I recently read an article that mentioned you being an advocate for pain patient rights within the pharmacy and I have a question. I will give you the scenario before asking
the question.
My husband is disabled and on pain medication. He fell 2 stories years ago and messed his back up pretty bad. He gets a 28 day supply of a C-II. He prefers to get a 28 day script versus the 30 day. Deer season starts tomorrow and my husband and his family go to our cabin for the week to hunt. My husband isn’t able to walk long distances but sits in a blind by the cabin. I got a text alert from our local Walgreens that some of my husband’s medicines were in the process of being filled. I called to tell them that I would be by to pick everything up the next day because he was leaving on a trip. While I was on the phone, I had asked a female pharmacist if the C-II could be picked up also. She told me yes, that it could be filled the next day even though it was 2 days early. She told me to call the next day because she wouldn’t be there. The next day, I called again and asked them to fill the C-II and I’d be down to get everything. I spoke to a male pharmacist and he said he would have them ready in half hour. Then I get a call from the same male pharmacist and he told me that he couldn’t fill the C-II until 4 days later. I explained that I had already talked to a pharmacist there yesterday and she said it would go through. I knew he was wrong because 4 days would have been 30 days on a 28 day prescription. While I was talking he slammed the phone down and hung up on me. I didn’t understand why he did that because I wasn’t hateful or anything. But I guess he didn’t like me insinuating he was wrong. So I drove down there and he told me that he wasn’t filling them. I asked why and he said they can’t be filled 2 days early. I told him that it’s state law that a narcotic can be filled 2 days early and he got hateful and said he wasn’t doing it because he wasn’t losing his license.
A few things that I have to add. This particular Walgreens has been having problems. They had 2 pharmacists and a tech that walked out and quit. So they’ve had “traveling” pharmacists coming in until they find permanent ones. So my question is, do I have a situation where a complaint is warranted? I planned on calling Walgreens to file a complaint. Also I want to add that my husband always gets his meds on time and never early. But because he was leaving for the week he needed to get them 2 days early.
Thank you
Little wonder this Pharmacist is a “floater” with his customer service demeanor – hanging up on a pt– maybe he considers his PharmD degree was more of a anointment as a PharmDeity . First of all he apparently can’t read that the Rx was for a 28 day supply – NOT THE USUAL 30 DAY SUPPLY – MATH must not be one of his stronger aptitudes. He also apparently doesn’t know or understand the pharmacy practice act in the state he is licensed to practice in… so he apparently make up his own rules/policies. I guess the poor pt should have asked all of his relatives to reschedule their work time so that he could have his medicine so that they could all make a trip/vacation at the same time.All this Pharmacist – or any Pharmacist – had to do was make a memo/note on the Rx that the pt was going on a holiday/vac trip before the next refill was officially due… Here is a NEWS FLASH… no pt is going to become addicted or OD from a couple of extra days of their medication. Make a pt chose between skipping a trip/vacation with family & friends, trying to cut back on their meds and try to survive the trip or just skip the trip and stay home.. so that you can get your medication(s).
My standard recommendation for pts who end up getting treated like this… to find a independent pharmacy .. here is link to find one my zip code https://ncpa.org/pharmacy-locator Where typically you will be dealing with the owner/Pharmacist and they tend to be a lot less judgemental. Take all your meds to them… no pt should be treated like this pt’s wife and any such pharmacy does not deserve a pt’s patronage nor their money.
Filed under: General Problems
This will be encountered every where in ‘health care’, ED, hospital, PCPs, …everywhere. The gun pointed at the head of these is simply to big and terrifying. They have no choice. Some handle it better than others. I have seen the whole spectrum of responses that end up with no pain control…”….
Nothing personal Steve, but this seems to me to be a perfect example of the degree of power overreach that today’s pharmacists…I don’t want to say “enjoy” because it’s so far from enjoyable for us. Oh to heck with manners; let’s say many of them flat wallow in it. I know most of the ones that have gone wayyyy beyond rude to me –like, viciously, verbally abusive– were quite obviously getting off on the chance to loudly abuse someone in public. Very public mini-orgies of self-righteous abuse of a powerless person*. They knew, of course, that the folks watching the show were on their side, after the cataclysmically effective propaganda campaign against pain patients. I would literally not be surprised if we hear of pain patients ending up being attacked by the good ole watching public. I also wouldn’t be surprised if it went to actual violence. Pitchforks & lynch ropes lie at the rotten heart of a lot of people, just waiting for an excuse to be used on nonhumans –which is what our status basically is at this point. What other disabled group can people not only abuse without repercussions, but be actively praised for going after we who are solely responsible for every person who ever abused a drug?
*I’m convinced that these types are actually addicted to their self-righteous rage….I know that at least one of the good folks on the Oregon Chronic Pain Task Farce a few years ago was so obviously getting off on ranting at how horrible opioids & pain patients were that I was sure he’d have to hold something in front of his pants when he stood up.