington State so we moved here to Auburn.  That was three months after my therapy ended.

When I got to Washington, I immediately went to find pain management I called maybe 20-30 places everyone on the list I got from my insurance and couldn’t find anyone taking new patients. I was unable to find another doctor to help ease the suffering of this disease for another 11 months.  This has lead to additional medical consequences of severe chest pain during flare ups of the CRPS, tachycardia regularly, and a deep suicidal depression.

Apparently my CRPS had spread I started having severe pain in my leg around an old injury. I assumed this was a hardware issue and scheduled surgery to have that hardware removed. This caused my CRPS to spin out of control. It took on a life of its own spreading to my other foot initially and then into my organs. Making it extremely difficult to get around or even do everyday things like cooking. Standing has become extremely painful and can trigger spasms deep in my stomach that feel like getting kicked in the groin. These kicks vary in strength from little kid to omg a bull just kicked me.

I talked to a pain management doctor who seemingly tried to convince me life isn’t worth living in this condition. I spoke to several more physicians who outright refused to see me because of the severity of my condition. In the end my primary care doctor “felt sorry for me” and stepped into my pain management role. I have tried many types of treatment since I found out what was actually wrong with me. Surgery to remove the screws and stitches, spinal injections, acupuncture, ongoing physical and psychological therapy and medications. Several treatments had major side effects ranging from uncontrollably high blood pressure to a feeling of being kicked in the groin. I have been through the list of antidepressants and NSAIDs which caused GERD and worsening my depression. The opiate medication completely alleviates the allodynia (touch pain) and dulls down the intense burning sensation to an almost unnoticeable level. I sought help for my depression and started to see a psychologist. During the course of my treatment with this physician, I found out I am the only pain patient my psychologist sees that is still being prescribed an opiate pain medication in all of the patients that office sees. I need an adjustment to my medication and I was advised to “not rock the boat” because she knows I will not be able to find another doctor willing to treat me out of fear of the DEA and government pressure to reduce all opioid prescriptions to 0 regardless of the consequences for the patient.

I am writing to you in hopes that my story is heard. I am not alone. I speak with other pain patients regularly.  There are several hundred on twitter that are helping write letters and make calls in hopes that someone will hear our cries for help. I am 1 of 25 million people in America with intractable pain and this is the climate that we live in. Fear to speak with their doctors to be labled a drug seeker, or be released from their care because of our conditions. If it was insulin or a heart medication it would be perfectly acceptable for me to speak about it and perfectly reasonable that my need for treatment be met, but not an opiate for pain.

This truly discriminatory ruling against pain patients based on a medication and medical requirements is a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government’ programs and services. Refusing service and leaving untreated pain has terrible consequences that are not unknown to the world. They include, but are not limited to: congestive heart failure, stroke, heart attacks, depression, anxiety and suicidal idealization.

The VA guidelines on opiates is an inadvertent attack on American quality of life based on admittedly flawed data from the CDC. The average risk of a chronic pain patient to abuse their medications and become “addicted” is around .06% according to the journal of medicine, yet the VA has imposed an arbitrary number of 90mme as a maximum dose with a recommendation to taper as many to 0 as possible regardless of the consequences despite clinical evidence against doing so. This is a human experiment gone wrong leaving millions of Americans and veterans without hope of help. These guidelines and regulations have caused primary care and pain management physicians across the country to stop treating pain patients altogether leaving many with no other options but to escape the pain with the option of suicide or self medication on the streets ultimately leading to their deaths. Meanwhile the suicide rate has increased over 50% in the last 4 years in the pain patient population since the institution of the policy in 2016 you can guarantee it has risen even further ( reports have not been released yet). The guidance from the VAs policy on suicidal ideation is to ”ignore all threats of suicide”.

These people have a right to receive treatment

regardless of the type of treatment they require. The American government and the VA should not continue to impede on patient and human rights and dignity of life in the name of “addiction” that scientifically affects less than 2% of the population as a whole and only around .06% in the chronic pain patient population.

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Today we traveled from our Indiana home to our Florida condo… we had to travel in my 1999 F-150 because of the tools I had to bring to do repairs at the condo after Hurricane Michael took the roof of the complex Oct 10.2018..

We are zipping right along in Southern Alabama and all of a sudden the radio starts acting up… trying to get to work without any luck and then the blower on the AC seems to slow down and not really cooling… so I turn it off and was going to roll down the windows  – power windows of course – NOTHING…  then it started raining and the windshield wipers won’t work… luckily I had put RAIN-X on the windshield a couple of days before we left… very good stuff.. especially when your wipers won’t work … I grab my Iphone and tell SIRI  “FIND ME A FORD DEALER”… luckily one is 7.2 miles ahead… the trucks seems like it is mis-firing… and then all 6 dash instrument drop to ZERO… no speedometer, no tachometer, no oil pressure, no engine temp … you get the point…

It is now about 130 local time ON A FRIDAY as we roll into the dealership parking lot and the truck DIES… turn the key and it is DOA..  They have to push it into the work bay..

The gal who is service coordinator at the dealership… tells me that they have a whole list of jobs that have to be done TODAY…   I am 150 miles from the condo… a wife … a dog and a “dead truck”… doesn’t look like this is going to be a good day…  My trusty old truck that I bought new in 1999 and had only failed to start once in all this time – failed fuel pump… and it picks here and now to PLAY DEAD..

Luckily the shop manager took mercy on us… they quickly diagnosed the problem as a alternator failing – hell it was only 21 yrs old…. the original alternator on the truck from 1999 and that I had been running totally off the battery for god knows how long today…  The alternator was only putting out 9 volts and I think that it is suppose to put out 14 volts +/-

Abt 2 hrs later and a $500+ charge… for a new alternator and battery – the battery was 3 + yrs old… so I wasn’t going to argue about a battery..  I knew that because I keep a list of maintenance on my vehicles in my IPHONE   🙂  …  and we are back on the road…

Then we get to our condo…. remember Hurricane Michael took the roof off of the place Oct 10,2018 and the place is still not “open” and they are optimistically hoping that they will be able to start renting units again by Jan 1, 2020… Out unit is our second home and we don’t rent it… so we didn’t loose a year+ of revenue like the 90 odd units that do rent.

We were down here the last week of May and what drywall work that had been done… I was not very pleased with… but .. apparently a newer crew came in and fixed all the bad “mudding” work..  We knew that we had some work that we were going to have to do …. and had allowed abt 8-10 wks.. to accomplished…that may prove to be a gross under estimation… Both Barb and I are now in our 70’s and 12 hr days… are no longer a option.

On top of all of this… I was told last week that the Association’s insurance had not given them any money since April and payroll a week or so ago was not made… the general contract and all the people working on the building – WALKED….  the guy that maintain the grounds around here left sometime during the winter, the general manager left the end of May and after no paycheck two maintenance workers left…. so the entire staff… includes… a maintenance supervisor ( I think ), a receptionist, a bookkeeper and there was one of our regular security staff when we arrived tonight…

Other than that … everything is SUNSHINE, LOLLIPOPS and ROSES…

So if you don’t hear from me for several days… I have not died… although there is a chance that I may be in jail if I get my hands on some of the construction workers that have been in my unit working…

Over the next few days, I going to have all the doors re-keyed and there is a NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN… anyone who wants in my unit to work will be under my direct supervision…  and there is going to be two ways to do anything .. the WRONG WAY….. and… MY WAY !!!!

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Don’t be silent: Speak up about pain this September

https://uspainfoundation.org/news/dont-be-silent-speak-up-about-pain-this-september/

Too often, due to broad misconceptions and a lack of understanding about pain, pain warriors are afraid or ashamed to speak up about their stories.

But the only way we can create change is if we start talking–to loved ones, coworkers, neighbors, clinicians, and even policymakers.

That’s why our theme for Pain Awareness Month 2019, which begins September 1, is “Let’s Talk about Pain.” We’ll be hosting numerous events, campaigns, and activities that center around this idea. In order to truly get the word out, though, we need your help.

How you can participate

Below, please find a short list of ways you can participate right now in Pain Awareness Month. Many of these campaigns require involvement before September, so don’t wait!

Submit your video story! Share a 3-5 minute video about your pain journey with us by August 9. All participants will receive a limited-edition Pain Awareness Month bracelet and our new Living with Pain educational booklet–AND be entered to win a prize pack. A handful of individuals will be selected to have their videos featured online throughout September! Get started here. Questions? Email us.

Request a proclamation. Ceremonial proclamations from state and local representatives help bring awareness to pain at the government level. To get started, fill out this form by August 9. We have easy-to-use templates and tips to make the process easy and fun. Please note that proclamations can take time, so put in your request now! For questions, email us.

Host an information table. Hosting an information table at a local hospital, library, town hall, or even a retail store is a great way to educate your community about pain. We’ll provide all the materials you need, including table cloths, brochures, and giveaway items. Simply fill out the questionnaire here. Keep in mind we need two weeks’ notice to ship materials!

Shine Blue for Pain. Through this campaign, you can request a government, historic, or private building or landmark light up in blue–the designated color for pain–on September 13. To get involved, fill out this form or send us an email by August 15. We’ll give you all the tools you need to make your request. Be sure to take a photo so we can celebrate your hard work!

Organize a Wear Blue Day. New this year, we’re encouraging people with pain to host Wear Blue Days at their schools or workplaces! By rallying together and wearing the designated color for pain, people with pain can feel included and supported. And, it helps raise awareness about the issue of pain on a large scale. For information on how to get involved, send us an email.

Help Beautify in Blue. Through this visual campaign, volunteers display blue ribbons and flyers in public locations such as town halls, community centers, libraries, municipal parks, or grassy areas. We provide a template letter to request permission to display the materials, as well as the materials you need (at no cost to you). Get started here.

Let’s make it the biggest year yet

To learn more about all Pain Awareness Month 2019 activities, visit our website. And remember to keep an eye out for more details about our social media challenge and weekly events.

If you have any questions about getting involved, please email us at painawareness@uspainfoundation.org.

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www.pbmabuses.org/horror-stories/

There are FORTY (HORROR)  STORIES on this website

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