Dr Kline discussing Pain Management Clinics May 15th 8 PM EDT

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

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Prescription Drug Dispensing Errors Kill 100,000 People Per Year In US

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/05/15/pills-prescriptions-kill-us/

DALLAS (KTVT) – The investigative team at KTVT-TV has learned there are more than 2.3 million prescription drug dispensing errors made every year in pharmacies across the United States.

About 100,000 patients die every year because of a pharmaceutical mistake according to reports published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

PHARMACY DISPENSING ERRORS

Lake Towakoni resident Linda Lilley thought she was taking her pain medication Gabapentin, but she says her bottle contained Gemfibrozil- a cholesterol medication which looked very similar to Gabapentin.

The bottle had a correct manufacturer label but she says the pharmacist put the wrong label on it.

pharmacy bottle Prescription Drug Dispensing Errors Kill 100,000 People Per Year In US

She got so sick she says she eventually could not move. She needed help doing day-to-day chores.

“I felt nauseated,” she said. “By the third day, I was debilitated.”

The pills looked so similar that Lilley did not suspect anything was wrong. Finally, one morning, she looked at the bottle closely and discovered the mistake. She immediately stopped taking the medication; however, by that time, she had taken the wrong drug for 12 days, three times a day.

EFFECTS OF MEDICATION MISTAKES

Since 2016, KTVT learned the State of Texas has disciplined nearly 200 pharmacists for making errors. The documents obtained by KTVT show some striking examples of dispensing mistakes.

A wrong dose of medication sent a 3-month-old to ICU for five days. The infant was given 100 times the prescribed amount.

Another example indicated a wrong strength of a drug rushed a 7-year-old to the ER with heart problems.

A wrong drug left another patient with an increased risk of cancer.

A patient was prescribed “cyclosporine” but instead, the pharmacist filled “Cyclophosphamide.”

WHAT IS GOING ON?

The similarity in names is one of the biggest causes for confusion, experts told KTVT.

Dr. Marv Shepard, the former Chairman of the Pharmacy Administration Division of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas in Austin, says errors typically occur because pharmacists are overworked.

“They’re having trouble because of the pressures of the environment,” he told KTVT. Dr. Shepherd says the stress of staying open 24 hours can be overwhelming.

He says the typical pharmacy stocks up to 5,000 drugs, dispenses 300 prescriptions daily and makes two to four mistakes every day.

Dr. Shepard believes it results in about 100,000 deaths in the U.S. “It’s huge, it’s a big problem,” he added.

He says the two most common drugs involved in dispensing errors are insulin and anti-coagulants. And most of these occur in just about every well-known pharmacy you can think of. KTVT reached out to some of the pharmacies listed in disciplinary actions by the State of Texas.

CVS PHARMACY STATEMENT

The health and well-being of our patients is our number one priority and we have comprehensive policies and procedures in place to ensure prescription safety.  We regularly seek out new technology and innovations to improve our systems, we engage with industry experts for independent evaluations of our dispensing procedures, and we are committed to continually improving our processes to help ensure that prescriptions are dispensed safely and accurately.  Prescription errors are a very rare occurrence, but if one does happen, we do everything we can to learn from it in order to continuously improve quality and patient safety. 

WALGREENS PHARMACY STATEMENT

The quality and safety of our pharmacy services is the top priority for Walgreens, and we take any prescription error very seriously. That’s one reason we have a multi-step prescription filling process with numerous safety checks in the process to minimize the chance of human error. We also encourage patients to check with our pharmacists or their health care providers if they have a question or concern about their medications. Together, we can help ensure our patients get the best care.

WALMART STATEMENT

We work hard every day to ensure we live up to the high standards we set for ourselves and that our customers expect. We have quality control measures in place to help ensure that any medications we provide our customers are the medications prescribed.

Despite the stacks of disciplinary actions KTVT received from the state, Dr. Shepherd says most errors are never reported.

MANUFACTURER’S MISTAKE

KTVT learned it is not just pharmacies making mistakes. While it is rare, drug manufacturers have also put the wrong medicine in a sealed bottle and then sent the bottle to pharmacies.

That is exactly what happened to Karin Bollinger.

For 30 days, Bollinger, a Dallas resident, thought she was taking Clopidogrel, her prescribed blood thinner. But instead, the bottle contained Simvastatin, a cholesterol drug. She too suffered serious side effects.

”I had lost about 17 pounds in 12 days,” she said. “I had a horrible rash, blisters, and ulcerations across my chest.”

Bollinger eventually received a recall letter from the maker warning her about the mix-up in the manufacturing process, but that was months later.

“The drug mistake had been made,” Bollinger said.

The KTVT asked the manufacturer, International Labs, to respond to the error but it did not want to comment on the case.

READ FDA RECALL LETTER HERE

WHAT IS BEING DONE

Experts say the industry is cracking down on errors at the manufacturer and pharmacy level. The FDA has created a commission to change the names of similar sounding drugs. Electronic prescriptions have helped with handwriting mishaps. In addition, barcode technology has also helped lower dispensing errors.

screen shot 2018 05 14 at 6 31 01 pm Prescription Drug Dispensing Errors Kill 100,000 People Per Year In US

bad handwriting prescription

Both Bollinger and Lilley say their experiences have taught them to always double check their prescriptions.

“We all need to be aware of it. Look at your medications,” Lilley said. That is the only way to stay safe she added.

“This has taught me to check every one of my medications,” Bollinger said.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

When you leave the pharmacy and tear the insert off of the bag containing your medicine, make sure you check the description of the drug on the insert and compare it to what is in the bottle.

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Reynolds signs bill intended to curb opioid overdose deaths

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/article211116604.html

DES MOINES, Iowa

Doctors in Iowa will be required to screen patients’ risk of addiction before prescribing some painkillers under a law signed Monday by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The law, an attempt by lawmakers to curb Iowa’s growing opioid problem, mandates the tracking of prescription drugs through a software system that should automatically flag patients believed to have a high risk of abusing painkillers. The measure seeks to reduce so-called “doctor shopping,” where a patient visits multiple physicians seeking prescriptions.

Reynolds signed the law at a Dubuque medical center that offers treatment for opioid addiction.

“Opioid-related deaths have more than doubled over the past decade,” the Republican governor said. “With this legislation, we are taking the first step to reverse this heart-wrenching trend.”

Medical experts warn the state must be careful to avoid a spike in illegal drug use, an unintended consequence of limiting opioid medication.

Lawmakers have taken some steps in recent years to address opioid abuse. In 2016, they expanded access to a drug used to treat overdoses. Grants also are increasing access to treatment for those addicted to opioids. But there’s been a push to do more as opioid-related deaths increase.

Opioid patients will now be assigned a number similar to a credit score that indicates their risk for abusing opioids — which include prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone, and illegal substances, such as heroin. High risk patients would be scrutinized by doctors and pharmacists.

“The higher the number, the higher the risk,” said Andrew Funk, executive director of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy.

Iowa will join 38 other states that require the use of a prescription monitoring program, according to the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws. Iowa’s neighboring states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois have mandatory review programs. Nebraska and South Dakota have optional programs, while Missouri lacks a robust statewide program.

Prescription management programs need to be linked to other efforts to combat opioids, said Silvia Martins, a Columbia University assistant professor who co-authored a recent study examining whether such programs decrease overdose deaths. The study, published earlier this month, encouraged states to have mandatory programs like Iowa’s where doctors review patient data before writing prescriptions. Providing adequate access to treatment is also critical.

“It has to be a multipronged approach,” Martins said.

States can’t only focus on legal access to opioids. Martins said some states see a spike in heroin overdose deaths after taking steps to reduce legal prescriptions for opioids.

Iowa had 98 deaths linked to heroin last year, part of 309 overall opioid-linked deaths, based on preliminary data from the Iowa Department of Public Health. Iowa had more than 50 opioid-linked deaths in the first four months of 2018. Nationally, more than 115 people die each day from opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The law, which goes into effect in July, also provides immunity from prosecution to anyone who calls 911 to report an overdose.

Critics question whether Iowa’s opioid legislation goes far enough. The new law doesn’t place any limits on how many doses of opioids can be prescribed or directly address the spread of illicit drugs.

Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to add a needle exchange program, which could help slow the spread of hepatitis C and HIV from illicit drugs. State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk said such programs are a “proven method” to get people with drug addiction into treatment.

Rep. David Heaton, a Mount Pleasant Republican who isn’t seeking re-election, said he’s also concerned that the private companies that run Iowa’s Medicaid system “drag their feet” on providing authorization for medicine to help curb addiction.

“My hat’s off to all of us on passing a good start,” Heaton said in floor debate. “But there’s a lot of work to be done.”

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July 9, 2018 the Food and Drug Administration is holding public meeting on chronic pain treatment

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

on July 9, 2018 the Food and Drug Administration is holding public meeting on chronic pain treatment for adults and pediatric patients.  Notice of public meeting; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is announcing a public meeting and an opportunity for public comment on “Patient-Focused Drug Development for Chronic Pain.” The public meeting will provide patients (including adult and pediatric patients) with an opportunity to present to FDA their perspectives on the impacts of chronic pain, views on treatment approaches for chronic pain, and challenges or barriers to accessing treatments. FDA is particularly interested in hearing from patients who experience chronic pain that is managed with analgesic medications such as opioids, acetaminophen, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants; other medications; and non-pharmacologic interventions or therapies. DATES: The public meeting will be held on July 9, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Submit either electronic or written comments on this public workshop by September 10, 2018. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for registration date and information.

 

 

Read more at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-10284.pdf

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On marijuana and opioids —acting Admin Patterson – is CLUELESS ?

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

On marijuana and opioids — the DEA has no clue what it’s talking about

http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/387640-on-marijuana-and-opioids-the-dea-has-no-clue-what-its-talking-about

Is state-level medical cannabis access mitigating or fueling America’s opioid crisis? Testifying before Congress last week, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) acting administrator Robert Patterson claimed the latter.

But when he prompted to provide evidence in support of the agency’s position, he acknowledged that he could not.

His failure to substantiate this claim is unsurprising. That is because numerous peer-reviewed studies show that increased cannabis access is associated with declining rates of opioid use, abuse, hospitalizations, and mortality. Among patients enrolled in state-sanctioned medical marijuana access programs, participants’ use of not only opioids, but also their use of numerous other prescription medications — such as anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs — declines significantly.

According to one recently published study, “National overall reductions in Medicare program and enrollee spending when states implemented medical marijuana laws were estimated to be $165.2 million per year.” In Canada, where medical cannabis access is legal federally, recently published data reports that over half of trial subjects were able to cease their use of opioids within six-months of enrolling in Health Canada’s cannabis access program.One might expect the administrator of the nation’s chief drug enforcement agency to be aware of at least some of this data. But Patterson’s testimony proved otherwise.

Specifically, when asked by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz if the DEA was aware of the landmark 2017 National Academy of Sciences study finding, “There is conclusive or substantial evidence that cannabis [is] effective for the treatment for chronic pain,” Patterson answered that he was not.

He further acknowledged that he was unfamiliar with several state-specific, longitudinal studies, such as those from Minnesota and New Mexico, finding that chronic pain patients who register to partake in cannabis therapy dramatically decrease their use of opioids and other pain-relieving drugs. (Separate assessments of state-authorized medical cannabis patients in Illinois, Michigan, New York, and elsewhere affirm these conclusions).

He further claimed ignorance with regard to the findings of a highly publicized study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding that medical cannabis regulation is associated with year-over-year declines in overall opioid-related mortality, including heroin overdose deaths.

Moreover, when pressed to provide evidence — any evidence — in support of the DEA’s questionable position, Patterson readily admitted that he knew of none. In fact, upon further questioning, he acknowledged that the DEA has, to date, never even so much as reviewed the issue. He further suggested that those patients seeking an alternative to opioid analgesics may wish to try “Tylenol.”

The testimony concluded:

Rep. Gaetz: “You’re the acting administrator of the DEA. You cannot cite a single study that indicates that medical marijuana creates a greater challenge with opioids, and you’re unaware of the studies, including studies from the National Academies of Sciences, that demonstrate that medical marijuana can be an acceptable alternative to opioids. Is that what I’m understanding?”

Robert Patterson: “Yes.”

At a time when tens of thousands of Americans are dying annually from their use of opioids, it is almost inconceivable that the DEA would willfully and publicly maintain such a Flat Earth position with regard to the use of medical cannabis as a potential alternative. Their failure to acknowledge basic and readily available facts and science is once again indicative of the reality that the DEA, admittedly, is an agency that places political ideology above all else.

As a result, pundits and legislators — particularly those at the federal level — should no longer give deference to the DEA’s cannabis-specific public policy agenda. Rather, they should view the agency as an artifact of a bygone era, whose positions and opinions are increasingly out-of-touch with the emerging scientific, political, and cultural consensus.  

Paul Armentano is the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He is the co-author of the book, Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? and the author of the book, The Citizen’s Guide to State-By-State Marijuana Laws.

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Want To Talk With the Media About Chronic Pain?

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

www.nationalpainreport.com/want-to-talk-with-the-media-about-chronic-pain-8836259.html

“Why won’t the media listen to us?”

It has been a common question of frustration that hundreds and hundreds of chronic pain patients have commented on the National Pain Report stories we’ve done on the opioid issue in last several years.

Politico has been covering the issue and wants to hear more information from patients and providers. Their story, 5 unintended consequences of addressing the opioid crisis talked about both sides of the story—which pain patient advocates say has been rare in the coverage of the opioid issue.

They are interested in speaking with patients and providers about their experience. I filled out the form recently–identified myself as the editor of the National Pain Report and received a response email asking that we tell you about the opportunity to comment.

Their director of engagement, Annie Yu, sent me an email with the request.

“Our stories are read by some of the top health care policymakers in the country, and we want to make sure that we’re listening to many perspectives as we can and letting that shape and inform our reporting,” she wrote.

Here’s the form.

It asks for the input of patients and providers.

The frustration–and the increasing isolation-that permeate the chronic pain population are well documented in our readers’ reaction to our stories. This is a chance for you to talk with the media.

And it gives the health care providers–many of whom have expressed to us and others their frustration with the opioid crackdown which didn’t provide any alternative to the restrictions–a chance to tell their story about the treatment challenges this presents.

If you have time after you’ve given Politico your views and opinion, please share in our comment section the gist of what you shared.

This is also a good time to remind you of the survey that we are promoting in advance of the FDA meeting in July. The FDA is challenged with determining how to balance the need to ensure continued access to persons who rely on opioids for continuous pain relief while addressing the ongoing concerns about safe use, abuse and misuse.  You are asked to comment before June 17.

Here’s the survey.

Follow Us on Twitter

@NatPainReport

@edcoghlan

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Mother calls for lower insulin prices in wake of son’s death

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

 

https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/mother-calls-for-lower-insulin-prices-in-wake-of-sons-death/551858205

ST. PAUL, Minn. – On the eve of Mother’s Day, one mother is trying to raise awareness about the high price of insulin.

It’s an issue for which she has paid much too high of a personal price.

“Last year our 26-year-old son passed away because he was rationing his insulin,” said Nicole Smith-Holt.

Her son, Alec, died from diabetic ketoacidosis after aging out of his parents’ insurance coverage on June 1.

“He was actually found dead in his apartment on June 27,” Smith-Holt said. “So he lasted 27 days not being covered.”

She said Alec’s medical costs would have been about $2,000 per month.

“Usually birthdays are a happy time, but it was actually a time when I became very, very afraid for his life,” she said. “I knew he couldn’t afford the options that were out there.”

So on Saturday, May 12, the day before Mother’s Day, Smith-Holt stood on the Minnesota Capitol steps with a group of other families who are rallying to lower the price of insulin. They also want to force big pharmaceutical companies to be transparent about how much the drugs cost to make – and how much of a profit they make.

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 7.5 million Americans need the drug. And a 2016 analysis showed the cost of insulin nearly tripled from 2002 to 2013.

This is the first Mother’s Day Smith-Holt will spend without her son.

“He was a mama’s boy,” she said. “He never let a Mother’s Day go by without spending time with me. He would show up at my job and bring me a bouquet of flowers, or take me out to dinner.”

She said this is a “heartbreaking” place to spend the holiday.

“I should be with my son,” she said. “I should not have had to bury him at such a young age. No parent should have to bury their children.”

Smith-Holt’s husband and Alec’s father, James Holt, Jr., agreed, “We should be planning a nice family barbecue. But that’s OK. We’re gonna keep fighting until we get this accomplished.”

“Yeah, we’re not giving up,” Smith-Holt said.

 

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Stopping addiction: interfere with pts with ambulatory issues from getting opiates ?

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

Is limiting opioid prescriptions the answer to fighting the heroin crisis?

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-walmart-limits-opioid-prescriptions-20180514-story.html

Within the next two months, anyone who gets an acute opioid prescription filled at a Walmart will be limited to a seven-day supply of the medication, part of the company’s effort to curb the number of pills being sold illegally on the street.

Walmart announced last week it would join CVS Caremark, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, to cap prescriptions, a move Walmart said put it in line with federal guidelines.

“We’re taking action in the fight against the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Marybeth Hays, Walmart’s executive vice president of health and wellness.

But some doctors say policies such as Walmart’s intrude on the doctor-patient relationship and make it more inconvenient for patients to treat chronic pain, but do not prevent addicts from getting opioids.

Walmart’s policy, which will be put into effect within 60 days, also mirrors efforts by several states that limit acute opioid prescriptions to seven days, including a bill before Pennsylvania lawmakers that would impose the one-week limit.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Gene Yaw of Williamsport, said limits on opioids are necessary to prevent future addicts.

“There is no question about it — the way that doctors were told to eliminate pain is part of the problem we have today,” Yaw said. “Somewhere along the line, you need to pick a number and say this number of pills is enough to get by, but not get someone addicted.”

The bill passed the Senate in October and remains before a House committee.

Dr. Kenneth Choquette, a Coordinated Health pain management specialist and physician for three decades, said he learned of Walmart’s new prescription policy from patients who use opioids and were alarmed by it.

“This is a disturbing trend that is actually destroying those 95 percent or more of people who need this medication,” Choquette said. “This is a horrible policy that is going to greatly burden those who already are using walkers, canes and crutches to go out every week to get their medication.”

Each week at his practice, Choquette said, he works with ailing patients who are under more restrictions from insurance companies, both in the type and amount of medication those companies will cover.

“The addict is going to find pills or other methods no matter what,” Choquette. “But these limits by industries and insurance companies doesn’t fix anything other than to greatly inconvenience those who are already suffering and yet taking their medication properly under the care of a physician.”

Dr. John Gallagher, chairman of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s opioid task force, said he’s open to any ideas that may help slow the opioid epidemic, but isn’t sure if limiting pain medication is the answer.

“The arbitrary refusal to fulfill a physician’s treatment plan while not cognizant of the complete clinical situation may not be appropriate,” Gallagher said. He said the better answer may be to develop clinical practical guidelines and consult with the prescribing physician.

There’s little doubt that opioids continue to kill in record numbers. For the third consecutive year, overdose deaths rose dramatically in 2017 in both Lehigh and Northampton counties, according to a Morning Call analysis of the annual coroner reports released at the end of January. A total of 306 people died of drug overdoses last year.

Northampton County had 109 drug-related deaths, an increase of 56 percent over 2016, while Lehigh County had 197 drug-related deaths, a rise of 25 percent.

Pennsylvania has the fourth highest rate of fatal drug overdoses, according to 2016 figures, the latest available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In April, Gov. Tom Wolf extended a statewide disaster declaration intended to make getting treatment for opioid addiction faster and easier. The declaration, originally announced in January, waives 13 regulations or protocols in an effort to direct more resources to battling addiction.

The state also has a prescription drug monitoring program that flags those seeking opioid prescriptions at multiple pharmacies.

Another part of Walmart’s plan includes electronic prescriptions for narcotics in 2020, which would eliminate the possibility of a paper precription being altered to get more medicine. CVS Caremark announced restrictions in September to its 90 million plan members that imposes a seven-day limit on opioid pills and also puts limits on the quantities of some higher-dosage opioids.

pamela.lehman@mcall.com

Twitter @pamelalehman

Here is a chain pharmacy that has the fewest drive-thru windows that is creating a obstacle to those people dealing with acute pain and causing them to have to navigate thru their huge stores or find someone to drive them to the store and/or go by and pick up their C-II Rxs.  Of course, sending someone in to pick up a C-II Rxs for someone else… may be a obstacles all in itself.  What is a pt caught up in dealing with acute pain to do ?

So is the country’s LARGEST RETAILER…  WALMART … discriminating against a protected class under the Americans with Disability Act ?

 

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The DEA is trying to kill Utah’s medical marijuana initiative before it reaches voters

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

https://herb.co/marijuana/news/kevin-deleon-dianne-feinstein-california

A voter-led initiative to implement a medical marijuana program in Utah has been facing opposition since it gained enough signatures to make it onto the ballot in November. Led by the state’s medical community, the opposition has now gained the support of a local division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, sparking controversy about whether federal employees are allowed to provide their backing to political campaigns.

Under federal election laws, government agencies and certain employees are prohibited from participating in partisan activities related to campaigns, though in this case, it’s not clear that one party is leading the effort since the organizations involved—the Utah Medical Association and Drug Safe Utah—are not associated with political parties.

Still, it’s questionable whether the DEA is meant to take sides in electoral politics at all, especially when it appears that the anti-ballot campaign has been using some ethically dubious tactics. Documents obtained by Marijuana Moment have shown that door to door canvassers from the opposition have been instructed to use misleading information and cater their message based on the age of the individuals they are speaking to.

The medical cannabis initiative qualified for the November 6th ballot in April, collecting a reported 200,000 signatures—tens of thousands more than it needed. But the complicated process by which a ballot measure qualifies to be placed before voters in Utah has the opposition looking for loopholes to get it removed.

In order to meet the state’s requirements, the initiative’s organizers had to collect more than 113,000 overall signatures across the state, but those signatures also had to make up at least 10 percent of voters who turned out in the last election in 27 of the state’s 29 districts.

It’s that 27 district loophole that the opposition is trying to exploit by canvassing door to door to get those who signed the petition to remove their signatures. If they are successful, the ballot initiative will not appear before voters in the fall. But their effort is a long shot since they have to convince hundreds of people in multiple districts by the May 15th deadline.

According to a report from the Salt Lake Tribune, the opposition’s campaign has also gained the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Salt Lake City Metro Narcotics Task Force.

If approved in November, the ballot question would greatly expand Utah’s existing medical program allowing residents to apply for a medical cannabis license with a list of around 12 qualifying conditions. The initiative also covers labeling, inspection and distribution methods which include dispensaries, but still prohibits the smoking of cannabis flower. The ballot question runs counter to a pair of laws recently passed by the Utah legislature which allowed the Utah Department of Agriculture to oversee the production of cannabis for limited use by terminally ill patients.

According to recent polling, nearly 80 percent of Utah residents support the voter initiative, making it likely to pass if it appears on the ballot in the fall.

Governor Gary Herbert has voiced his opposition to the initiative in favor of the more restrictive program passed by lawmakers but has also said that voters ought to be allowed to decide what they want. “Let’s have the vote. Let’s have the debate,” Herbert said in a public address last month. “I think it’s good to have the people’s voice heard.”

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How some WalMart Pharmacists are implementing a new opiate dosage limits – suppose to be for new acute only

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

Walmart to restrict opioid dispensing at its pharmacies

Above is a link to the new Walmart Policy and below is what showed up on the web today from a pt in the NW trying to get a “routine opiate prescription filled at her “normal Walmart”

 

I sent you a message it’s a long one but it kind of has to do with the pharmacy business and it was very shocking today. I’ve been a patient at this Walmart with the same dose for two years the only thing that changed was my doctor retired and he was 90 well deserved and I got transferred to it to another physician and same amount of medicine the only thing that was different was it was not e-filed it was paper and I’m not used to that I brought it to the pharmacy and stupidly had them hold it because I thought it would be safe there I always do it with my daughters medication because it is a controlled substance to me the pharmacy is a safe place. Anyway I went to pick up my prednisone and he said we cannot fill these would not give me a reason I said I don’t believe this applies to me I said I’ve heard about the new law with Walmart I said that’s for new patients and I am a chronic pain patient and I have been a patient here for 2 years and he basically wouldn’t give me any explanation and gave me my prescriptions back and once I got home I looked at them and they had barcodes that they had apparently ripped off in a very rough manner you can almost see the back it’s so thin anyway I don’t know if a new Pharmacy will take them everyone there knows me by my first name except for this guy I probably seen twice and he’s young he’s probably in his twenties maybe early thirtie he gave me the 1 800 Walmart number, and I told the guy what happened I have to wait 3 days in the meanwhile I called the old Walmart that I went to for probably 6 years in a different area and question them what could have been the matter she said I’m going to call right away and find out for you they know me by first name as well and she said it was pharmacists digression. Well nothing has changed on my end he complained that it was a high dose well it’s the same dose I’ve taken for over 2 years and gotten filled there what changed he treated me like horrible. This totally reminds me I should have had my phone on the counter but never in my wildest dreams would this have ever happened I didn’t go there for that I went there for simple medications any other person would and I was treated like a criminal and I would have loved to have it on recording. Sorry but this reminded me of it.

 

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