From my INBOX:
Steve, I read your article and I have a perfect example of what has happened. I suffer and have suffered from Chronic Back pain and neuropathy in my feet for 12 years and never have filled early and have taken them on time and as prescribed. The pharmacy has now refused to filled my prescription because of the recommended allowance. Kroger is the company that has instructed the pharmacies to stop filling them. What can I do in the mean time. This really is a bad thing and it is very frustrating to be called a drug addict just because I am in pain.
Thanks for the work you do. Being an advocate for something or someone is one of the best jobs you can do. You help people.
Each state has a Pharmacy practice act… which lays out the authority of what a Pharmacist can, must and can not do. I am hearing from Pharmacists and pts more and more that the EMPLOYER of the Pharmacist is establishing company policies and guidelines that dictates what a Pharmacist must do and/or can’t do. Many times these corporate edicts attempt to supercede the authority that is granted by the practice act to the Pharmacist.
We have a growing large surplus of Pharmacists and with over half the states being a “at will employment” state.. where you can be fired … for just about any reason… even if the employer decides they don’t like the color of your eyes.
The majority of the Pharmacy Boards – who are in charge of enforcing the practice act – are “stacked” with non-practicing corporate Pharmacists. Who seemingly turn a “blind eye” to the fact that employers are forcing employed Pharmacist to relinquish their authority under the practice act to their employer’s dictates.
The probability of a pt filing a complaint against a Pharmacy/Pharmacist with the Pharmacy Board and getting some corrective actions is somewhere between slim and none. The majority of the pharmacy boards don’t even require pharmacies to report medication errors/mis-fills to them. Denying a pt their medically necessary controlled medications… would seem to be a NON-ISSUE by most/all of the boards of pharmacy.
Then there is the part of practicing medicine that involves the starting, changing or stopping a pts medication… this particular pt’s situation would seem – IMO – that the pharmacy corporation (permit holder) and the Pharmacist seem to be involved in that portion of the practice of medicine… and if so.. is doing so WITHOUT A LICENSE.
Then there is Americans with Disability Act violation/discrimination.. which is a civil rights violation.
With some of these VERY BIG CORPORATIONS with very deep pockets.. and someone can produce the documentation from the corporation stating that their employed Pharmacists must force a pt to REDUCE their medications… it would seem like a eager attorney might be interested in a class action against these corporations – most/all of the large pharmacy corporations are doing this… this is not isolated to this one single corporation.
Some believe that the pt is put at as much risk/harm or more risk/harm by being denied their medically necessary medication as the pt that is given the WRONG MEDICATION because of a mis-fill.
One of these days, one of these PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS is going to figure this out.. and all hell is going to break loose.
Filed under: General Problems
Welcome to Republican World…Like Disney World without any wishes coming true unless you are rich and well connected.
Just read today right-to-work legislation is going to be pushed HARD in NH, KY, and MO in the wake of newly unleashed and unbridled Republican control. More emboldened corporate “practices” will follow in its wake.
Hope all those GOP voters are happy with what is coming at them!
Dems need an intervention. Maybe some on this forum can get involved and make their voices heard in the next cycle of reinventing the Democratic party. Trust me opportunities will unfold for Dems over the next few years if we can get new faces to lead a party that will be desired “bigly” to fix the mess coming!
My doctor writes a script for Dextroamphetamine Sulphate. I return 4 as they all are unrecognizable, ineffective, but giving me enough side-effects to cause medical intervention. I filed quality control reports, written letters to mental health officals, contacted disability rights advocates, public legal offices, non profit agencies, even crime victims and not one said they could help or called me back.
The pharmacies say “We don’t accept returns” before I have even used the medication. I called my medicare D carrier with my complaints only to be told it’s the doctors responsibility. I said “my dr. writes a script for a specific medication; the medication is supposed to be what is written on the script !!
Too much is wrong, it’s mind-blowing and sickening. The most terrifying is that NO-ONE seems to be able to help at all.
We’re in an Epidemic of Fear, Denial, PTSD, Suicides, suppressed assisted suicides, cruelty and labels of “Addiction” [a blanket statement Harvard designed,].
Meanwhile, sales of alcohol have skyrocketed along with tobacco sales. The “legal” substances skyrocket while natural plants only accessible to drug companies and related gov entities become made illegal and if obtainable would carry a $ tag not affordable to the suffering majority.
So many “intelligent” and “educated” people who claim to be holistic ignorantly and punitively abuse the word “addict” to include people suffering and in need of medication. They smoke, eat, and use MJ saying that MJ is natural; I say that I can’t get access to the plants that my medication is created from, and am at the mercy of big pharma. We need Global and Legal Intervention as the USA has / is destroying the constitution while terrorizing and torturing us. I have never experienced so much hatred, illegal, and unethical corruption in my life. Totally Unsustainable !