Pharmacies Limit Legitimate Paid Meds

http://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/pharmacies-limit-legitimate-paid-meds

From the article:

Now both Walgreens and CVS have developed checklists and internal policies which have resulted in severely limited access for legitimate pain patients. Many patients must negotiate of gauntlet of checklists and rules to obtain their pain medications.

Physicians have been contacted by pharmacists who request diagnoses, MRI’s, treatment history, and other patient protected information for (which they do not have the medical training to interpret) prior to filling their prescriptions.  This has resulted in frustration and complaints by and for patients who are now unable to obtain legitimate prescriptions for legitimate painful medical conditions.

The Florida Medical Association recently passed a resolution to address this problem. We recently created a task force which held a conference with representatives from the Pharmacy Retail Association, DEA, the Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, The Florida Academy of Pain Medicine and the Florida Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 

There is much to address and the problem is getting worse. Pharmacies blame the DEA; the DEA blames pharmacies. Doctors and their patients are trapped in the middle.

Pharmacies have taken the wrong approach. They have put their own interests (as corporations often do) ahead of the patients they claim to treat. Pharmacies now administer vaccinations, have walk-in- clinics and provide medical advice to patients. CVS finally removed all tobacco products from its stores. Now they seek to make decisions based on medical necessity, of which they are not qualified to do, which destroys the doctor-patient relationship.

Pharmacies are consumer oriented. Perhaps patients should reconsider where they fill their prescriptions and do their shopping.  They do have a choice. As a pain specialist, I can tell you that the current situation is not sustainable. Pain physicians cannot operate with such obstacles that are unnecessary and unwarranted. Patients will suffer and pharmacies may pay the price.

Filed under: General Problems