Pharmacists Held Criminally Liable for Opioid Overdoses
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/882358
As the US opioid epidemic continues to soar, physicians have been held criminally responsible for patients’ overdose deaths. Now, it appears pharmacists are also criminally liable.
That’s the opinion of pharmacy law experts who have watched the crisis unfold during the past decade.
Keith Yoshizuka, PharmD, JD, assistant dean for administration at the Touro University College of Pharmacy, Vallejo, California, notes, for example, that in 2015, a California physician, Lisa Tseng, MD, was convicted of second-degree murder for the overdose deaths of three patients. She was later sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
I did not reprint the entire article… it is four pages long… you can use the link to read it if you wish.
If those in the chronic pain community has not figured it out by now… you are either part of a GENOCIDE or a unwitting participate in the war on drugs.
They are using our system of laws to “manage you”… it is like herding cows/pigs taking them to the SLAUGHTER.
The DEA has pushed Pharmacists into making “second opinions” on the prescriber’s diagnosis of a pt’s and the appropriateness of the medication being prescribed for a pt. A Pharmacist does not have the legal authority to do a physical exam, nor do they have access to the pt’s complete medical history. Now, the pharmacist is expected to do a mental health evaluation each time a controlled substance prescription is filled ?
And could be held liable if he/she is not RIGHT 100% OF THE TIME ?
The 51 Boards of Pharmacy (BOP) to date have done nothing to push back on these demands on Pharmacists. It is just going to make more Pharmacist “not comfortable”.. and it is just easier/safer to JUST SAY NO !
FOLKS… it is time to get your smart phones out and start recording all your interactions with healthcare professionals… “NOT COMFORTABLE” is NOT a FACTUAL REASON to refuse to fill a prescriptions.. it is a LAME EXCUSE.. it is a DODGE…
Afraid to stand up because of “consequences”… just look at the horizon.. the “consequences ” are coming.. compliments of the DEA, DOJ, FDA, CDC and what other alphabet of Federal agencies that want to get a piece of the 81 billion/yr war on drugs budget.
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~Will Rogers |
Filed under: General Problems
This war on “opioids” is actually a war on chronic incurable diseases. A war on chronic pain disease patients who benefit from opioid medications. Medications that enable millions of Americans relief of chronic debilitating pain associated with these diseases.
100 million Americans have one or more chronic incurable pain Disease. As the CDC, DEA, FDA, Medicaid and Medicare, and numerous other government agencies, are blaming Doctors for the over prescribing of opioid medication. NOBODY, is looking at or reading the statistics from chronic pain disease patients. How about NOT addressing these drugs as dangerous and addictive. When all else fails: physical therapy, exercise, over the counter medications and numerous injections etc, we chronic pain disease patients, are left with one option to help us cope, opioid pain medication. Lets address this medication as lifesaving and medically necessary for the million of Americans with chronic diseases. Chronic pain is a disease. Chronic pain disease patients are now the epidemic. The addiction rate of chronic pain disease patients is .02-.6 %. We do not misuse or abuse our medications.
No other disease medication is scrutinized. We, as patients, are being denied, dismissed, overlooked and discriminated against, by our physicians, due to all the scrutiny associated with treating chronic pain disease with opioid medications. Our Dr’s are afraid to treat us humanely and adequately. We have a disease that medication is readily accessible and beneficial to us and we are being denied. We, pain patients, are being discriminated against, due to people who abuse illegal heroin and illegal fentanyl. This is a direct hunt for Doctors who prescribe life saving medication, for pain disease patients, that benefit from them. We have our privacy invaded, we no longer are able to have doctor/patient confidentiality. We now have insurance agencies, pharmacists, and other government agencies in our physicians offices. Monitoring and policing our physicians.
Though the statistics show a reduction in, opioid medications distributed, due to the CDC guidelines, but death rates of overdoses from illegal opioids is rising.
The specific causes of deaths also needs to be closely investigated. The opioid in the person’s system needs to be specified. Was it an illegal opioid, was it opioid medication specifically for that person, was there other drugs or alcohol involved? These Government agencies do not want that information out, due to the fact that this “opioid epidemic”, would then be debunked.
We have a chronic disease. We want to be able to take care of our homes, our children, our selves, as much as possible, but without access to these life saving medications, we are unable to do so. We want to live, not just exist in pain 24/7.
We need the government agencies to look at the real statistics, not the hand picked. These agencies are not physicians. They are trying to doctor us, patients, without a medical license. They are also trying to police our physicians. This is a war on a disease, medications, physicians and patients.
The statistics do not differentiate what opioid drug attribute to a fatal overdose or misuse of medication. Was is an illegal drug, heroin, illegal fentanyl, carfentynal, was that person’s legitimate medication? All these questions need answers. The information needs to be addressed.
We chronic pain disease patients need help. All the headlines, topics and stories on how opioids are bad and how people are abusing, misusing, overdosing, becoming addicted or dying from them. We need to look at the good they do and how they help our disease of chronic pain and the million of Americans who use them for some relief.
The government needs to put the focus on illegal drugs coming into, being manufactured and distributed in this country, illegal fentanyl, illegal heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and all other ILLEGAL DRUGS. Not the legally prescribed and medically necessary medications we patients need. We chronic pain disease patients need help, but we are helpless due to the government and government agencies. There is stigma, scrutiny and discrimination against us due to a category of medications we desperately need and benefit from, opioid medications.
This absolutely unbelievably ridiculous. . We have no privacy or confidentiality. How is this shit legal? What can we do? I’m on medicare and Medicaid. There would be no way I could afford my meds.
My Post disappeared. I have returned 14 ADHD meds as all were inauthentic, misrepresented, and non-standardized. I was diagnosed with 3 heavy metals as a result of drug manufacturer putting Cadmium, Trioxide=synthetic arsenic, and Cephalon. I contacted multiple gov agencies w/o success. I returned an Oxycodone as it almost gave me an anuerysm. I am sick from the poisons covertly put in these medicare part d manufacturers, and wasn’t offered chelation therapy. I’ve tried 7 manufacturers brands of oxycodone, including Brand Names, none are authentic and contain serious side-effects. It’s both the gov and big pharma who planned this during the healthcare reform and resulting “shortages” 4 pharmacists admit backdoor deal from part of gov giving them immunity from lawsuits resulting in injury and death, as the pharmacists don’t know what’s in it.
pss,,and EVERY SINGLE PARENT,,,SADLY WHO LOST A ADULT OFF SPRING,,LIKE IT OR NOT,,THE TRUTH IS,,IF U GUYS DID NOT BRING LAW SUITS AGAINST DOCTORS FOR YOUR ADULT OFF SPRING CHOOSEN BEHAVIOUR AS ADULTS,,,TO ABUSE DRUGS,,,PART OF THIS TORTURE AND GENOCIDE ONTO THE THE RESPONSIBLE MEDICAL ILL W/[PAINFUL MEDICAL CONDITION WOULD OF NEVER BEEN DENIAD ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE MEDICAL CARE TO LESSEN PHYSICAL PAIN,,,ITS THE TRUTH!!!;LIKE IT OR NOT!!!maryw
All of this government action is illegal. It is misuse of the Controlled Substance Act through abuse of power. For the truth about the CSA and how it pertains to doctors, come to my webinar tonight–July 6– at 9PM EDT. The link is https://join.me/sevenpillars. You need to use Chrome or Firefox as your browser or download an app. Come 5-10 minutes early if you have never linked before.
It was once called ,”informed consent as a adult w/free-will,”’,as a ADULT,,, u r suppose to be responsible for your own decision,,wth happen’d to that?!!!doctors SHOULD OF FOUGHT BACK,,,INSTEAD OF SAYING ,”YES MASTER,”Maryw
It is beyond ridiculous to hold anyone other than the person who takes the medication (or illicit drug) responsible when that person gives away, sells, loses or misuses a medication.
Holding a pharmacist or doctor responsible for what a patient does with the prescription medications is equivalent to holding a liquor store or alcohol manufacture responsible when a person decides to drink and drive.
Personal responsibility appears to be no longer applicable in this society any more. No one forces a patient to fill their prescription. No one forces a patient to misuse their medication.
The blame is placed on everything and everyone EXCEPT the one who ingests the substance. It is unbelievable that our society no longer expects someone to be held accountable for THEIR OWN ACTIONS. This country is going to hell in a hand basket.