During the 80’s and first part of the 90’s Pharmacists were voted the most respected profession… Independent pharmacies were around 75% of all retail community outlets. By the time that the mid-90’s arrived, the PBM’s and insurance industry because of preferred pharmacy networks – typically excluding independent pharmacies – and ever reducing reimbursement to pharmacies when filling and billing prescriptions to these entities… The number of independent pharmacies closing their doors cut the total number of independent pharmacies IN HALF.
Within a few years, Pharmacists dropped down to FOURTH most respected profession. Today independent pharmacies are about 30% of all retail pharmacy outlets. Could this have been because more and more people were having their prescriptions filled at chain pharmacies and having to deal with Rx dept staffing that is typically BELOW what is considered “skeletal staffing levels”. I hear of pharmacists either working off the clock to get the backlog of Rxs filled before they can go home or leave 100-200 Rxs left unfilled to greet the pharmacist that opens up the next morning.
It is little wonder that mis-fills/med errors happen… the opening pharmacist and typically one tech… finds enough unfilled Rxs that will take them to at least NOON to get them filled… just to catch up with what should have been done the day before.
Filed under: General Problems
Like everything else these days you have to be your own doctor, pharmacist and advocate in the hospital. As a chronic pain suffer with fibromyalgia I’m constantly checking my meds. With pharmacies changing their suppliers from time to time, pills often change in color, size and shape. Always check, you can find a lot of info on Google, and call the pharmacy if you have a question.
Having had loved ones in nursing homes, it’s a good idea to check their meds. quiet patients make things easier. My in laws were sedated for no reason other than convenience. Who knows what goes on since covid has shut down wellness checks by relatives.
HOLY Thats unbelievable So off the top of my head sounds like more pts die of wrong prescriptions than “opioid” over doses,not counting “illegal drugs”, Why isnt this BIG news? Why arent the FDA n the rest of the useless alphabet agencies screaming about this? Im shocked by this..Im sure if it was “big news” people would look twice at there prescriptions before taking them,which should be done in first place……
‘Owners’ and ‘in the loopers’ like the way things are now. They like truck loads of cash over everything else, no matter what. All they know is that ‘we are safe’.
that’s WAY more than die of opioid ODs, both legal & illegal combined. But do we hear about a “mis-filled prescription epidemic”? Nope, & we won’t, either.