PHARMACIST STEVE

Someone must have an acute case of “DEA PARANOIA” ?

5 Responses

1. 

   rosalie, on October 13, 2017 at 4:36 pm said:

   We are to expect that a pharmacist can now diagnose our health issues from x-rays or MRIs? Even my pain medicine specialist who is a top doctor in the area we live in and is extremely competent and well respected doesn’t give an official diagnosis from copies of radiographs or MRIs. He looks at them and he does indeed say “Oh, you have really shitty arthritis that is starting to prevent you from walking, here is what it looks like” but he defers to the MD who read the films for official diagnosis. If he sees something the radiologist missed or feels it as misdiagnosed he’ll say something, of course but reading those things is not his field and he can miss the subtle findings that the radiologist can see from training and experience. How on earth can a pharmacist do better?

   Pharmacists are not there to diagnose their patients. They’ve not been trained to read a radiograph, they are trained to know what drugs to treat what caused the abnormal radiograph and they know what drugs can’t be prescribed together. They know if you’re allergic to one type of drug you can be allergic to an entire class of drugs and should be working to prevent those from getting into your system.

   I wonder how long it will take before this pharmacy is sued for acting as a doctor, or medical malpractice.

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2. 

   maryw, on October 9, 2017 at 3:30 pm said:

   Again,,MY MEDICAL RECORDS,OTHER THEN MY ALERGOES,,,IS NONE OF MY PHARMACITD BUSINESS,,,EVER,,,violayion of hippa and the the 4th..Id fight in maryland ,,if we had the $$$$,,,maryw

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     Kathleen Kaiser, on October 10, 2017 at 8:38 pm said:

     Somebody posted a link to the HIPAA laws where it shows this is not against HIPAA rules. Hard to believe but it was right there in black and white.

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3. 

   Karl Deigert, on October 9, 2017 at 1:20 am said:

   Pharmacist’s access to such patient documentation and records enhances the Pharmacist’s ability in formulating and exercising their professional judgment as to the appropriateness of medication USE. It is when the Pharmacists begin to try and interpret these doctor notes and lab results in formulating a decision as to appropriate DOSAGE that the line of practicing Pharmacy and Medicine gets crossed and the use of these mandated record requests becomes INAPPROPRIATE.
   The use of medical records and lab results in calculations of appropriate dosing/dosages by a Pharmacist for IV antibiotics such as amino glycosides or Total Parenteral Nutrition is certainly within the scope of Pharmacy Practice. As Pain Management is based on subjective patient reporting and varies with each unique and individual pain patient’s circumstances the appropriate opioid dose MUST BE left to the prescriber. To do otherwise by Pharmacists would be tantamount to practicing medicine for which they have no license. In the case of IV morphine or other IV opioid dosing,the provided assistance a Pharmacist provides a doctor in determining appropriate starting doses or oral to IV dose determinations would be appropriate but ultimately that dosage decision falls fully to the prescriber.
   I am sure the Pharmacy Practice in this notification is acting out of fear of retribution by regulatory agencies for simply practicing their profession; but, the overzealous scrutiny puts them in a position of having to document that they are in fact performing all due diligence or as some would say, covering their ass from persecution.
   I have been there and have done this myself when Walmart implemented their unlawful opioid mandate and I was in fear of corporate retribution for exercising my professional judgement as allowed by Florida Law.
   SEEN HERE;
   64B16-27.831 Standards of Practice for the Filling of Controlled Substance Prescriptions:
   In filling these prescriptions, the Board does not expect pharmacists to take any specific action beyond exercising sound professional judgment. Pharmacists should not fear disciplinary action from the Board or other regulatory or enforcement agencies for dispensing controlled substances for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice. Every patient’s situation is unique and prescriptions for controlled substances shall be reviewed with each patient’s unique situation in mind. Pharmacists shall attempt to work with the patient and the prescriber to assist in determining the validity of the prescription.
   2.(a) When validating a prescription, neither a person nor a licensee shall interfere with the exercise of the pharmacist’s independent professional judgment.

   -893.04 Pharmacist and practitioner.
   2)(a) A pharmacist may not dispense a controlled substance listed in Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV to any patient or patient’s agent without first determining, in the exercise of her or his professional judgment, that the prescription is valid. The pharmacist may dispense the controlled substance, in the exercise of her or his professional judgment, when the pharmacist or pharmacist’s agent has obtained satisfactory patient information from the patient or the patient’s agent.

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     Karl Deigert, on October 9, 2017 at 1:25 am said:

     Please keep me up to date on this one Steve.

     Reply