Pharmacist: refuses to fill legit/medically necessary opiate Rxs unless the pt has cancer

I’m emailing you because I been going to my pharmacy for 4 years now and I get two medications that are controlled and today when

I went I saw there was a new pharmacist and after he filed all my medications he asked me how long have I been coming there so I asked why he said that he only will prescribe those kind of medications to people with cancer

I said well I have severe nerve pain as well as two herniated disc as well as Arthritis then he I will die so he will refuse to fill them next he also spoke to me with a attitude. I really felt like I was being judged by him he also looked at like I was junkie please if can give some advice about how to go about this thank you so much.

 

I would hope that this pt misunderstood this pharmacist and/or this pharmacist did not say that “he would not PRESCRIBE opiates for anything other than cancer”  Prescribing is a function of the practice of medicine, but.. one of the basics of the practice of medicine is the starting, changing, stopping a pt’s therapy…  So this pharmacist did state that he would not longer fill legitimately prescribed opiate/controlled meds in the future for this pt because she does not a active cancer.

I had made this blog post before and it was first directed toward a prescriber who is telling a pt that they are going to have their opiate meds reduced on the next office visit, but it is also appropriate for a Pharmacist – particularly a chain pharmacist  – following the instructions in the post and sending info to both the pharmacist and the Rx dept Manager for the particular pharmacy and the legal dept at the chain’s HQ.  When I first wrote this, I suggested that the pt use an attorney to send the letter(s), but in after thought… I think that a pt can send such a letter by certified mail… because there is known complications of a pt’s comorbidity health issues for under/untreated pain and most likely a pt being thrown in cold turkey withdrawal could make the complications onset much more abrupt.  Pharmacists should be well aware of the consequences to a pt for being thrown into cold turkey withdrawal and if they don’t know, a letter from a pt will make them aware and if such complications to the pt’s health does happen.. then if they are taken to court for the consequences of their actions… they won’t be able to claim that they didn’t know or didn’t expect such bad pt outcomes.

Here is a recent story about a lawsuit concerning a pt who had his opiate dose cut 55% and he committed suicide https://www.pharmaciststeve.com/7-million-awarded-to-family-of-man-who-killed-himself-after-pain-medication-denied/

 

One Response

  1. My husband is a bk amputee, he lost part of his leg in Iraq. He was with a doctor who got caught up in, what the DEA considered “over prescribing,” After that nightmare, it was proven impossible to get any pain control through the VA. We decided it would be best to go to a civilian doctor. The first doctor who was willing to try to help him, wanted to start from scratch. Note previously he was on Oxycodone 30’s 6/day and Oxycontin 80’s 3/day. The new doctor decided to start him off on Norco to see if it helped at all. When we got to the pharmacy, the pharmacist said to my husband , “Do you currently have cancer?, because if you don’t, your insurance will only allow me to give you a 5 day supply.” I immediately asked him to look into his history to see what he was given in the past, and in the same stare. He stated that it didn’t matter what he was on in the past, but only cancer patients could receive more than a five day supply of Norco! It wasn’t even worth the time or effort! He was simply going through the steps to attempt to get some pain relief back. Was the pharmacist lying to him? Or could this be some sort of law in some states? (Illinois here) I knew it was false, perhaps he just needed a prior authorization? He wasn’t prepared to bother with it. I asked because this sounds much like what a pharmacist asked my husband. Is it possible that they teach them to tell such lies? I don’t understand any of this!

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