Email from pt:

Hello Steve: I have been prescribed Stadol nasal spray 10 mg (which is 2 bottles, 5mg each) every 30 days for the past 3-4 years with no problems. I am disabled, with Medicare/ Medicaid because of fibromyalgia, cronic back pain, migraines, colitis and IBD.  I went to a CVS in Lakeland,  Fla, instead of the CVS in Bartow, that I regularly patronize, about 20 minutes away. The pharmacist in the Lakeland CVS told me she would only fill one bottle of this medication, but filled the correct amount (2bottles) as the prescription was written, however, on the refill portion she put that a refill or new script would not be filled until 2/5/2018 which is well past the 30 days that it is normally filled. I went to my doctor yesterday 1/22/2018 and he gave me a new prescription to be filled yesterday because the last prescription was filled on 12/21/2018 which is over 30 days. When I took the prescription to CVS in Bartow, where I normally go, the pharmacy tech put the prescription in the computer, but got a message from the computer that due to a “Regulatory”  message that said the prescription would not be filled until 2/5/2018 or 2/6/2018. She said it was not an insurance issue, that her hands were tied and there was nothing she could do. I find it ironic that the date that the other pharmacist put in the system is the same date this “Regulatory” message showed. I need my medication and I have researched this problem for several hours to no avail. My question to you is, if I went back to the pharmacist who screwed up the date, do I have the right to question why she put a date clearly past the 30 days allowed and have her change it because it was her error and bring the fact that this error is a violation under the ADA laws, or is there something I can do by calling the State of Florida Regulatory office? The dosage amount for one bottle of this medication is 15 doses, that is why my Doctor prescribes 2 bottles so I have 30 doses per month. I hope you can advise me what to do, because I cannot function without this medication and cannot wait until 2/5/2018 to get it. My insurance will pay for the prescription as written, so it’s not an insurance issue. Thank you for your prompt response in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you. My cell phone number is xxx.xxx.xxxx. Please call me or respond to this email as expeditiously as possible.  I appreciate it very much.

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My advice to this pt:

I am not familiar with CVS software system but from what you have said.. either the pharmacist put in the days supply for the 2 bottles as 45 days +/- rather than 30 days. She could also have put a “note/memo” in your file that showed up when you went back to the store that you normally use.   I suspect that it is a internal CVS regulatory issue. .. their policies…

You can go back and talk to the pharmacist in Lakeland, but I doubt if she will change her mind.. otherwise she would have not done it in the first place.

I would suggest that you find yourself a independent pharmacy ..here is a website that will help you find one by zip code http://www.ncpanet.org/home/find-your-local-pharmacy

transfer all your medication from CVS… they don’t deserve your patronage and you never know when you will run into another pharmacist like her.  I ran Bartow, FL and 10 mile radius and came up with 5 stores

You will be dealing with the Pharmacist/owner not some employee who gets paid regardless if they fill controlled Rxs are not.

Talk to the pharmacist about syncing up all your meds so that you can get them all filled on the same day each month.. which will help balance out for any extra miles you have to travel

The FL Board of Pharmacy had new regulations that went into effect Dec 2015 that Pharmacist are suppose to look for a reason to fill a prescription NOT start looking for a reason not to fill it.. but from what I have heard out of FL the BOP is doing nothing to enforce this.

You can file a grievance with Medicare 800-MEDICARE about denial of care by CVS, and intentionally throwing you into cold turkey withdrawal and untreated pain, not following doc’s orders in regards to days supply.

You can complain to CVS HQ but they really don’t care about your quality of life… we have a serious – and growing – pharmacist surplus … so if CVS was unhappy about pts being turned away they could replace those pharmacists in a heart beat.. but.. they are not..

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Followup from pt:

Thanks for the advice. I called the pharmacist and she was a real bitch today the least, however,  I called CVS Corporate and they called the pharmacist and were in agreement with me that she crossed the line, long story short the head of the CVS leadership team called me and called my CVS where I normally go, schooled the pharmacist on how to remove the code that enabled the prescription to be filled and now all is good. Thanks so much for your advice and I appreciate the help you offered. Have a great day! 😃💟👍

 

Filed under: General Problems