No! It cannot be!…. Now, shall you deal with ME,…. and all the powers of HELL!
The pharmacist at Walgreens told me on my last visit on June 8th that she wants a treatment plan from my doctor on his letterhead and with his signature or she will refuse to fill my next prescription. She went so far as to put her comments in their computer system so that anyone else filling my scripts would see the warning. I immediately notified my doctor’s office of the ultimatum. Their reply to me was to “find another pharmacy.” Obviously they are out of touch with the current atmosphere out there.
And what is this Pharmacist going to do with a TREATMENT PLAN ?… suggest or DEMAND that the prescriber change the pt’s therapy ? REDUCE IT of course,… Isn’t the starting, stopping or changing the medication that a pt is on.. PRESCRIBING… since it would appear that this particular Pharmacist doesn’t have a collaborative agreement with this pt’s presciber… prescribing would be OUTSIDE of the Pharmacy Practice Act.. and your basic practicing medicine without a license… ?
I have been told that WAG’s policy is that if ONE OF THEIR PHARMACISTS “black balls” a pt… no one pharmacist is allowed to fill a Rx for this particular pt… Could that be considered a environment of COLLUSION… or corporate policy is revoking the professional discretion of all 20,000 WAG’S Pharmacists. Professional discretion that is granted them by their education, license and the Pharmacy Practice Act ?
Filed under: General Problems
A prescription is a doctor’s treatment plan, or at least the part that is available to a pharmacist. A more detailed treatment plan includes confidential medical information protected under HIPAA. Did the pharmacist also request that this patient sign a HIPAA waiver for the pharmacy?
I know my previous pain doctor would have charged me an arm and a leg for providing such a document. Is the pharmacist going to pay for that?
Who is requiring that a treatment plan be provided to a pharmacy? The DEA or the corporation? I would think if it’s the corporation, the patient may have a legal cause of action under HIPAA. Although I don’t think that HIPAA provides many legal remedies, if any. Maybe if the patient could prove that the information isn’t safe in the pharmacy’s electronic records.
Does the pharmacy require treatment plans for other medical conditions, like cancer, AIDS, diabetes or depression? If not, then the cause of action might be under the ADA.
We all know that pain meds are the only medications this corporation is requiring ‘ detailed plans of treatment’ for, which in IMHO makes it clearly discrimination and a HIPAA violation. Chances are if any WAGS pharmacy personnel will know she is blackballed across the country, then they would be able to see those treatment plans in their system entered by that Pharmdiety…a HIPAA violation IMHO, and those plans are none of his business anyway
In reply to a RPH wanting a treatment plan maybe because their alphabet filing policy wants the RPH to fill FI the patient no longer than 6 months…ijs maybe. If the Dr.says the opiate therapy is longer than 6 months the RPH could be nice n fill the script but kindly ket them know that they can’t fill for you after xx amounts of months. The RPH could just deny right then n there..
Doug, yes there is quite a bit of organizing going on, on this website, as well as on paincareislegal.com and on some facebook groups. search for Fight For Florida Pain Care Action Network on facebook.
Dear Doug,
Hi I am Donna Ratliff the creator of, ” Fight For Florida Pain Care Action Network.” on Face book. We are a private group that has been fighting for our rights for 4 years now. Pharmacist Steve is an admin of this group, if he sees you name on list to join, he cab get you in. The good news is, that we have WESH 2 news in Orlando with award winning journalist Matt Grant who is helping us. He now has over 1000 emails and letters that he is using to help us fight this. Go this website of WESH, look for a section that says, State of Pain” from there you see what all has been done to help us get this mess this fixed. WESH even had a 30 minutes special dedicated just to crisis, so go there and look. Also, they organized a public meeting. The pharmacy Board has recently set up a special committee who is advocating just is trying this get fived. The next public meeting to up date up everyone on all happenings. at Walgreens is the hot seat at this meeting in Deerfeid Beach.FL. I do hope that we see you have joined soon, BTW, this is private group; so that you know that no one. I just wanted you to know that something is that could know an come join us there. 🙂
Sincerely,
Donna Ratliff,
I would sue this pharmacy…. Unfortunately many of us lack clear ’cause of action’ to form the basis of a lawsuit, or at least lack enough evidence, but this… I’d have said, ‘sure no problem, but can you say that one more time for my cell phone video camera recorder?’.
How many more people are going to be denied or threatened to be denied their medications before we all take action?
Has anyone started to organize anything yet?
Is there a website to visit to sign up or volunteer?
What about doctors and pharmacists willing to stand up to the government bureaucrats that are telling them how they can or cannot practice medicine?
How about politicians? Is there any out there who are willing to listen to facts instead of believing in the manufactured numbers of the DEA and FDA? Then they would have to be willing to fight for the rights of the people in their districts.
I myself suggest that every single chronic pain patient write their congressmen or woman, their representatives and even the president expressing your concerns. Flood them with emails because numbers are impact and the more we have the better. Don’t wait until you no longer have the medications you need. Don’t wait until your pain is so unbearable that you can’t take it anymore. Spread the word, talk to the other patients in waiting rooms and get them on board too.
I too Was denied my pain prescription from Walgreens 2 x now. Today again. The pharmacy said they were out of stock 3x now. He states if I have all my prescriptions transferred to Walgreens, he would be happy to fill it. I can’t get around like normal people. So the drive thru is convenient for me. So I have to wait until my husband gets home to get it filled. Since Walgreens won’t. Please help me with this. I don’t and can’t understand this. I feel discriminated against
Look up Wags filling policy. Save time dont go to then anymore usually once you’re denied at one wags you are now red flagged at all wags. I was glad when they denied me because I changed drs from a PCP to a PM clinic. Also wags is carrying the worst and ineffective brands. Actavis for one. This is the drug they gave me and it was awful. Not just myself who had complications with wags Activis percocet 10/325 scored A333 and many pts had same experience. On medschat.com you can see other patients stories
I transferred all my scripts and I was still denied and I transferred lyrica , crestor ( not cheap meds) . They denied me anyway. They filled fir me 2 times in Fl , the 3 rd Time they denied me. From 2012 -2014 in Aurora/ Denver Co I had no problems of tho sort with WAGS