Thank you so much for your article. I am starting to experience the refusal at my own local CVS Pharmacy after being an honest customer for 7 yrs. Today I was told that they not only will not fill my narcotics but they won’t fill any other regular meds. I’m a Type I Diabetic. I was also told today that all pharmacists in the area have been told to refuse me. In other words, I’ve been blacklisted. For being sick. I’ve offered to give them all of my medical records from the past 10 years. I don’t want to bore you with all of them except that the lining of my bladder and intestines is completely deteriorated. It all started with one pharmacist 2 yrs ago who told me she wouldn’t fill because her Uncle died of a Heroine overdose. I suggested she work in a drug rehab facility. She also told me how dare I be pleasant and have my 4 yr old daughter around a sick person. You guessed it. Two years later and she’s the boss. I’m a white 39 yr old and I can’t wait to quote the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I’m also legally disabled and on social security. I have done nothing to make myself sick nor do I want to be sick. To be honest, the meds work less than half the time and my sugars are running from 300-550 due to pain. I’m ready to testify in a congressional hearing, stage and sit in…Something. I guess my question is if I do file complaints with the links below, how long does it take to get a response? How much longer do Pharmacists call the shots over medical doctors? My own MD called today and sadly called me back with the news that they had every right to do what they’re doing. On the basis, and I quote, “I’m just not comfortable with you.” They all said that. It’s not like I live in Florida, see a doctor in Tennessee, and live in Georgia. (I do live in Georgia). I don’t know what else to do.
Filed under: General Problems
Marci…Agree totally!!!! One day??!!! and you going out to sell your meds…good grief…what an idiot…I would have filled it for you without issue. I hope you had a nice vacation in spite of the pharm diety on a power trip. My grandmother lived to 94, up until she passed, still lived in her own home in NJ and would fly to CA to visit her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She didn’t need wheelchair except for excessive distance, but they would put it on the plane. Other times she used her walker. She had strong support system in that her daughter, my aunt and her famiy lived very close as well as 2 uncles, but still even with her issues, she traveled and deserved it. IMHO, there is no reason why someone who is ‘disabled’ cannot travel with accomodations The whole idea of treating chronic pain is so that the patient can have an improved QUALITY of life and contribute to society
Can someone tell me why a human could be treated that way? I may be a disabled useless person in pain but I pray that someone would shot me if I ever acted this way toward someone ill and suffering for any reason. Guess I have been on the receiving end too many times.
I can answer your question, star… people get treated badly because they act badly. Do you seriously believe that this pharmacy just fired this guy for no good reason? I don’t. I’d like to hear the pharmacist’s side of the story.
There are lots of ways you could lose your pharmacist’s trust. Forge or alter a prescription. Thirty day supply only lasts you 24 days every time. Multiple doctors write controlled prescriptions for you. You’re a regular customer in more than one pharmacy. Pharmacist was talking to another pharmacist and your name came up as a problem customer.
I don’t know if any of these things may or may not be the case but I can tell that some vital piece of information is missing from this story. Since its unlikely that the pharmacist involved here will chime in maybe the correspondent can write back to Steve and fill us in on what details he omitted.
So you’ve decided Star did something wrong? I don’t believe that. I understand and relate to her story too well. I was a customer at the same WAGS for 11 years and under pain contract with my dr and never filled at ANY other pharmacy even once. They can SEE that. Never filled early, ever. Had a great rapport with the staff as did my husband as he is my healthcare surrogate and picks up my scripts when I’m incapacitated after surgery or procedures. Never had any issues thru two pharmacy managers over the years. New one comes in last spring and starts hassling ONLY the chronic pain patients. My doctors office told me they received tons of calls from him (not just about me). He gave me a difficult time about the ONE script I did need to fill ONE DAY early for a vacation fill, as i was going on vacation yet I gave two weeks prior notice with a doctors note and letter for TSA to fly to Europe for six weeks. He first refused outright. Then my drs office called and he was very nice. Once they hung up he demanded my flight information and said I needed to prove Id be where I claimed I said I was going to be since ‘people like me don’t travel to Europe’ and I was at risk to sell the meds!!! I told him I would not be giving him info that he would not ask any other customer and reminded him he was walking a fine line of discriminatory practices. He then, after having two weeks to fill my script and knowing the day I was leaving, told me I could pick up my script on June 11th, knowing I was leaving on June 10th!! And he LAUGHED!! I promptly reported him and filed complaints to everyone and everywhere I could who would listen. This is a sadist! My dr had me change pharmacies immediately and HE is marked as troublemaker at their clinic because I am a compliant patient of record for 14 years, no drama, good patient and because of low turnover everyone in the practice knows my husband and me, and many of the other patients we’ve referred over the years.
Stop blaming the patients!!! We are people with diseases seeking our FDA approved meds for our diseases, which we have a right to do. In 20 years I have been monitored carefully by my physician to keep my pain levels manageable so I can live a somewhat decent life. I have worked tirelessly at PT at the clinic. My relationship is with the dr and clinic. We don’t need little Hitler’s trying to play doctor with our lives when they have no idea how we suffer. This is not a dress rehearsal. There are serious repercussions when meds are stopped suddenly because some wet behind the ears pharmacist is on a power trip because corporate is telling him to do something that has removed what is best for PEOPLE at the core. Save it for the illegitimate fraudulent scripts and leave the true, regular patients who come in for years alone. Chances are they have incurable conditions and don’t fit the criteria of ever coming off their meds – any more so than an epileptic or diabetic will ever stop theirs.
Karma is a serious bitch and she doesn’t forgot. Ever…
Under the circumstances you describe, I would have filled your scripts without question. But if you continue to butt heads with a pharmacist who is an asshole and doesn’t want your business, you will lose. This advice has been given before: stay out of the chain stores. deal with an independent pharmacist who will value your business.