From the article:
Imagine going to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, only to be turned away, denied medication both you and your doctor know you need.
In the past two weeks.. I have posted about three different investigative reporters investigating all the med errors in community pharmacies… and there is a fourth one coming soon – TRUST ME !… it is coming !
Now the media is “targeting” how all that rationing by the wholesalers and that “good faith” BULLSHIT !…
Somebody(s) is going to get their ass handed to them over these issues.. guess who is at the bottom of the food chain ?… It isn’t the execs up in the E-suite.. those people will throw you under the bus.. because you Pharmacists are the one making the final decision to fill or not fill… corporate “good faith” protocol will not protect you !
once the media starts paying attention the bureaucrats are not going to be far behind..
In case you missed it.. I recently blogged about you may be violating the American with Disability Acts.. refusing these legit Rxs.. What is the difference ? — Rock & a Hard Place?
I should have known better than to think that this post would not bring out those on “I’m the Pharmacist pedestal ” Honestly, who believes that those who are going to a questionable prescriber, travel hours to get a Rx filled, no where near their home, wants to pay cash… will have enough chutzpah to file a ADA discrimination claim with the Justice dept and call attention to themselves.. Does your “professional discretion” smother your common sense ?
Filed under: General Problems
@all,y’all… i’ve said to patients and professionals alike, I am the Keeper of the Drugs. this is what i do and i’m pretty good at it. its MY call whether or not to fill any rx that comes through my door. if i’ve never seen you before, you want to pay cash, you don’t have insurance, your doctor is from timbuktu and you live a couple hundred miles away but just happen to be in my neighborhood on a friday evening chances are pretty slim you’ll be getting those perc 30’s and xanabars here. i don’t care that your arm is in a sling, you’re walking with a crutch and you brought a nurse with you. most pharmacists, with a little experience can smell bullshit a mile away. if you’re legit, you’ll get your meds. that’s why its important to develop a relationship with your pharmacist. build some trust and you’ll be amazed at how far your pharmacist would be willing to go to help you out.
Living in the thick of it here in Tennessee and having worked with LE on several pill mills I have to disagree here. There are a number of prescribers I won’t fill for and nearly every pharmacy in my area (Chattanooga) won’t fill if you OR your prescriber ate outside a 35 mile radius (specialty like cancer centers or hospitals like Emory or Vanderbilt excepting). Many pharmacies have this notice on the door.
anon, you obviously dont work in a pharmacy and dont know that it IS the pharmacist decision. Bottom line is, if anything happens, the pharmacists job will be on the line, not the MD. and that goes for whether they decide to fill or not to fill.
Yep…another I Team reporter has done a huge investigation…stay tuned as Steve will post the air time.
Joe
The burden of law enforcement should be on the physicians who prescribe the medications and have examined the patient. Once a pharmacist is assured that the script is not forgery, it should NOT be up to the pharmacist to decide whether the prescription should be filled or not.
It is absolutely a violation of a patient’s civil rights to be refused service by a pharmacist based on appearance, impression, or socio-economic status. It is blatant prejudice and discrimination for pharmacists to make judgements about people and enforce their opinions upon that patient’s medical care.
I can tell you honestly, that although I do not at this time need controlled substances, if I ever present a script at a pharmacy and am denied, I will be filing a lawsuit for violation of my civil rights.
I refuse to follow any protocol other than my own judgment, based on guidelines from Board and DEA, yes, but mostly from my own experience.
If I can’t justify denying a med (and I’m not trying to deny anything), I’ll not do it. Pharmacy law says PHARMACISTS at the pharmacy level make the good faith and reasonable decisions, not middle managers, even if they have an Rph or pharmd.