THE DEA. WESH 2 NEWS INVESTIGATES. MATT GRANT LOOKED THROUGH THE REPORT. IT’S THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THAT A GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF THE WAY THE DEA WORKS WITH PHARMACIES AND WHOLESALERS AND IT IS A SENTIMENT WESH 2 NEWS INVESTIGATES HAS BEEN HEARING FOR MONTHS. IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD THAT WE HAVE TO RATION MEDICATIONS TO PATIENTS THAT REALLY NEED IT IS BIZARRE TO ME. THIS NEW REPORT CITES CRITICAL LACK OF ACCESS TO PAIN MEDICATION BY PHARMACISTS AND PATIENTS AS A RESULT OF POOR COMMUNICATION AND UNCLEAR DEA RULES. THE REPORT SAYS, IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM DEA, SOME PHARMACIES MAY BE INAPPROPRIATELY DELAYING OR DENYING FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH LEGITIMATE MEDICAL NEEDS. AND MANY DISTRIBUTORS AS A RESULT ARE SETTING THRESHOLDS OR QUOTAS ON THE AMOUNT OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES THAT CAN BE ORDERED. WHAT I AM REALLY IS A RATIONER OF MEDICATION. IF I COULD GET MORE MEDICINE FROM MY WHOLESALER, I’D DISPENSE MORE. THE REPORT FOUND QUOTAS ALONG WITH MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN FINES HANDED DOWN TO DISTRIBUTORS IN RECENT YEARS HAS PAGE ACCOUNTED HOW PHARMACIES OPERATE. ONE CHAIN TOLD THE GAO THEY ARE AFRAID OF BEING THE TARGET OF ENFORCEMENT CITATIONS AND THAT FEAR HAS CAUSED PHARMACISTS TO TRY TO PROTECT THEIR REGISTRATION AT THE EXPENSE OF THE PATIENT. THE REPORT FOUND 62 PERCENT OF PHARMACIES HAVE HAD QUOTAS PLACED ON THE AMOUNT OF MEDICINE THEY CAN ORDER FROM WHOLESALERS. AND 35 PERCENT OF DOCTORS SAY THEY’VE HAD THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS DENIED OR DELAYED. THE REPORT RECOMMENDS THE DEA REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH DISTRIBUTORS, PHARMACISTS AND DOCTORS AND MAKE RULES MORE CLEAR. THE DEA ACKNOWLEDGED COMMUNICATION IS VITAL. BUT IN A LETTER SAYS DEA CANNOT CONTROL OTHERWISE LEGITIMATE BUSINESS DECISIONS BETWEEN DISTRIBUTORS, PHARMACISTS AND PATIENTS. MATT GRANT WITH OUR REPORT. WE HAVE THE FULL GAO REPORT AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE WESH.COM. MEANWHILE THE FLORIDA BOARD OF PHARMACIES CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES STANDARDS COMMUNITY THE GROUP TASKED WITH FIXING THIS PROBLEM