Pts who insist on fighting the system… will end up coming up short

I’ve read your 2014 article about pharmacists refusing to fill legitimate/on-time prescriptions. Well my mother is having issues here in florida with filling a narcotic prescription that she has a legal and legitimate script for. She is on social security disability. She had issues with a discount pharmacy that wanted her to transfer all of her scripts there and so my mother transfered some of them to the discount pharmacy. I guess the owner/pharmacist found out she still had more scripts, non narcotic, at her favorite pharmacy and refused to fill her narcotic prescription from then on. Now shes going to another pharmacy and the owner is starting to give my mother the same type of song and dance. My mother does everything totally legal and i hate to see these pharmacies get away with not filling her narcotic script just because they want all of her money not just a part of it. At least that’s the way we see it. What would you suggest my mother can do about this situation? I really would like to help her fight this because its stressing her out and shes also an epileptic so she doesn’t need all this added stress to cause an episode. Where can we start, to try and stop what these money hungry pharmacists/owners are doing? Thank you in advance for any reply I receive. We appreciate anything you can tell us. 

This is a good example of a pt “fighting the system”… the DEA is forcing the drug wholesalers to ration the purchases of controls as a per-cent of their total prescription medication purchases.

The DEA considers a pharmacy/pt only filling controls at a pharmacy a RED FLAG… and if a pharmacy is in business to take care of a pt’s needs … in this day in age.. that means filling all their prescriptions.. especially if controlled medications are involved.

In this particular incident…the question has to be asked why this pt’s “favorite pharmacy” will not fill her controls meds.. maybe she is not their “favorite pt” ?

IMO.. this pt has two options… continue to try and fight the system… until she cannot find anyone to fill her controls or she goes along with “the system” and find one pharmacy that will fulfill all her prescription needs.

Especially when controlled medications are involved… having prescriptions filled is not the same thing as dropping by the closest grocery store to buy a few groceries or stop at the closest filling station when your car needs fuel.

The prescription distribution system has a lot of  “moving parts” that the typical pt is – or never will be – aware of that influences how things are going to happen and no matter how much the pt wants the transaction to be like general merchandise transaction… it MAY NEVER HAPPEN…  The pt can either adapt or stress out trying to get things to happen the way that they want/expect.

2 Responses

  1. I can tell u Marguerite,,,my hubby went to Walmart,,because it is very close to his work,,,,THEY REFUSE TO FILL W/THE HARD COPY,,W/THE DOCTOR CALLING THEM,,, it was back in the day,,about 4 years ago,,when I was allowed thee amount of medicine I needed,,,The pharmacist stated,,”I DONT FEEL COMFORTABLE,, FILLING THAT MANY PILLS,,,,,we took my medicine/script,,,and went to our local,,small pharmacist,,,in town,,,in the hospital,,,It is independently owned,,,,,,Now I could of call Walmart corporate,,,,,,but NOW A DAYS,,, w/this opiatephobia,,,,once my local pharmacist,,who I have gone to on /off prior,,agreed o fill w/no problems,,,WHY,,, go and get my good named black listed on a computer EVERYONE CAN READ NOW A DAYS,,,,anything,,,any pharmacist write about you,,,is on those computers for all toooo read,,,,, ITS NOT LIKE THE ,,, jmo,,they rite way it use to be done,,,,where your PRIVATE issues w/another pharmacist is kept private,,,Ask yourself 1 question,,who is more important rite now,,,your mother,,,and if u have found a pharmacist to fill her scripts,,,go w/it,,,I just dont trust the system anymore,,,its not fair anymore,,and if Walmart chooses to black list your Ma,,,she’s screw’d,,for all we see it NOW A DAYS,,,jmo,its not like it use to be,,,where are MEDICINE was view’d as MEDICINE,, it s viewed as the demon drug,,,for now,,,,maryw

  2. How awful i am truly sorry you or anyone for that matter that has to go thru that. I have heard about pharmacies such as Walgreens doing these things. As much as i can’t stand having to go to Wal-Mart their pharmacy does do their job and fills their patients/ clients meds as long as the controlled med is a hard copy there should be no problem. I hope you can get your mom her meds no one who is lucky enough these days to get a hard copy narcotic should have to worry about getting it filled. They just need to do their damn job which is to fill the medication. What they’re doing to your mom is like blackmail give us cash you get medicine. That should be illegal especially If your insurance covers meds, contact your insurance and tel them what they’re doing to. If i were you i would call that pharmacy corporate office and inform them about what’s going on and file a complaint a with the bbb, then go on yelp and put them on blast they may even have a Facebook page you could go on and put it all out there to. Expose them. Also compound pharmacies are a really good option to. See of there’s one in your area that can help you. Best wishes.

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