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Paging Dr. Blackmail, Dr. Blackmail

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This is a topic that I know everyone in pharmacy knows about. Every pharmacist has dealt with it, yet like the floating turd in the punchbowl of medicine, everyone just looks the other way and pretends it doesn’t exist. So thats where I come in. I’m scooping out the turd and asking how it got in here.
I hope Doctors (MD’s, not you uppity PharmD asses) from all over reply to this post, because I want to know if this actually happens or are we just delusional. You know that all comments are anonymous, so you have no reason to not post for fear of angry lynching (at least in real life).
Say you are a doctor, and you fuck up on a patient bad. Not like “to error is human forgive me” error, but “sue me for lots of money” error; and the patient is fully aware that he/she has you by the balls. Is it practiced to just bribe the patient with lots of narcotics so they won’t turn you in/sue you?

Example 1:
Patient comes in with an Rx for Vicodin ES #180, 1 q4 prn pain **must last 1 month** x 4 refills. I start to get a huge pharmacy boner because I think this is a dead set forgery. I run to the back room as giddy as a schoolgirl who gets her period after the prom, and call the doctor. Its legit. I tell the doctor (or his minimum wage staff) about the limit on Tylenol, and at 6 a day this woman is going to blow out her liver. He tells me its only for prn and to not worry about it. I document everything and fill the Rx.
15 days pass (the Rx was for a 30 day supply for those a bit slow on the pickup). Patient wants a refill. I tell him to (politely) take a flying leap because the Rx says that it must last 30 days. He says to call the Doctors office, so I (feeling as if i’m trying to filter piss out of the ocean) send over a call tag requesting an early fill and expect a huge NO on it. Patient must call about 20 times during the hour asking if its ready or not. Totally pissing off my frontend staff and myself. Tag comes back that its approved. I call the office and ask why the put the “must last 1 month” if they aren’t going to abide by it. They blow me some bullshit excuse and just say to fill it. I document everything and fill it (which in hindsight I shouldnt have done). Then I fill one, and 18 days pass, he wants another refill. I get on the horn with the Doctors office and ask what the deal is. I tell him that unless he makes the sig 1-2 q4 there is no way that I’m going to fill it (even then he’s really going to blow out his liver). He refused to change the sig and says that its ok to fill. I suggest Norco to lower the APAP, nada, he wants this filled (everyone knows that VicodinES by Watson Labs has a huge black-market value). I plain out ask what the deal is. He says “Doctor-Patient” confidentiality. I tell him thats great, but I dont want to ride my license on his “confidentiality” and hang up on him. I boot the patient from our place (haw haw, Walgreens got him) and blacklist the doctor. I run the sheets on the Dr, and there isn’t anything really strange about him. Handful of patients, not a big writer in our store, but blood pressure, diabetes, the usual. Just this ONE patient is a huge red flag out of the sea of normality.
Example 2:
Patient comes in with an Rx for Fentanyl Patches and some Norco. I don’t give this a second thought and fill it. Everything is cool, patient comes back on time and gets them filled, no problems.
A week passes…
His wife comes in, Fentanyl Patches and Norco. I start to wonder if something is up.
A week passes…
His DAUGHTER comes in with an Rx for Norco. Something is going on.
I fill the Rx’s with a watchful eye. They aren’t early, they aren’t assholes about it. Just having all 3 family members on exactly the same drug (when he is clearly the one with any sort of ailment) raises a huge red flag with me.

So what’s the deal here? In example 1 we have a doctor who will not budge from changing an Rx when its CLEARLY too early (and he put down that it must last 30 days) and CLEARLY too much Tylenol. Example 2 we have everyone and their family on some pretty high caliber narcotics.
Does this problem exist? Yes or No. I don’t want to hear whiners about how the patient in Example-1 was obviously mis-dosed and in chronic pain, blah blah blah. No, it wasn’t that. He was on Mars every time he called, and he doesn’t remember calling our store or even coming in. There was something that was obviously wrong that you cannot put into writing, and every pharmacist knows what that feeling is like.
If it is true, the Dr’s are putting the pharmacies in a really shitty position. We have to stand up to the patients when you wont over something that /you/ did and /we/ didnt. Plus, when the shit hits the fan and this person gets caught for selling, who’s going to be put under the gun first.
If you’re a doctor, put some sort of explanation in the comments, if you’re a pharmacist who obviously is as paranoid as I am, put your story in the comments.

Comments #

Comment by allen shaw on 2007-11-28 10:44:30 -0800 #

As a physician I have seen 2 different occasions where patients had some type of injury (sciatic nerve injury with hip replacement) related to a surgery where the performing doctor instituted chronic pain meds. However in both cases they got chronic pain consults and as a primary care doctor, the management of both pts. were above board. To be quite honest, the type of prescribing in your first example should be reported to your state medical board. If a previously normal prescriber is now doing this, he either owes this guy something or in (as in our state) is in ‘cahoots’ with him.

Comment by George on 2007-11-28 10:53:21 -0800 #

Yeah, I have one of those. I have a Father/Mother/Son/Grandmother AND an “aunt who occasionally visits from Florida, sho all get Hydro/Apap 10/660. They come in the exact day it is due and never quibble about the price. I call the MD’s office (same MD for all members of the family) and get verification each and every time and document on the back of the RX that I called to verify. One day I actually had the chance to speak to the Doc and I questioned him on why every member of the family is on the same medication. He politely told me to mind my own busines and just fill whatever he wrote for. And yes the daily limit for APAP is surpassed on each prescription.

Comment by Grasshopper on 2007-11-28 11:02:33 -0800 #

Waiting with bated breath on this one….
TAP, did you know that the APAP dose limit doesn’t exist when the physician says it’s OK?
…at least that’s what I’ve gathered…

Comment by Prophetess of Doom on 2007-11-28 11:39:46 -0800 #

I am a tech, who was “raised” by Pharms that were *very* conservative. I would appreciate how you check your scripts and document everything. My current Pharm is very liberal. “If it is legal, fill it.” I try to say what you say about the tylenol content, not to mention the narcotic part. But it’s his Pharmacy so I type it. It bothers me, though.

Comment by hardy creech on 2007-11-28 12:04:31 -0800 #

that kinda stuff happens way too much…
I have 1 doc that will write percocet for pain first before trying darvocet or lortab/vicodin. We have about 7-10 pts that get 100 percocet every month and they all are associated with a shady guy that i know is selling them. I’ve talked to the doc, called the cops to watch out for them….what else can you do?
the scripts are never early…but i know the pt’s aren’t taking them all. i wish the doc would give them all piss tests to see but sometimes i wonder if he even gives a shit.

Comment by Pharmacy God on 2007-11-28 12:51:47 -0800 #

A couple years ago I had a dentist who paid a little too much attention to a couple of his “patients”. The Vicodin ES rxs kept the women quiet.
He has since moved out of town, divorced.

Comment by Krissy on 2007-11-28 13:10:46 -0800 #

Clearly you see the same situation that I see all the time, husbands and wives/sons/daughters/dogs all have the same exact magical illness that causes pain. My favorite husband and wife are both on the fantastic combo of Oxycontin 20mg bid, Oxycontin 40mg bid, oxycodone 30mg QID, and alprazolam 0.5mg tid, all prescribed by the same physician they both see regularly.

Comment by IowaPharmGirl on 2007-11-28 13:55:00 -0800 #

The best excuse for wanting their vicodin filled early was “I went fishing and had my meds in my fanny pack and I dropped my fanny pack in the river so I lost my meds”. Even the cop laughed at that one. We ended up getting rid of that patient, now she’s at Walgreens.

Comment by Nicole on 2007-11-28 14:32:45 -0800 #

I have the same eery feeling whenever a husband and wife with NO CHILDREN come into our pharmacy and by the full limit of Sudafed once a week (in Illinois they can by it weekly) on the dime. And when we report it to the police like we are supposed to we are told to continue selling it to them. Not to mention that neither of them are diabetic yet still by the legal limit of syringes, also on the dime!!

Comment by #1 Dinosaur on 2007-11-28 14:35:34 -0800 #

My money is on diversion, with kickbacks to the docs (selling scripts.) If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, why do you ask if it could be a zebra?
As for the ones who “never come in early”: I bet they’re going to multiple pharmacies, and are smart/organized enough to keep the all straight. Do you call other pharmacies and share lists?

Comment by atomees on 2007-11-28 15:01:38 -0800 #

a few quick comments from Canada:
first, try working methadone for a week. you will not believe what you see and hear. games beyond games.
second, it KILLS me to own an independent pharmacy and to have to play the Good Pharmacist role and turf patients…while the dr is getting paid to be shady and another pharmacy will dispense the Rx without batting an eyelash.

Comment by Sara Lynn on 2007-11-28 15:25:41 -0800 #

Oh I suppose every pharmacy has these patients. We have a guy on soma, xanax, and ativan. He tends to buy his drugs, leave the store only to return moments later and claim we shorted him three. That’s why we have to double count all his meds. He also tries to get early refills constantly. I don’t even know why we fill for that doctor anymore…

Comment by -Aaron- on 2007-11-28 15:35:53 -0800 #

In Ohio responsibility is 50% with the doctor and 50% with the pharmacist. I don’t care what the doctor says because my 50% says it’s not getting filled.

Comment by The Ole’ Apothecary on 2007-11-28 16:50:31 -0800 #

I have been out of retail many years. However, if I did return to it, and had a doctor, regarding suspicious controlled-substances, tell me, “Mind your own business,” my answer would be, “Doctor, this IS my business! It is illegal for me to look the other way and fill these prescriptions.”
Can you say, “corresponding responsibility?”

Comment by Biggest Fan on 2007-11-28 17:03:27 -0800 #

I don’t deal with a lot of narc scripts since I mainly work at a hospital and only do occasional staffing at a walk-in where I refuse to give out narc scripts because I can’t follow up. Anyway – I wonder which is worse..the blackmail for the narc scripts or the blackmail for the antibiotics. I kid you not – there is a lady at the walk in clinic that, in the last 3 months (yeah, I literally added them up one day) had received 47 rocephin injections, 160 mg of decadron, and like 400 mg of depomedrol injections…
I was stunned. Oh, and I didn’t mention that she was on cipro at the time she saw because she “failed” treatment on the other 4 courses of levaquin she’d been on during that SAME time frame!?!?!?!?
As a doc, I would never wish lawsuit upon another physician – but I wholeheartedly disagree with the narc practices and the abx practices. I’m surprised my tires haven’t been slashed because of all the abx and narcs I’ve refused to give at the walk-in.
Anyway – just wanted to point out equal-opportunity blackmail exists out there!!

Comment by ILTech on 2007-11-28 17:31:04 -0800 #

I work in a private pharmacy that stocks a very large number of narcs. We had one customer, who for years, has been on massive amounts of Oxycontin 80mg and Actiq 1600mcg on top of that! She had a running storyline with her Dr. that she would “lose” the rx’s and have to get new ones written every week….Hmmm…..she also paid these huge hundred dollar co-pays all in $20 bills, everytime…..The Dr. is notorious in town for being the narc writer. She is now moving her practice 🙂

Comment by DrRx on 2007-11-28 18:00:51 -0800 #

Don’t worry, I’m not going to get ‘uppity’ about the doctor thing….
But this is what’s always made me laugh about the utter stupidity of having COMBO products with APAP in them (and somehow the ‘government’ considers this to ‘less addictive’ than the non-combo products and as such get the C-III designation)…. The government really thinks that the addicts CARE about the flippin’ tylenol part of it!? Prior to being a pharmacist, I used to always be under the impression that taking too many opiates caused liver failure (notice, I didn’t mention opioids)…. But it was ALWAYS the tylenol…. So now, we have a bunch of people getting hooked on the same damn oxycodone in percocet that’s in oxycontin….but getting so much damn APAP they put themselves at extreme risk for liver failure (I’m always surprised to hear the stories about addicts taking 30 tablets of darvocet a day and NOT going into immediate liver failure….makes you wonder just how ‘variable’ the stated ‘toxic doses’ really are)….
Now…so what you ask, another no-good junkie offs himself….except this junkie…who’s been living off your tax dollars for years, sticks it to ALL of one last time by rackin’ up a massive ‘final exit’ medical bill for all of the management the healthcare profession will give this person just prior to their death…. RETARDED! I’m not condoning the abuse of opiates, but it’s laughable for people to think that APAP is really going to STOP someone from doing so!!!! Oh, and anyone who thinks the APAP in those tablets is really effective for pain management of the type that supposedly necessitates the need for those drugs…is smokin’ the pipe too…

Comment by JP on 2007-11-28 18:56:10 -0800 #

Maybe its because Im a new Pharmacist (licensed just over a year) but I dont ever fill the narcs early regardless of what the doc says. I have a license to protect.
If the magic 4g of APAP exceeded, I dont care if Dr. God walked in and said to its okay to fill early, I wont. Ive had a few Docs get into it with me, but ultimately they come to understand that I am only protecting myself. They are welcome to send their patients elsewhere for early fills, they arent getting them from me.
I will refill narcs 2 days early with our chronic pain patients (meaning if its a 30 day supply they can get it on day 28), they are all now well trained at this. Of course we do have those who try to push the rules, but it only makes me crack down harder. Typically they go elsewhere, and tell me they are going elsewhere like I am affected by this!
No matter what the doctor says when I call to verify anything (drug interactions etc) if its seems fishy or wrong to me, I will refuse to fill it. I have to protect myself.

Comment by mia on 2007-11-28 19:22:21 -0800 #

i understand the shitty position it puts you in and don’t disagree, but just wanted to add what ran thru my head as i read this:
it was implied that he was selling them AND high as a kite. i think it’s unlikely he was doing *both* if he was still getting high on day 15…
…and called 20 times in an hour, which suggests he was in or anticipating withdrawal symptoms, which wouldn’t happen unless he’d been taking them himself for at least a few weeks straight.
7.5mg of vicodin doesn’t have a “huge” black-market value. it’s at the bottom of the opiate totem-pole as far as value goes, unless you’re selling them to middle schoolers. i’ve seen tramadol sell for more on the street (not the norm. but it happens).

Comment by rph3664 on 2007-11-28 20:16:07 -0800 #

I once did relief work at a pharmacy where this woman was always claiming that her dog ate her Ultram. Never her Synthroid or lisinopril, but always her Ultram.
The regular pharmacist asked how the dog got them and that shut her up, for a while anyway.

Comment by RxPower on 2007-11-28 20:34:01 -0800 #

Unrelated to the article, just wanted to vent; had a guy tonight refuse to get his $3.10 plavix post discharge bc he “only has 22$” as he points to his basket with peanut butter, a 24 pack of coke and some teddy grahams. (The rest of his post MI drugs were covered.) I bite the co-pay bc the geezer is deaf and unable to comprehend the ridiculous situation, but still feel i deserve some of the teddy grahams.

Comment by Sara on 2007-11-28 20:51:59 -0800 #

Dr. XXXXX’s Pain Clinic, Scene 1.
MD leaves VM on Doctor line as follows:
“She’s up to it again!!” (pertaining to patient repeatedly harrasing said MD @ home, @ office, and etc for a refill of her beloved Vicodin ES)
“Go ahead and give her 100 of them, TUD, she knows how to take it. Now, whether she takes it like she is supposed to is unclear. No refills, ah hell, give her 3 to keep her off my back for a bit.”

Comment by Sara on 2007-11-28 20:56:46 -0800 #

Sorry.. forgot to mention this, I’m sure you will enjoy.
Pt. Babycakes (total pun, have to be there) has been on Vicodin 5/500 for a while now, and obviously, he is addicted to it.
So he gets a script for them, 20 qty, standard sig (12T;Q46..etc), and he, ah, takes all 20.. in one day.
The Pharmacist informed the Doctor, being concerned for his liver and mental stability, and MD wisely gave him ANOTHER script, same as before.
He took all 20 in one day. And he was given another chance.. to do it again.
This was shocking, since before this, I actually had faith in the medical profession. This MD seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders.
But, I guess, you can never tell, huh?

Comment by KarriRx on 2007-11-28 20:57:50 -0800 #

I would contact the state medical board/DPS on this doctor. We have had several docs in the area lose their license for these sort of things. On another note..just started a new job this week at an independent..have never filled so much Hydro/Xanax/Soma in 3 days as I have here!!

Comment by Martin S. on 2007-11-29 07:32:33 -0800 #

I have run into cases when the office was called the prescriber just didn’t realize he was seeing this Vicodin patient so often. Also have run into cases where the Dr is seeing the patient for the 1st time and writes for 100 Vicodin ES and 3 refills. On calling the office they have no rational reason for this other than the patient is allergic to just about everything else. Imagine that. Usually upon learning that the patient has had past complience issues and 3 other Dr.s they cancel the refills. My best was the Dexadrine patient who just increased her own dose as she felt like and the Dr just continued to cover her with new increased directions. Upon speaking to the Dr he stated he was using Dexadrine for depression. Problem is in our state there are only 2 approved usages for Dexadrine without approval from the state board of medicine. When I asked the office if they had such approval they called the patient and instructed them to go to another pharmacy. Cause we all know be now these Drs have special legal exemptions for any law or rule that irritates them. As mentioned-I wrote it you fill it, I AM GOD.

Comment by academic FP on 2007-11-29 08:57:12 -0800 #

We are desperately trying to educate our residents regarding diversion issues. it is hard, they learn the path of least resistance pretty quickly.
BTW we are a lorcet kind of town. Patients will refuse a vicodin prescription. and they absolutely hate vicoprofen. which is the only post surgical pain med I will use. I assume it is because there is no street value for vicoprofen.
I guess its good that they dont know how to actually look up a med. then they might realize that hydrocodone is the same regardless if it is coupled with tylenol, IB or has the WATSON label on it or what.

Comment by RJS on 2007-11-29 16:26:51 -0800 #

It’s the doctors’ passive-aggressive way of helping natural selection along. 😉

Comment by Chuck McKay on 2007-11-29 17:44:50 -0800 #

Somehow I never deal with the doctors described here.
Everyone I see has a big sign that says they will not even prescribe diet drugs.

Comment by FuturePharmer on 2007-11-29 18:50:56 -0800 #

At our pharmacy, its brand name lortab. Personally I think that they remind me of certs. I think the speckles might be just what makes them popular. For example, we rarely sale the brand Lortab 10’s because they arent any different looking that the qualitest generic we have except for the markings.

Comment by Doc T on 2007-11-29 22:27:08 -0800 #

I’ve been in practice for 22 years and this post really makes me angry. Once you see a Dr. Feelgood and he/she won’t respond to your calls or suggestions about over prescribing (The same family all on Oxycontin? whew!)it is your duty to report to the medical board. Medicine has enough problems without these shady characters continuing to practice dangerous and greedy medicine.
To RXPower- yes you deserved the teddys!

Comment by SCPharm on 2007-11-30 06:33:29 -0800 #

I think it does cathc up to them eventually b/c we had a NOTORIOUS control-writing MD here just revoked of his prescriptive authority by DHEC. Sad thing was, they only took his C-II and C-III authority so he’s still able to write C-IV and C-V. (Guess his patients will have to settle for good old Lomotil or Robitussin AC highs instead of their beloved Lortabs…) This was a welcome memo from DHEC by so many pharmacists b/c we’d call to verify large quantities, early refills, overlapping strengths and a variety of other things to be met with “It’s fine” on the other end of the telephone line.
Documentation on Rx’s of these very calls are probably what saved the RPh’s butt and put the focus on the MD once there WAS an investigation. This prescribing went on for YEARS and involved many patients and pharmacies, so it proves investigations don’t happen over just one “hard to treat” patient!
It was interesting to see the responses from pharmacists…not ONE that I spoke to after this memo HADN’T heard of Doctor X. (Most were more suprised he had actually been reprimanded than shocked at his prescribig habits!)

Comment by Lizzie on 2007-12-01 16:20:53 -0800 #

I see this stuff happen all the time. And we call and check on things. We just had a dr’s license taken away because he was doing things like charging medicaid & medicare for procedures that patients didn’t need and shutting them up by giving them any narcotics that they wanted. Also threatened to fire any staff member who talked. Yeah the FBI took him. I’m not a pharmacist just one of those lovely techs. But like I said I see both scenarios every freaking day. I see a lot of people younger than me and I’m only 27 getting all these pain meds from their dr’s or going to the ER people who are clearly a couple going to the ER and both getting vicodin yeah whatever they aren’t in any pain! But legal scripts can’t do anything but fill them and hope that one day they get caught for their shit. Karma is a bitch and it will catch up to you one day!

Comment by BlueTech on 2007-12-01 20:25:31 -0800 #

We had one guy filling dilaudid, oxycontin and percocet (all name brand) from our walgreens, from doctor A, through workers’ comp. He also filled the same things at CVS across the street, from doctor B, using medicaid.
I caught him when I “accidently” billed his stuff through medicaid…I think I did him a favor, he was kinda looking very yellow. Yum, Jaundice.
We also had a guy who paid cash for his vicodinES, and after seeing him six days in a row, I looked at his profile. 6 months of pills in 2 weeks. Eventually, we found out that his doctor was the one to blame…the DEA nabbed him five days before he was supposed to retire. Job well done, Feds. ^_^

Comment by Mr. Obvious on 2007-12-02 20:33:51 -0800 #

“Say you are a doctor, and you fuck up on a patient bad. Not like “to error is human forgive me” error, but “sue me for lots of money” error; and the patient is fully aware that he/she has you by the balls. Is it practiced to just bribe the patient with lots of narcotics so they won’t turn you in/sue you?”
Err – Verb
Error – Noun
They say fear leads to anger. Blue Oyster Cult said “Don’t fear the grammar…”
What a ‘pun-ish’ statement: To error is human, forgive me. Heh! Pardon the pun.
MO

Comment by CutieTech22 on 2007-12-06 07:11:03 -0800 #

I work at a retail pharmacy and there is an MD in my small town in FL that operates out of a mall. This office will not accept insurance of any kind. They will only take cash payments for office visits and everything. They only write RXs for pain meds. All I have ever seen him write for is oxy, perc., vicodin, soma, methadone, etc. Every friday we get a slew of prescriptions written by this doctor and all of the druggie patients come in and want their narcotics. How is this legal? Also the doctor does not stay in one place very long. He was operating out of Tampa before coming over to my neck of the woods.

Comment by jean on 2007-12-08 04:00:09 -0800 #

Here’s my thing.
Where i work, which i’m sure is inappropriate to tell you exactly where that is, but will describe it as a federal department that tends to patients, a majority of whom have perhaps seen combat…. (clarification: i am not making a sweeping generalization about the patient population that i serve, except to say, that this population, like any other population in other settings, has a growing number of individuals with drug-seeking characteristics who feel ENTITLED to whatever they want because they “fought for this country.” I have nothing but respect for those who have done more for the country than i ever have, but that does not entitle you to all-you-can-eat narcotics.)
vicodin/morphine/oxycodone/metadone/soma/clonazepam abuse runs rampant… and when we try to call the doctor’s on it, they say, oh, just give it to them early because [insert lame excuse here]. We document the early refills always. After the 2nd or 3rd “fill it early” command, we stick it to the doctor: “YOUR DIRECTIONS MUST REFLECT HOW THE PATIENT IS TAKING IT OR WE WILL NOT FILL IT.” That is, you are allowing them to take 12 vicodin a day, so write that in your sig, or your patient ain’t gettin’ nuthin. That tends to shock them into reality… and they either adjust their dosage upwards, go to a more potent drug or not give it early anymore. I do not pretend to know how much pain a person is in, but i do know that if a doctor is writing a prescription for a medication for that pain, the patient must follow it to the letter. if that rx isn’t treating the pain, then they must get another rx that does. Luckily, we are able to eventually get the dr’s to implement (after endless begging) a “Controlled substance contract” whereby early refills are not allowed under any circumstances (unless the dr adjusts the rx), lost/stolen/my dog ate my meds (by the way, dog owners know that dogs NEVER swallow pills — not even hidden in a glob of peanut butter)/ my bottle fell in the lake when i went fishing/fell in the toilet/i totalled my car and my pills were inside the car/i left them at a restaurant excuses do not fly. You can’t keep up with them? You don’t get anymore until the next due date. We are lucky to have such a tool… but getting the doctor to that point is tedious and exhausting. They don’t have any idea that our license is on the line (“oh i don’t believe you” they say) and they don’t see that we are in a shitty position because of their poor narcotic enforcement. They also don’t see that they are being manipulated by their patients: once a patient said boldly and without hesitation – “don’t worry, i’ll be back. I know exactly what to say to get what i want.” And he did.

Comment by Tina on 2007-12-09 19:54:16 -0800 #

We have a lady who wants her Xanax filled five

Comment by Chloe on 2008-01-05 04:16:56 -0800 #

Just an Australian perspective – I guess we are lucky, working in a fairly small state, with a Health Department with the time and resources to do all this.
A record of all prescriptions dispensed for S8s (narcotics ?=CII) and S4Ds (eg.benzodiazepines ?=CIII) are sent to the State Health Dept by every Pharmacy at the end of the month, who then compile the results by doctor and patient (even if they are paying cash for prescriptions – to try and stay off the record). It certainly picks up the doctor-shoppers! They can also send out directives limiting the supply for some patients to specific doctors and pharmacies, breaches of which will be picked up in next months report! For patients who breach these (they may get a couple of tries) they can then be forcably refered to the Drug & Alcohol service.
They also pick up prescribing patterns in the doctors. We have also recently had a local GP have his right to prescribe narcotics removed – hearing the perspective of some of his older patients has been amusing to say the least! The rest of us knew what he was like all along.

Comment by Paul on 2008-01-24 07:16:34 -0800 #

I am personally a Pharmacy student in North Carolina. My father had a tooth removed by a dentist about 5 months ago and had been experiencing pain ever since. The doctor noted that he “beat him up pretty bad” and would schedule check up appointments every month or so. After every appointment he would feed my dad prescriptions for Percocet 5/325 like they were lollipops at a bank drive-through. My dad took one of them the first time and didn’t like the way they made him feel and has been shredding the scripts ever since. My mom was telling me about this and I told her it just didn’t seem right. The dentist wouldn’t even ask my dad if he needed them for the pain and when I asked my father about it, he told me the percocets made him feel too out of it and that tylenol and oragel worked much better because they didn’t make him feel like a slave-laborer after a 23hr workday.
My advice was that they should see another dentist for the next checkup since anyone who writes a CII for a “checkup” 5 months after a tooth removal is clearly in some shady business. I’ve had teeth removed before and aside from the nitrous oxide administered during the procedure, I received no pain management.
After seeking the advice of another dentist some X-rays were taken, which showed something alarming. My father had a broken jaw in which fragments were strewn throughout his lower mouth and inside his face. Basically he had to have another procedure to remove the fragments so his jaw would finally heal. My parents aren’t seeking any retribution in this scenario due to their belief that lawsuits just aren’t the way to handle things and that with all the forms they signed for the dentist that they would lose the suit anyway. However, I am pretty sure there is no where on the form that says “If I accidently break your jaw, I can and will cover it up with a waterfall of CII narcotic prescriptions.”
Just wanted to share my experience with exactly what you mentioned because this dentist clearly messed up badly and tried to basically persuade my dad with pain meds. Granted, in this scenario, the patient DID need the meds but Christ not that many.
Cliffs:
-Dad had tooth removed from back of mouth
-Dentist “really beat him up”
-Every month dentist would give him a new Percocet script
-Dad never asked for them and through out the scripts
-Parents asked me why they do this
-I said it sounded shady, esp when my dad never asked for pain meds, I say see another dentist.
-They go to another dentist b/c pain was present.
-X-ray reveals broken jaw and bone fragments all over
-Parents won’t sue but probably should.

Comment by anonymous on 2008-05-10 21:46:04 -0700 #

Free country?
what has happened? Prescription ? fill it?
drug abuser? let them abuse…
Why ask why.. life is to short to be in pain.
Legalize everything and tax the hell out of it.

Comment by Jen on 2008-07-09 17:36:08 -0700 #

I totally agree with the comment above me.
“Free country?
what has happened? Prescription ? fill it?
drug abuser? let them abuse…
Why ask why.. life is to short to be in pain.
Legalize everything and tax the hell out of it.”
As a chronic pain sufferer it makes me sick to see some of the comments from these pharmacists. Just rubbing your hands together trying to catch someone ANYONE out doing something wrong.
I require narcotic based pain meds daily, just to get through the day. Do you think that’s FUN??
If you do then you’re sorely mistaken. It’s even worse when you get some ‘urkel’ type pharmacist looking at you suspiciously and eyeing you up and down like YOU’VE done something wrong just because your Dr. has changed your meds to something that hopefully will work better and make my quality of life better. If it gets changed in the middle of the month theres no chance of medicaid paying for it until time to re-fill, even though I’m not even taking the ones that aren’t working. So I usually end up paying cash for it (because I have no choice) and praying that this will finally be the medication that works and I can have some sembelance of a life.
Of all the pharmacists i’ve worked with over the years I’ve yet to meet one who isn’t full of themselves when they have absolutely no reason to be. A pharmacist is nothing more than a pill-counting failed wanna-be REAL doctor.
You all need to just shut up and do your job, which is to fill prescriptions that REAL doctors have written for their patients. Instead of thinking that YOU (BIG LAUGH) know more than the doctor does and more about the pain I deal with on a daily basis than myself or my doctor know.
If you’re such ‘angry pharmacists’ then get a different job and a life while you’re at it and stop acting like the nerdy snitch from school.
Just stop whining over your failed aspirations of being a figure of authority (such as a erm DOCTOR?) and either do your job, fill the da*m prescriptions and get on with your life.
If you don’t like it, well, the world needs plenty of bartenders.

Comment by JANE on 2008-09-18 08:17:06 -0700 #

I too suffer from serveral chronic pain disorders or injuries. I too am prescribed several strong narcotic medications & muscle relaxants, and sleep medications, as well as pain patches. AND guess what? My husband also suffers from chronic pain and also is prescribed several strong narcotic pain medications, muscle relaxants & sleep medications.
We both get these medications each and every month and we both have for several years.
Are we drug dealers? NO! Are we drug addicts? NO! Are we getting these medications from a doctor who somehow “owes” us something? NO!
We plain and simple, HAVE CHRONIC PAIN AND “NEED” these medications just to make it through the day, and if you think we are enjoying ourselves or even get total relief from any of these medications you are sadly mistaken.
We are just two people who happen to be from the same family and have the Misfortune of having been dealt a rotten hand and have chronic pain, that we both, will probably have for life.
Is our doctor or doctor(s) doing anything at all WRONG by prescribing us these strong what you snobby, noisy, power hungry, think YOU ARE GOD & can police what we take or don’t take that is rightfully prescribed by our doctors, have to much time on your hands and should get a hobby, A holes call “abusive” medications.
I am here to tell you there ARE many people out there that actually really need these medications and are as responsible as they can be with them, take then as directed, and DO NOT need you Pharmacy workers looking at us suspiciously, looking down at us, calling our doctor to be SURE we aren’t somehow writing our own prescriptions and “oh I’m gonna catch this one.” What do you have to gain? I really have to understand. What do you have to gain by making people like myself feel I’m being put on display and stared at because I take narcotic medications?
You have the nerve to withhold my medication because YOU feel like it, because YOU are suspicious, because YOU can’t believe there are people out there that do suffer everyday of the week 24 hours a day from TERRIBLE pain, and all we want to do is come in to a phamacy hand out prescriptions to the counter person and have THE PRESCRIPTIONS OUT DOCTOR WROTE FILLED, without prejudice, without suspicion, without the looks, without the judging, without making us feel we somehow have done something wrong because we have chronic pain.
As the other post said, do you think we are having fun? Chronic pain is NOT fun, we are not playing games, we are not trying to pull anything on anyone, we simply want to be treated like a human being with maybe some compassion from you pharmacy workers, when you see these medications, don’t you ever think, wow, this poor person is in a lot of pain to be taking all these medications?
Have you never thought of it that way?
Probably not.
There may come a day when one of you high and mighty post(ers) get into an accident, or develop a chronic pain disorder, and YOU will then be the one on display. You will know you are display because you put so many people on display who were taking the medications you are now taking. How are you gonna feel when you are on the other side of the fence? Not so good I suspect. Especially since you KNOW you are being watched, looked over, being called on and told on in the back room by the pharmacy calling your doctor to somehow “catch” you doing something wrong. What are you people? Still living in high school where you get off on taddle taling? Be real! Stop judging, cause when the day might come that you are the one being judged, you aren’t going to appreciate it any more than we do, probably worse for you as I said because you know how you people operate.
As the other post stated, if you don’t like your job “angry pharmacists” get a new one. Don’t take your “I need a life” out on the poor people out there like myself who are tired of being told come back tomorrow you shouldn’t be out until then. Give me a break. When the prescription is for 30 day and we come in on the 28th or 29th day, do you seriously think “oh we must have taken to many and want then “early.” Get a life people. We take our meds on time as directed, we also may not be able to get to the pharmacy on the “30th” day or don’t want to wait until we are out to come and get our 30th day does from YOU.
Seriously, it is ridiculous how some of you think you are the General in the army and what you say goes and that’s that.
Tell me, if you were taking a medication for anxiety and panic attacks, and you came in to refill your prescription 1 day before the “30th” day and the pharmacy told you to come back tomorrow that’s the “30th” day, do you not think that would tend to cause a bit of anxiety, the very reason you are taking that medication? You happened to take your anxiety medication in the morning, at least your 1st dose, and if you have to get ready and go to the pharmacy to get that 1st dose from “you Generals” it is very stressful. And God forbid you may have actually had a panic attack that month and were directed by your doctor to take 2 pills to stop the attack, SO, on day 30, you would actually be out of medication, you would be out on day 29. The last thing you need is a pharmacy refuse to fil a prescription 2 days early. That is just beyond my comprehension, it makes me sick, it makes me mad, it makes me sad, it makes me feel like screaming, “JUST FILL MY PRESCRIPTION AND GO ON WITH YOUR JOB.”
Lastly, I have to agree with another post. This is a free country is it not? If some one wants to abuse their medication why do you care? I don’t agree with selling medication so I won’t speak to that, but I think that is so rare, I didn’t even know anyone did that. But, actually, again, what do you care? If they want to be stupid and risk going to jail is it any of your concern? I agree that all drugs should be legalized, and I’m sure unlike you phamacies, I believe there would be LESS drug abusers if they did legalize all drugs. It has been proven in other countries that legalizing had lowered the abuse %. The thrill of it is probably just not there anymore, and if you think people who never took drugs before are going to suddenly decide to become druggies just because its now legal, you are all taking some of your medications you sell yourselves.
I will just end with, maybe you should think real hard and dig deep into your soul and maybe you just might have some compassion for the next person who comes in with prescriptions for strong medications, and think to yourself, wow, this poor person, they must be in a lot of pain and having a real bad time if they are taking these medications. What a concept ah? No judging, just maybe a little sympathy for a change. Try it sometime. You might make someone feel a little better and have a little better day, if when you see all these strong meds and say to that person, how are you today, fill their meds, and hand them to them, no questions asked, no running to the back to taddle tale just to find out its all on the level, and say, hope you are feeling better soon.
Shame on you phamacy workers who posted on here and the rest of you who feel the same way as the ones who posted, you know who you are. Shame on you!

Comment by Common Sense on 2009-01-14 17:22:12 -0800 #

I am a pharmacist with serious nerve damage to my leg, hand, and ear from complications due to a life threatening auto immune disorder. I work at a mom and pops pharmacy, which wasn’t open on Dec 24, of course. So I brought my prescriptions, one for 28 15mg Opana ER BID, the other for 42 4mg Dilaudid PRN (2 week supply on both), to Walgreens, the only local pharmacy open evening on Dec 24. Up until this point I had always had someone at my pharmacy fill these medications, people who know me and my medical situation, so I was totally unprepared for the way I was treated. I handed my prescriptions to the pharmacist, she read them, looked me up and down, shook her head, sighed and said loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, “Are you supposed to be on both of these medications?” To which I responded, “Yes, exactly as they are written, I have serious nerve damage. I take the Opana ER to provide baseline relief, and the Dilaudid for break through pain.” She replied, again loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, “Doctors rarely put a patient on two pain medications as powerful as these at the same time, I will need to check with the doctor to make sure he ACTUALLY wrote these.” I was taken aback by her hostility, and contempt for me. She continued to look at me as if I were a kid caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I responded “Sure, do what you need to do.” So she calls my doc, who confirms the prescriptions, to the pharmacists obvious dismay. Now at this point I expected her to apologize or at least say something to the effect of “Hey you know we gotta be careful.” or “Sorry for the inconvenience I will have it ready ASAP.” Instead she glared at me like I had just been acquitted of a crime we both knew I had committed. I was extremely embarrassed and angry, not only was she treating me like a criminal because I was on strong narcotic medication, she had done this whole thing so loudly that everyone waiting for their prescriptions knew exactly what she thought of me. Someone behind me whispered loudly enough for me to hear them “Hey junkie, get your fix elsewhere I don’t got all night.”
We do not fill many prescriptions for narcotic pain medication at my pharmacy, but EVEN if someone brought in a script that was clearly forged, and we could prove it, we would never treat a customer like this. To all you “angry pharmacists” out there how bout you get over yourselves? Sure if there is something obviously wrong you must confirm the prescription, but on the grounds that the person is filling a narcotic pain medication and you don’t like people who take narcotics? The behavior of this Walgreen’s pharmacist made me ashamed to be a pharmacist, as do some of your posts. Treating someone with suspicion just because they are filling a C2 controlled medication is the same thing as a police officer pulling you over for being black in a white neighborhood. For all you “angry pharmacists” out there who suspect every C2 is a forgery, and that every patient on narcotic pain medication is a criminal, I sincerely hope you suffer an injury such that you need strong narcotic medication, and that when you go to fill it you are treated like an unbathed drug addict with leprosy. It was very enlightening for me.
P.S. As a pharmacist you should feel like you have a responsibility to all of your customers/patients. You should treat them all with courtesy and respect, as you would have them treat you were the situation reversed. If you cannot handle this you shouldn’t be a pharmacist. Try digging ditches or something else that doesn’t require you to deal with people =P

Comment by Mitchell what next on 2009-02-10 06:12:17 -0800 #

My wife has severe pain and takes morphine avinza 30mg Qd. I have damage throughout my spine 3 c-sp, 5 t-sp and 3 l-sp. been goin to same dr and pharmacy for 10 years. I am only 37yo so i am often treated with suspicion whenever they hire a new pharmacist and once they get to knowme it’s fine. I take Oxyconone sr 60mg q8h. that means 90 is a 30 day supply but I am often required to go from say the 9th to the 9th even on 31 day months. If the pharmacy is out it takes 2 days to get my meds which means I sometimes have to go 3 days w/o meds. I think i would go insane w/o my breakthrough meds during that period. is there any kind of “grace period” like bringing it in @ 28 days in case there is a prob? my dr has no prob writing my rx @ 28 days but i just encountered yet another new pharmacist at my pharmacy and she is insistent on 30 days exactly regardless of the situation. I do not want to change pharmacys but going two days without meds while I wait for the to get my medicine is no good either. any suggestions?

Comment by i get it on 2009-04-10 13:31:08 -0700 #

im so lucky to be screwing a rph. he gets ass and i get vicodin. very nice guy.

Comment by jeff on 2009-06-07 14:30:56 -0700 #

I have a friend who is a pharmacist in Montana. He has come up with a rather unique way to deal with fake oxy scripts. There is a tic tac that closely resembles an oxy 80mg. He just fills the script using the tic tacs. So far not one of these script forgers has come back!

Comment by Sydney on 2009-08-16 11:01:35 -0700 #

Very uncool to give a patient a placebo…that is sadistic..karma is a bitch and i hope that pharmacist ends up with chronic pain and someone does the same thing to him..THAT IS UNPROFESSIONAL and EVIL!! This guy need to get a LIFE..and do his job ethically.

Comment by Syd on 2009-08-16 11:23:44 -0700 #

The above reply infuriates me…i have one word to say and that is Karma..i hope that this jerk pharmacist experiences chronic pain so that someone who is as much of an unethical jerk as he is can tick tac that mf’er…besides the point placebos are illegal and immoral. What goes around comes around!! What a jerk!!! You all are not clever you are ignorant!!!

Comment by Corrinne on 2009-08-18 16:27:48 -0700 #

I wasn’t even going to reply since this post was so long ago but…

Syd? If you could actually read they said they did this for FAKE oxy scripts. Jesus… get a life and learn to read while you’re at it.

And I live with someone that deals with chronic pain so I am not ignorant. It is a condition he was born with (my fiance) and they have even mentioned amputating his leg for relief. The basics of it is that he has way too many blood vessels in his leg. He is on one of those “pain contracts” and actually legitimatelty ruined a script once. He didn’t go bitching, he toughed it out. And he doesn’t live off the state he works his ass off more than 40 hours a week even though he could collect complete disability. I am so sick of people whining and bitching about this shit.

And I am also a recovering drug addict, been clean and sober for 2 years. The pharmacist COULD HAVE called the cops and gotton those little shits in deep trouble for writing fake scripts. Some tic tacs in their place is a far nicer option than a year in prison… if not more than that.

Comment by r a meyers on 2009-10-20 22:58:40 -0700 #

it is for me to decide and you to f’off u dr.flunkies,go push your pills / u nobodys

Comment by mjai on 2010-01-29 21:01:57 -0800 #

Ugh, reading this site is alarming! I have severe, life limiting ibs. Talk about a pain in the ass.(lil ibs humor) I found great relief with xanax, but know its addictive so I refuse to take it every day, or every month for that matter. Sometimes though I will be in horrible shape for 2-3weeks, then fine for a month and so on. My dr. writes my xanax prescription 1 tablet 3x’s a day as needed. WITH NO 30 DAY REQUIREMENT. After the ten days I went to get my refill, and I was told it was too early? I said no it isn’t, there is no 30 day req on my perscription. He said yes there is with xanax. ?. He said if you need more tell you dr. to write it for more than thirty tablets. Say what? Why would I do that when I can go months without taking it? Now I won’t even want to get it filled but i’ll end up having to out of desperation. I know what they’ll be thinking of me, crazy xanax addict. Plus i’m a single mom on medicaid. Well thats okay cause I am getting my rn and when they come to me w/failing knees and backs…

Comment by GET A LIFE on 2010-02-26 10:11:48 -0800 #

YOU WONDER WHY THE WORLD IS THE WAY IT IS.
WAY TO MUCH DRAMA!!!
JUST BE HAPPY YOU ARE ALIVE……..

Comment by Feeduppharmacist on 2010-02-28 19:36:52 -0800 #

Mjai when the doctor wrote #90 1 tab TID that made it a 30 day requirement. 99% of doctors don’t write must last x days on their scripts. Legally the script still has to last according to how it is written. If your taking 6 a day during an IBS flair then ask the doctor to write the script for take 1 tab up to 6 x per day. If he won’t write that then you shouldn’t be taking that many.

Comment by Josh on 2010-03-02 13:11:21 -0800 #

All you high and mighty pharmacists need to shut your mouths and just fill the prescriptions. You think you are more than that? Get a life and stop putting down people that want these meds. If the doctor wrote the prescription, shut up and fill them. That is all you are good for anyway. Do you actually think we care what you say to us and when we get that whole”counseling by a pharmacist for certain meds” is a joke!
You are nothing more than living pill despensors. Nothing else.
Luckily my pharmacist is friendly and doesn’t give a rats ass how many prescriptions I come in with. She fills them, cause thats her job!

All you anal ones that will try to reply to this, don’t bother. I only posted this after reading how pathetic you all are and will never visit this site again. Just so you know I was try to find out how to get my meds early anyway. Luckily, I won’t have a problem with that! LOL!

Comment by Scripz on 2010-03-04 07:54:04 -0800 #

As a Police Detective who investigates prescription drug related crime I want to thank the Pharmacists and Techs who help prevent these crimes. Pharmacists are our last line of defense against prescription drug diversion. A crime which devastates entire communities. I urge all pharmacists to work with law enforcement. Report all forgeries even if you catch it after it has been filled, AND all attempts. Make sure your video systems are quality systems and that they work. Keep a prescription log where Scheduled drugs are signed for by the person who picks them up. Where possible get and COPY ID’s from those handing in scrips, and recieving narcotics. Sounds like a lot but it only takes an extra minute. Yes people will complain that it takes so long and it adds things for you to do when its busy but like taking your shoes off at the airport the world has forced this upon all of us. I have been to too many death scenes with empty prescription bottles present, usually a young person with family who care for them. So no need to get TOO angry just call us, its my job to wrestle with the drug dealer in front of your store (and I have on more than one occassion). Just follow through and be willing to show up in court if neccessary.

P.S. Hipaa does not protect criminal acts, so as a proffessional, if a crime is being attempted or has been committed in your pharmacy you have the right to provide the information to law enforcement.

Thank you again for all you do.

Comment by pill pusher on 2010-03-04 22:30:49 -0800 #

Mr Scripz

If you want to help us deter drug diversion then you must do your part. Until it becomes illegal to dispense $4/$10 generics the problem of diversion is only going to get worse. An experienced person trying to dupe pharmacist will find and hit the busiest pharmacies that are understaffed and overwhelmed with volume. A pharmacy selling $4/$10 prescriptions can not possibly stay in business unless it us dispensing a ridiculous volume of prescriptions at a break neck pace. Moreover, the company that owns the pharmacy will not make it easy for us to catch these types of criminals. They will not spend money to implement systems that decrease the amount of money that fills their cash registers. They also pressure the pharmacist to fill every prescription that can possibly be filled, especially the “good” fake ones. It is not in their interest to encourage us to take time to spot an illegal prescription, in fact they make it next to impossible because it also detracts from the production of other legit Rx’s and not to mention takes the extra gravy that they will get from the over priced cash sale that they will get from from these difficult to detect fake Rx’s. And if we do spot a fake prescription we are instructed not to call the police because they do not want to piss off a cash paying customer. In fact a few places that I have worked at in the past I have been flat out told not to call the police but to have the doctor call the police instead even if the doctor asks us to. This is especially useless because most of the fakes that come to us are using doctor names that are usually outside of the local police jurisdiction, otherwise the pharmacist would recognize the doctor’s signature or prescribing practice and the fake would be instantly recognized. If we do take the extra time to detect fake Rx’s the company frowns up on this practice and will fight us. They may not fire us, however, they will make it very difficult for us to do our job. We would not be considered “good” pharmacist by the company and instead of being threatened with our job, we would get our tech hours cut, not given our vacation requests and would be the 1st to get fired when the situation arises. This problem is very disturbing and is a direct result of allowing people who don’t have a license to own a pharmacy. It doesn’t make any sense what so ever because it is much easier to punish the pharmacist by taking away his license, so a pharmacist that would not normally look the other way is forced to because his job might be on the line as well as the welfare the other patients he serves. The easiest way to solve this problem is only to allow licensed pharmacists to own pharmacies. Simple solution, if a specific pharmacist if filling numerous fraudulent Rx’s take away his license and he he out of business. Go ahead and try to put CVS out of business, while you try it they will probably put you in jail in the process.

So if you want to help us help you, help us make an honest living but supporting the North Dakota pharmacists and support legislation to bring pharmacy back to the experts that have devoted their lives to this once noble profession. Who else is more qualified to own a pharmacy than a pharmacist?

Comment by Pharmacist123 on 2010-03-04 22:38:01 -0800 #

Josh, you can go to hell. We have the DEA riding our asses about “preventing drug diversion” It’s OUR asses on the line, not pill-popping junkies like you. Also the Department of Public Safety (in Texas at least) keeps logs of dispensing, so once again it’s pharmacist’s asses on the line. If you want to be a junkie and abuse your stuff the go ahead and find someone who will look the other way. I sure as hell won’t.

Comment by Scripz on 2010-03-05 12:33:12 -0800 #

Thanks for replying. I appreciate the pressure put on you from the corporation to turn and burn and bring the money in. BUT. Checking ID’s and maintaining a signiture log does not cost money. Most “systems” are paid for by the insurance companies and gov’t grants. Nothing will drive away legitimate customers like a waiting area full of junkies not to mention the dealers outside approaching your customer to ask if they got anything good or simply mugging them. Having a Dr call police is pointless as the crime is being committed at the pharmacy and your store will be involved anyway. In reality Both of you should be calling the police. It really doesn’t matter where the Dr’s office is, that just means I call the PD over there and have one of them take a statement of forgery if needed. The idea of being told not to call the police because “they do not want to piss off a cash paying customer” when you spot a fake IS a crime. I hope They realize that. You put yourself at risk if you participate in a criminal act. I know telling you this does not help when it could mean your job or they screw with your vacation but a jury of people in the town where you are putting drugs on the street won’t care. I know of pharmacies where they buy the prescriptions off medicaid recipients so they can sell the same drugs twice in effect. Unfortunately that takes place with Cancer drugs and HIV meds, the big money stuff, as well as the narcs. Unfortunately a pharmacist owning a pharmacy does not do away with greed. Bottom line is we have a legal and moral obligation to fight this thing. Please help.

Comment by Rx Auditor on 2010-03-05 19:13:30 -0800 #

Scripz, I agree about reporting on forgery but I hope you are also reporting the pharmacist you know that are buying back medications from Medicaid recipents.

Comment by Scripz on 2010-03-06 06:24:48 -0800 #

As I mentioned, I am a law enforcement officer, I’m not a pharmacist or tech, so not only do I report them but they are arrested by me if in my jurisdiction.

Comment by pill pusher on 2010-03-06 12:30:44 -0800 #

Scripz,

We are not the drug police, but we do try hard to keep all the Mr Cracky McCrackheads that we can from getting their “fix”. However, it is very difficult sometimes, especially, in the state where I practice. You see, it is perfectly legal for a physician to write a prescription for percocet on a piece of toilet paper with a crayon. There is no standard issue Rx pad. So who is going to pay for me to spend my time investigating and scrutinizing every last narcotic prescription? The ones that get past us are the ones that look real. If you want to make it easy for us make it a law that every physician use the same Rx pad. That will cut down your work load considerably. Next, you have to remember that the pharmacist has a tremendous amount of respect for his license, however, the unlicensed owners only have respect for the money that they can make from our license. If you want why don’t you lock up every pharmacist that has unwittingly dispensed a fake Rx but keep in mind if you do that there will be no one left to fill your prescription. Asking pharmacists to help you is pointless because we are already on your side. If I owned my own pharmacy and I suspect someone is trying to dupe me, I have the luxury of telling them never to step foot in my store again, however if I work for a big company I do not have that luxury. As a matter of fact, if I do tell the questionable “patient” never to come back, the company will send him a gift basket and fire me. So you really need to appeal to the people that control how pharmacy operates, the ones that own the pharmacies, not the pharmacists who have no control over the operation. How am I going to copy someone’s ID? You need a photo copier for that and the one we have is located clear across the other side of the supermarket, would you have me leave my narcotics unattended for 10 min while I wait at the customer service desk for the key to the copier, while the junkie can stroll right in and take everything he wants, it’s very easy for him to do that since it’s perfectly legal for the pharmacy to have oxycontin right on the shelf in alphabetical order with guarded by a simple 1/2 door to access the pharmacy. Go pester the the company that owns the pharmacy or the state board to have stricter requirements on design and make it a requirement to scan everyone’s ID just like we must do for pseudoephedrine products. I am sure they will kick you their door faster that you walk in with that suggestion. If you want to talk to people that can change this talk to the people who own the pharmacy, not the pharmacist who is so inundated with work and without enough people to help him that he doesn’t have time to take a piss. The bottom line for you and me is not the same as the bottom line for these greedy corporations that employ us to exploit our license.

Get to work, you have a big job ahead of you. Oh wait, I forgot, you are only able to enforce laws and have no power to make them. Ok then your only choice is to put every pharmacist in jail because you say that we are committing crimes. The huge companies would love that, because now you see they will cry to their politicians that there is no one to do the work and make them pass laws that will allow any schlep to dispense their drugs. You will have more work on your hands that you could possibly imagine and the streets will be full of oxycontin. Understand, that most of us try our best not to be duped and be thankful of the job we do, if you want less drugs on the street change the system. God knows we have no control over it, it’s being taken away from us piece by piece all in the name of greed.

Comment by Scripz on 2010-03-09 21:41:45 -0800 #

Pill Pusher,
I don’t know what I said that makes you think I want to put every pharmacist in jail or even said that you are all committing crimes. I’m only asking that you do as much as you can to prevent drug diversion. I know that the VAST majority of you do, and I thank you for that.

Comment by Pained on 2010-03-16 01:07:33 -0700 #

I must admit, I am pained reading these posts. Who knew pharmacists were so judgemental and condescending? I am a 33yo female who was in a horseback riding accident 15 years ago in which I shattered my collarbone, and damaged both my cervical spine & lumbar spine severely. I have suffered from chronic pain ever since. I am also bipolar 1 w/OCD diagnosed in my early teens. As a result of these conditions, I take many medications, both for pain and anxiety. I have seen many doctors, including surgeons, but because I want more children noone will even consider operating on my back until I am “done” having kids. While I have had 4 pregnancies, I only have 2 children to show for them thus far. So monthly I rely on Flexeril, 7.5/750 Vicodin ES, Lyrica, Ultram, Lidoderm patches, Ambien, Xanax, Risperidone, Lamictal, as well as Lovenox, metformin, and Foltabs to name a few of the non-narcotics. My husband also suffers from anxiety issues and takes Xanax, Zoloft, Risperidone, and Ambien, as well as hydrocodone and Ultram occasionally for a problem ankle due to a sports injury in high school. He’s also on cholesterol, thyroid, and blood pressure meds as well. We see different pain and primary care doctors, but the same psych for our anxiety/sleep meds. Are we sellers/dealers? No. Are we abusers? No. Do we have “dirt” on our doctors? No. We have LEGITIMATE health issues that we struggle with on a daily basis. But between the two of us, we fill about 20 prescriptions a month. Do pharmacists understand how difficult it is to remember WHAT was filled WHEN? And how much time I spend running back & forth to pharmacies? Why do I get a dirty look and arguments when I stop by to pick up my Ultram, or Vicodin, or Ambien or Xanax a few days early because I happen to be out running errands. I do have other things to do besides run back & forth to the pharmacy. My kids have extra-curricular activities/sports, and I have a small child which makes it sometimes difficult for me to get out on the EXACT DAY I am due to run out of meds. SO WHAT if I want to pick them up a few days early. Am I harming anyone? Am I abusing my meds? No. Really does a few days early automatically mandate an abuse red flag? I am only remarking on this because I was out tonight and went by to pick up my vicodin and was told to come back because it was 3 days too early. 3 days… seriously?? I also resent the behavior I get from pharmacists when I transfer an Rx. I do so ONLY if there is a store coupon for free groceries or gift card with transfer, but pharmacists seem to act like I am trying to be shady and hide something. When you spend over $300/EVERY month just in Rx alone, every $25 worth of free groceries or diapers or whatever goes a LOOOONG way. All I ask is that the pharmacists stop for a moment and consider the impact of their demeaning behavior. Like I said to begin, it pains me to see pharmacists treat paying customers in such a derogatory way. And now I think I’ll go take a Xanax and go to bed.

Comment by Pained on 2010-03-16 01:13:11 -0700 #

How does he know they’re fake? For all he knows, some poor chronic pain sufferer had to go an entire month without meds because of his “clever” substitution. No wonder they didn’t return! May another pharmacist do the same with his heart medication….

Comment by Feeduppharmacist on 2010-03-16 11:57:47 -0700 #

It is very easy to determine a fake. You call the MD and ask if he wrote the medication. If he says no… then it is a fake. The alternative to this is what I and 99% of rphs do when they get a fake. They call the cops and have the faker arrested. No chronic pain patient with 1% of a brain would fake a script. The addicts fake scripts.

Comment by Mae Mae on 2010-04-27 14:48:57 -0700 #

“Like I said to begin, it pains me to see pharmacists treat paying customers in such a derogatory way. And now I think I’ll go take a Xanax and go to bed”

I totally AGREE! Walgreens some how thinks i take my pain meds for my foot, I am not sure why they think that, but that is what they keep refering to when I call to get my meds early, They don’t want to take the time out to know that 11 years ago I crushed several verterbrae’s (spelling??) in my spinal cord and therefore I am on my pain meds…they make me feel as if I am a JUNKY which I am in no way…

Comment by Kyle on 2010-06-14 01:54:29 -0700 #

Amen to that sister! A lot of the people who have posted on this topic need to read the above post… just like her I am 24 hours a day in need of strong narcotic pain medications in order to function enough to be able to get out of a bed let alone work or go to school. A lot of these posts MAKE ME SICK…”It dont hurt nobody….but MY BODY” so BUG OUT….worry about yourselves…Doctors went to medical school in order to evaluate pain and know what meds to prescribe. A lot of you should be ashamed of yourself.

Comment by Ahmad on 2010-10-06 22:19:13 -0700 #

The only reason us pharmacists are anal about filling controls too early is because teh DEA will take away our license and livelihood if we do. END OF STORY

Comment by david woodford on 2010-11-17 21:00:02 -0800 #

just be very nice and sympathetic, but (talk them down, keep moving, answer the phone, stall for as long as it takes) explain liver injury is not detected early, but liver damage is like cancer, just gets worse and sneaks up on you, then you need to make final arrangements, being a pro ,not a clerk selling cigarettes, offer to help with recommends to specialists, etc, but DONT FILL IT

Comment by n/pain on 2011-01-08 22:49:03 -0800 #

Listen, I get it..I know you and pain docs see it all. But there are weird circumstances that happen and frankly I’m starting to think that something’s up because everybody I know is sick. But all that aside, three people in my family, my father, mother and my are on Norco 10s. We all have different doctors. My mother and me are with a pain doctor and my dad goes to the V.A. clinic. We live fairly close to each other and use the same pharmacy.. None of us filled early or is “out of it.” I own a large business and my parents are retired from the oil business..they sold out their company to the corp. they were operating under, so we are well known in the community. I admit it was strange but it just was the drug of choice at that time from these docs. This pharmacy started shorting us..and I mean bigtime! I’ve always wanted to know why. We never went back and gave anybody a problem because how do you prove that..and it looks bad..like you are trying to get more meds. But the thing is it was a financial problem because I got brand (I feel a difference) and I paid through the nose for the script. Do pharmacist who suspect something like selling or abuse take pills out and short customers like that? I could see a number of reasons why I think they would do it like for the customer to not come back or maybe take some for themselves because they think we are crooked and deserve it.. I don’t know.. Have you heard of this before?

I have one more question: my mother’s Norco script should have ran out of refills months ago but every time she picks it up (this is at a new pharmacy btw) she always has one more refill. She’s asked the pharmacist about it and it’s correct..they insist. The only thing I can think of it could be something that keeps revising from this pain doc..like maybe he’s one step ahead of her and keeps her taken care of..nobody can figure it out. I said call the doc and nobody over there wants to do that…you know why. (don’t screw up a good thing-type thing) I’ve cautioned her about this. But she is old and can’t walk and in enormous pain so the doc may be on top of it.. Have you heard of anything like this.. Thanks for any light you could shine on either of these situations..

Comment by n/pain on 2011-01-09 11:56:38 -0800 #

Scripz..we have all three of the classic god complex careers represented here.. The doctor, the aggressive cop and the pharmacist..(a new one for me, but have suspected it for years) All are put here to protect and look out for us..all usually have the worst reputation for being irrational and unreasonable. My brother is an
elected judge and had the support of the FOP. I have had enormous respect for police officers until I revieved access to the inner core of city police and county deputies. I’ve not only lost respect for law enforcement, I feel less safe living in my area. My chronic condition took a long and painful path before I actually found a quality doctor who cared enough to stick with it long enough to finally nail the diagnosis with the group he sent me to. I now have a pharmacist who knows me and now takes care of me with a smile. Two out of three ain’t bad.. To this day, with all I’ve seen, I don’t and never will trust a cop. So to the cop, Scripz..eat me. You feel good about yourself by putting chronic pain victims “away?” I hope you never need a new hip..or major back surgery.. You my become a target when you find yourself begging for pain meds for an ounce of relief. I’m going to tell you two things cops hate to hear or have told to them: go get some actual bad guys..especially when we pay your salary. They hate that…because it has a ring truth. This post is not for the pushers who are trafficking, but for the ones who have to beg the gate keepers for their ounce of relief. So to the cop..lousy, lazy doctor and the power hungry “angry pharmacist”…blow me and others like me. That’s quite a long line.

Comment by Edward K. on 2011-01-09 12:22:09 -0800 #

Wal-Greens is a great pharmacy. They help me 100% better than some of the pompass backsides I’m reading on here. It sounds like you hate your jobs. Fill the prescriptions and be nice and stop looking for a reason to b!tch about it. Maybe if you had the ability to be a doctor or even get into medical school then you might have the right to smear them like you pharmacists and *chuckle* techs are doing. It’s like actors and entertainers getting involved with politics, just shut up and act or dance, well you guys should shut up and fill the prescription!

Comment by N/Pain on 2011-01-09 12:28:28 -0800 #

Well..after reading the whole blog..wow it got pretty nasty. I do want to make some comments.. The pharmacists who slammed the docs for having a “god complex” are the very same people who have that very same complex. It’s a classic “gate keeper” psychosis. It’s a power/ judgment thing. It’s one thing to keep an eye of trafficing, it’s completely another to call paying costumers junkies. 90% of chronic pain sufferers are addicted. Their doctors know and are taking care of them the best way they can. Some of these decisions might not be the best idea, but how would I know, I didn’t spend a third of my life studying and practicing and paying for a medical degree…and neither did you. Maybe in a lot of cases you should “shut up and fill the script.” I have Trgeminal Neuralgia.. This my pharmacist friends, is just about the most horrible pain anyone could imagine or not imagine. I was an academic and a year ago would probably be singing a different tune but this has opened my eyes as to why these meds are available in the first place. I have, on average, about two dozen hard attacks a day. If you turned an electric burner on a stove or hot plate to high and lay one side of your face on it for three to five minutes that would be close to what I deal with all day long. And I work and run a business. These meds make that possible. I would be on disability and in bed and a total loser without these meds. To jab back at one post..I, like many, take two or even more heavy narcotics to just live with any life quality. I take morphine time release to keep me stable..I take either Percocet 10s or Norco 10s depending on my level on any given morning. I take Soma three times a day and 800mgs of Neurontin all to keep me productive. I’ve gotten looks from you judgmental pill bottle fillers but I choose to ignore you. I know who I am..I have nothing to prove to you. My Neurologist is trying to rule out M.S. and we have been over a solution or “cure” for this but that has a high risk of facial disfiguring and a possibility of not being successful. So the next time you want to play god or get excited about the possibility that you might get to “not” fill someone’s meds for them ask yourself how you would feel if God himself dealt you a little different hand in this life…but that’s wishful thinking.

Comment by karma on 2011-02-09 06:36:57 -0800 #

I broke my back 4 years ago and had two major surgeries. From the surgeries I have developed scar tissue that has interfered with my spinal cord. I am in constant chronic pain and without my medication (I take 40mg Oxycontin 2 X daily and have Percocet 7.5/325 for breakthrough pain). I get all my prescriptions filled by the same pharmacy and refill only 1 or 2 days prior to the date I filled them the month before (29 or 30 days in between refills). The Percocet for break through I get filled about every 3 months(30 tablets). The only issue I have is I do feel like I’m being looked up and down by pharmacy staff when I fill my prescriptions but as you will see in my next paragraph, they do it with good reason and I understand. Without the medication I can’t move because of severe pain from the surgery and very severe muscle spasms. I really don’t have a quality of life.Without this medication my pain level goes to above a 10 and I can’t get out of bed.
Now here comes the severe story. My estranged husband suffers from bowel adhesions. On a monthly basis he is prescribed Methadone, Fentanyl Patches, dilautid and some type of morphine nasal spray. Over a year ago some strange people came to my home that he said were life long friends. The alarm instantly went off in my head as we had been married 10 years and I never met these life long friends before, even though they have lived nearby. Oddly soon after they left he had more money in his pocket. I questioned him and he denied any wrong doing. The next month the same thing happened and 2+2 was not equaling 4 any longer and we were already having problems in our marriage but this topped it off and we separated. He knew how against I was regarding the mis-use and illegal use of narcotics. The year before my 21 year old son lost 3 close friends from overdosing or mixing prescription drugs with alcohol. Our separation was violent and I had an order of protection in place for the next 5 years. I didn’t go to authorities right away as I was/am scared for my safety. I wanted to move and be in a location where he didn’t know where he was. Finances were tight for me so I couldn’t save enough money to move. I began to have anxiety that something would happen to someone else when I knew what he was really doing with his medications. I did go to the authorities and told them everything I knew. He is now being watched and investigated. I can tell you he never wore a fentanyl patch and he was prescribed 7-8 methadone daily and only took one or two. I didn’t report him out of revenge, I reported him because it was the right thing to do before someone died at his hands. He hasn’t been caught yet.
I want to thank each and every pharmacist who takes their jobs seriously and watches out for the mis-use of narcotic medications. You are probably saving someone’s life, especially a life of a young adult. It makes me sick to think that my husband was 99% likely to have been doing something illegal, in my home, with my children. I am very very poor right now but that’s OK. I’d rather be eating dirt off of the floor than have the weight of knowing what could be happening in my home.

Comment by patuah lemofam on 2011-04-09 09:21:20 -0700 #

My state law. States there is no limit the dr can prescribe. Sched II meds, no limit.

Comment by techie on 2011-05-11 19:30:31 -0700 #

ha i have a few like that to the point where i wont fill it till he gets there and then i count it out in fron tof him cause he demands it. one time i didnt do it he came back about a min later with only one pill in the bottle claiming i stole them from him….. i told him to get the fuck out of my store and never come back or i will kick him in the face. my pharmacist suspended me for a week… but i havent seen him since… totally worth it

Comment by Michela on 2011-08-19 09:52:12 -0700 #

This makes me so angry! I know these “dirtbags” that are on 15 mg straight oxycodone, 10 mg methadone, and 1 mg klonopin. Monthly one man gets 120 of the oxycodone, and 120 methadone, and 80 klonopin.
Every month it is the same. He sells all of his oxycodone, except 20. Leaves more methadone for himself, as that is his drug of choice, and klonopin he will sell some, but keeps the majority of them. 2 weeks into the month he is sicker than hell because he is out of meds, and withdrawling. Looking on the street for the methadone.

He has a “back problem” yet he can mow lawns, and cut wood, and put it away. He always uses his cane when he is going to the doctors, and his handicap tag when he is driving.

He supplements his disability income with these pills. He pays people in PILLS to do things for him. He and his wife, who is prescribed 90 OXYCODONE 15mg monthly (for arthritis) and klonopin for her depression.Although she will sell 50 and leave 40 for herself. At the end of the month she is in the hospital, because she is sick. (Diabetes, heart attack symptoms) but it really is bc she is out of meds, and withdrawling hardcore. The day she knows her meds are ready at the pharmacy shes out of the hospital cured, and walking around, fine. You never knew she was in there.

2x a month he is at the pharmacy before the pharmacist, and techs are there. He hands them in the night before (god forbid he lose his script) Tells them to please have these ready in the morning at 9 am, as he is going out of town. Every month he is going out of town. Of course the exuse of going out of town would look weird at same pharmacy, so she uses one and he the other.

His doctor in 8 years has NEVER drug tested his levels, nor tested for other drugs. These people live on social security and disability, and food stamps, and medicare. Pretty sickening with the debt that tax payers pay for this. AND THEY GET AWAY WITH IT.

I dont even want to say how many people these 2 alone have made addicts.His cousin down the street, he is the kingpin. He drives an hour a way, and gets 320 methadone 10 mg (that he gives to his daughter as she is a hardcore addict putting 9 of the 10 mg up her nose a day)and morphine, and oxycodone 30 mg. He is on medicaid, and he pays his 3.00 co pay like the other 2, and makes so much money a month.Only his doctor is in it with him. This is a vicious cycle and it needs to end. But you call the doctor, and tell them, and they turn the blind eye.

They are losers, they dont need these meds because of HEALTH problems. They need it to cure their bordem FOR NOT WORKING, and MONEY. When you smoke 2 packs a cigarettes a day, and have a gambling addiction to boot. Someone has to pay for it. The tax payers.

They need to mandate the laws for prescribing narcotics. The doctors, and the patients need to be held accountable. I am sick of seeing people turned into addicts, because someone needs money. Get a job!

Comment by ted on 2011-11-28 22:49:43 -0800 #

dear lord Michela, you’re an idiot

do you know anything?

“9 out of the 10mg methadone tablets go up her nose”???? ????

that makes NO sense.

seek help

Comment by Jamie on 2011-12-23 03:41:46 -0800 #

I am a pharmacist and I sympathize with chronic pain sufferers. I really do. It must be an awful condition. I have many patients that take their narcotics exactly as prescribed (prescribed at safe doses too) and we have no problems, no judgement, I treat them just like everyone else. Sometimes I think the people saying they are being discriminated against are creating it in their heads… Do you feel guilty about something regarding your medication? Because trust me, if you aren’t abusing the drug or going to a quack doctor that is writing scripts that could HURT you, us pharmacists really don’t give a rats ass about what you get as long as it is safe and WE are legally covered. You aren’t that important to us, sorry to burst your ego bubble. I do my job, get paid, and go home to my family and live my life. I don’t lay in bed at night thinking about your Norco script. I have a license that I worked very hard for to protect and early refills or quack doctor scripts that I fill could cost me that license…. It has not a damn thing to do with you. And guess what else? True story- a fellow pharmacist collegue of mine filled a morphine script too early (with doctor approval) and the patient overdosed and died the next day. He now has no pharmacist license and a manslaughter conviction. So next time you want to cry and moan about how mean the pharmacist is, think of that. There is way more at stake for us than you think. Get over yourself.

Comment by Jayne Doe on 2012-01-19 13:02:01 -0800 #

HERE’S AN IDEA FOR YOU MEDDLING COMMIE PHARMACISTS: JUST STFU, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS & DO YOUR FREAKING JOB & FILL THE DAM@NED SCRIPTS LIKE YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO! WHY MEDDLE IN PEOPLE’S SCRIPTS TO BEGIN WITH? NOSEY F#CKS!

Comment by badnews on 2012-01-24 18:12:58 -0800 #

Hi. This thread makes me sad. I have been in acute pain for over 20 years and have been taking Norco daily for my arthritis in my left hip and spine. I am highly familiar with the dangers to the liver of taking too much APAP. The “maximum” dose before you begin having liver damage is 4,000 mg. I do NOT enjoy the sensation of Norco. One thing I do not enjoy more is the intense pain I have without it. Therefore, recently, my pharmacist decided on his own to deny me refills based on his calculations that 2,000 mg per day was the top end of the ingestion of APAP. I showed him in the PDR where he was incorrect and still refused to refill. If I am not on Norco for more than a day, I have to be hospitalized and administered demerol. I am sorry I am not well and it is an inconvenience to some pharmacists to refill some prescriptions, but honestly, some of us DO hurt!! Really. My doctor has been treating me for pain management for 20 years. I see him three to four times a year, so, it’s not like I am a Vicodin junkie. I am prescribed 200 10/325’s with the directions 1-2 every two to four hours, which at the highest would give me 12 doses per day. The pharmacist unilaterally decided that half that was “enough” or “too much” (APAP) and absolutely refused to refill. I had been going to that pharmacy for over five years and I suppose there is an abuse problem, but I assure you, I am not one of them. Please consider that there are “some” of us out here with very legitimate problems when you get “angry” with the doctors and, by default, cause the patient to be denied effective pain relief which under Federal Law is our right as a human being to be “pain free.”

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Painfully yours,

Badnews. :'(

Comment by Sheila on 2012-03-24 05:45:43 -0700 #

The problem with Pharmasists is they AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME everyone on pain meds is an addict. I was in a car accident 10 years ago. I was hit by an 18 wheeler. I ALMOST DIED, I have cronic pain in my neck and in my leg which has nerve damage. When your nerves are damaged it pretty much feels like its on fire ALL THE TIME. I’m on Lyrica for the cronic pain (which helps immensly) and Vicodin for Breakthrough pain because somedays I cant even walk. I get 15 vicoden a month, and the Pharmacists give me crap about it. For 15 a month. Since I dont always take 15 a month, I dont get them filled every month, sometimes its every 2 months, It depends on how physically active I am at that particural time, They call my DR EVERYTIME I get it filled. and YES the DR TELL ME when they call, he thinks its assnine to be calld for 15 pills. They even questioned them about the Lyrica. which is NONE OF THERE BUSINESS. Not everyone on pain pills is an addict.

Comment by fmaon06 on 2012-03-24 18:16:03 -0700 #

I think he means that she crushes the tablets, and then snorts it similar to cocaine. You get a quicker high that way.

Comment by Samantha Sincore on 2012-07-26 21:44:05 -0700 #

The one type of patient not mentioned is the person who has tried to walk her whole life with loser parents that never got her surgery for metatarsal adductus/equinis/polio affect. Then she gets shuffled around to one MD or Podiatrist after another. She continued under their care never taking any opiates at all but took so much actem./tylenol that her liver counts, start to get very high. Patient then gets bleeding ulcers and Barretts Esoshogus,not one Pharamcist or tech ever mentions, why are you buying so much asprin, tylenol, motrin, aleve. As long as it is not a narcotic. You dumb ass, conceited, protect my rich ass person. Doesn’t give two shits about her. I know because I am that person and I helped my daughter ex boy friend study for his boards here in Fl. So you will probably delete. Patient at age 43 begs for opiates and doesn’t really care whether she lives or dies. Patient finally at her begging finally gets opioids because she already has sent and seen her children graduate from college. Though now she has never abused taking her meds from 1998 until now she is been on the same amount of opiates for the last three years because she decided on her own to try gabapentin with her fentyl patch and her break through oxycodone. Though if she loses a patch in the shower and she goes in on the 29th day she has to her a Walgreen piss ass pharmacist go on and on about their rich liscense, I say try walking with club feet with toes that are completly curling up in excrutiating pain.

Comment by Samantha Sincore on 2012-07-26 23:18:01 -0700 #

I was born with clubfeet and have taken NSAID’s my entire life until the age of 43 when I started bleeding out of all of my pores. I am Jehovah’s Witness and do not take blood transfusions and also do not want to abuse drugs. So what do I do other than sucide. At 43 I was put on hydrocodone because I then was DX with Barretts Esophgus, stomach ulceer and rectal bleeding. I sound like someone who wants to start using drugs for recreation, what a fun thing to do, let us bleed to death and what is the fun part and what is the high part you arrogant rude obnoxious arrogant state of Florida Walgreens Pharmacies.

Comment by Samantha Sincore on 2012-07-26 23:23:02 -0700 #

The suicide part is mentioned because that is what the state of Florida wants people who have and live with horrible pain to do in the long run, if their patch comes off. My husband who has had a stroke went down to get my patches refilled one day early and they said no. They could care less if you killed yourself in their store.

Comment by Thunder on 2012-07-29 18:36:08 -0700 #

Pharmacists have to be very careful when they judge. Yes, there are a lot of people who are abusing the drugs, but there are a lot of people who are truly in pain. It is sad that my doctor can only prescribe Lortab as the highest form of painkiller possible and I can not find a pain management place to be frickin’ open to new patients. I am prescribed 120 monthly of 10/500 and its not enough. I take 1 1/2 three times daily, sometime I need to take 2 instead of 1 1/2 and sometime I take my dose and that dose somehow is ineffective, I have to take another for it to help. Pain from Craniofacial Dysplasia is a death sentence. Almost every month, I run out with the remaining week to suffer. Doctor can’t refill early, she understands my suffering, but stupid law and crackdown that prevent hurting people to have less hassle. I have to go to ER to get a week’s worth to allow me the comfort to go thru. Personally, the 120 limit is a joke. It should be set at 150 monthly. Sometime I just wish I would just die in my sleep.

Comment by ResQRangR on 2012-08-12 13:17:38 -0700 #

I accidently came across this site when doing some research for a question I have. And I am happy it is here.
I’ll ask my question at the end but after reading some of the entries on here I feel I have to write my experience.-first off, I am an ICU/open heart RN. A short while back my partner got layed(sp?) off from his job for a pharmaceutical company and after a few months he found a new job but we had to move to Dallas from Seattle. I am a 44yr old Panama, Desert Storm veteran, then college and an RN. In the war was when I hurt my back, but i didn’t go to the MD in the military, my time in service came up and I got out. I was in my 20’s and thought that a doctor that does backs was a chiropractor(hey-I didn’t know at the time). I went to him for 8 yrs when my insurance cut me off saying It was to long. I fought it but lost. Afterwords it was a blessing in disguise. I will NEVER go to a chiro again. they make your spine worst.
My partner got a job and we moved to Seattle where I started going to a pain clinic. Started on Vicoden and stayed on it for a while. My partner got promoted and we moved to NYC where I stayed on the same meds. After 9/11 I wanted out of NYC so bad that my partner actually lucked out and got us back to Seattle. I went back to work at the same place I was before we moved but started using one of our ICU docs as my pcp(he worked for a large partnership) and he said that he did pain control as well so I stayed with him. Got off the Vico’s because of all the APAP(I was now an RN and knew the meds). I went on Oxy’s for a while and xanax(due to 9/11, the war, and my back). But couldn’t get controlled on the Oxy’s so I got put on Methadone which I didn’t even know it was for pain control. Got leveled, still on the xanax, methadone, and ambien. Went to a small mom and pop pharmacy which I prefer to the grocery store pharmacies. after 6yrs we moved to Dallas. Of course it’s hard to find a doc you like so i went to 3 different ones in a year and since this is Texas I had to go to a pain clinic again for the controlled’s. As I said I prefer the mom and pop pharmacies but couldn’t find one and went to different grocery store clerk pharmacies to fill my meds. At the end I went to another chain when I had the written scripts and got them filled. And then my controlled’s from the pain clinic there as well. The next month I called in to get my refills. As is the case in Texas, the person I spoke with spoke very little english and it took a while to get through to her head for my RX’s. Well, 20 mts later I got a call from the doctor’s office and told that the pharmacy called and said I was trying to call in my own RX’s(even though I had refills on file), I said that I did no such thing. I went to the grocery clerk pharmacy and asked to talk to the manager of the pharmacy. Well, to my surprise it was the manager I spoke to when I called for my refills, we argued, she insisted I was trying to call in RX’s, I asked why I would do that(which I never would because I would no longer be an RN if i did, I have called in RX’s for patients in the past per MD order). so, I got my scripts filled, I had 1 more month of refills on file and got them filled the next month(these are the xanax and ambien since the methadone can’t have refills). Then when I got the new RX’s I went to another big chain store and dropped them off and said I would get them the next morning. The next morning I called to see if they were ready and was told they were. Well-stupid me-being new to Dallas I went to the store with the grocery clerk pharmacist that spoke no english on accident. I was confused for a few minutes when I asked for my RX’s and told that I had none and I said that I had just called and was told they were ready. I then realized I was at the wrong store.
2 weeks later I got a call from a Dallas female cop and asked to come to the police headquarters. I asked why, she told me it was because I was MD shopping and calling in my own RX’s. This was on December 23rd, I told her that I would call her in the new year after the holidays since i was going to Ohio, and I had to find a lawyer(I was an Air Force Police Officer and knew to never talk to a cop w/o an attorney). Well-the woman at the pharmacy that I fought with called and tried to press charges on me, saying I was calling in scripts, and then in December when I went to the wrong store she claimed I threatened her to give me drugs(actually the xanax). The cop spent time and did see I had gone to 3 dift. PCP’s so I was doctor shopping. The cop said they were going to press charges on me unless I went through some diversion program. I said hell no(actually my attorney did because he was a prosecutor for 8 years) and informed her she doesn’t have the authority to charge someone, she investigates and then turns it over to the DA who decides if there is a case. of course, it all got thrown out because no meds ever overlapped. I just want to know if there is anything I can do to this grocery clerk pharmacist since she lied? any feed back?

And now for my question I was researching, as I said, I live in Texas and see a pain specialist who writes every month for a fentanyl patch and methadone, he writes them on paper scripts, but I keep hearing about this new electronic system in Texas for controlled rx’s, how does the paper script get into the that system? I thought that all scripts are now suppose to be e-scribed? But if it’s still on paper padd scripts how do they get into the system?

Comment by trish1 on 2012-08-16 09:22:31 -0700 #

To address Jen’s comment, and those who refer to pharmacists as “policing” or like “god”, as well as the original poster on this site: I defend pharmacists rights & policies, and have much respect for the range of services they render.

I also suffer from chronic pain, residual from a fractured spine at L2,a life of rheumatoid arthritis since age 15, significant & severe migraines, and more recently the complications of extensive osteoporosis/other fractures. After trying a few different medications these past couple of years, I am back to what some may consider more standard (Percocet 10/325 4 x day/prn) though I have been prescribed–and tried–extended-release medications, including a whopping dose of Opana in 9/2011 that totaled 100mg a day (between the extended and instant release pills). The Opana originated from an internist who never even examined me at ALL, yet made a dramatic switch to this medication, then rapidly increased the dosage every 2 weeks. Net result, I wound up in the cardiac hospital within a few short months, due to extreme hypotension & bradycardia. I wish my pharmacist (and I truly believe he & staff do) realize the prescribing habits of this internist I used to see. I was ORDERED to follow that doc’s prescription, with a pain contract as well of course, routinely urine tested for compliance to make sure I was taking enough, and reprimanded/talked down each time I asked to be switched back to something less potent, or back to the Percocet (even if it meant some increased pain, it would have been preferable to the dose of Opana).

It is my opinion that most pharmacists CARE, rather than play the role of a “nerdy snitch from school.”

In my state, it is now standard that a pharmacist can and may report on a weekly basis (instead of yearly) to the doc and or/medical board about narcotic refills–something mandated, rather than pharmacist “policing.”

When it comes to things such as side-effects of new meds or interactions with other meds, I turn to my pharmacist for advice and consultation because it one of the specialties that they are so highly trained in, and even some docs will refer you to your pharmacist for this advice. Pharmacists & their techs are trained in THEIR profession, and who among them here proclaimed to BE a doctor (or a “god”) or have expressed desire to be one? All that have stated their thoughts, feelings & opinions on narcotics acknowledge their role as a pharmacist, and their share of the responsibility in filling prescriptions (which is a legal one)–to protect the patient (such as from toxic levels of Tylenol) and abuse. Yes, pharmacists SEE the abuse of Rx’s in cases the doctor may or will not readily see. I see nothing wrong with any pharmacist: protecting patient safety, and also being concerned and alarmed at patients who fill prescriptions entirely too early, yet are given clearance by their doctor. Any doctor who repeatedly does so needs to be looked into and possibly reported to the AMA/state board, and the patient heavily counseled (if not booted).

Far too many patients sell their narcotics these days, for a variety of reasons, and it is a sad fact (check any paper for police reports)–this nurtures & furthers street abuse of narcotics, plus it gives those with legitimate pain issues more trouble & greatly increases any associated label/STIGMA to pain patients. This stigma is something we ALL should be aware of and concerned about (read the news and increasing headlines about the topic).

I am NOT in any way invalidating your pain, or anyone who is in legitimate pain, and fills their prescriptions–as prescribed. I am NOT stating that any pharmacist knows the level or nature of your pain more than your doc. But, someone must keep an eye on the dosages and refill habits–who would do so, if not for our pharmacists? They have not failed in any way as authority figures–they do have authority, and a wealth of knowledge from their education and training. The role that both doc and pharmacist each play in monitoring prescriptions is tremendous and intertwined. Both shoulder responsibilities (to the patient, and yes–to themselves), and both are held accountable.

My pharmacist WAS concerned about my abrupt switch to and then rapidly increasing dose of Opana; unfortunately the side-effects were swift and possibly could have killed me. I left that doctor STAT, esp. when his PA offered me an early refill of Opana immediately upon my release from the cardiac hosp? In my small town, this doc is deemed “the Opana man” and also his office a “pill mill.” My town has never had such a doc, and I personally hope his “internist” license is revoked, at minimum. The pharmacy that he WAS conveniently located next door to surely became aware of his prescribing habits, and for reasons unknown, he just up & moved his practice & now is specializing only in pain mgmt.

As for your final statement, the pharmacists here are not “whining” over any “failed aspirations” in my opinion–maybe rightfully upset, venting frustration over potential abuse/toxicity and an often feeling of helplessness in some cases–they are exchanging their experiences. IF YOU do not like any of this? Well, ad you said, you may also get on with life and the world may be in need of bartenders???

Comment by born this way on 2012-10-02 08:33:28 -0700 #

The whole topic of narcotics, doctors and pharmacies is one that gets me fired up! From the time I can remember, I have been sick and in pain! When i was just 12, i was Finally, diagnosed!! It was bittersweet, I.didn’t want anything to be wrong but I was glad to have some answers and to know I wasn’t crazy! I have a genetic disease that a lot of docs haven’t heard of or haven’t seen, it’s called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. It’s a miserable thing to live with as your joints are constantly dislocating! That does not include the fact that every tissue, ligament, muscle can move at anytime and cause Extreme pain! Since i was a kid it was tylenol or anti-inflammatory meds. Im 34, and it wasn’t until my mid 20’s that i started taking narcotics, this was due to the bleeding ulcer that was caused from non narcotic meds. I look way younger than i am, always have. Everyone thinks its so easy to get narcotics and its not! It gets so old being looked at like just a pill head! Especially with younger pharmacists. They hv the perception that ur young and look fine so u don’t need meds! This was made worse when i went to the hospital due to gallbladder pain. The er doc treated me like a seeker and went on and on about the meds i was on 120 / 10-325 norco, he thought that it was 2 much. Long story short, had a ct scan he claimed it was normal. For 8 wks i went through hell because noone wld listen to me and saw that he wrote normal, so noone questioned the doc! I had Thousands of $ worth of tests, finally someone referred me to a surgeon just to shut me up. The surgeon pulled my ct up, and was shocked they said it was normal!! I had stones in my appendix, my intestines had turned and my gallbladder had folded in half and had grown into my stomach and abdominal wall, due to my disease! The surgeon said he had never seen that, and no wonder why i had been in constant pain! A week after my surgery, i was in a wreck. I was hit 3 times by a large truck going 60! It ripped my stitches open and moved my spine! So i was put on breakthrough meds! I was given hell for it. Everytime i wld get my meds I wld hv to gv my history! Just remember just cause someone “looks” fine and is young doesn’t mean they arent in pain!! Also, my younger sister is on a lot of the same meds, doesn’t mean we r dealers!! WE HAVE THE SAME DISEASE!! Ever thought that’s why some people in the same family r on the same meds!! Treat others the way you wld want to be treated#!!!

Comment by hospicenp on 2012-11-29 12:44:54 -0800 #

This may be terribly obvious, and it may not be as easy as I think… but I would think most states have a way to report suspicious prescribing practices?

Comment by Jacksprat on 2012-12-09 11:30:35 -0800 #

If you’re not comfortable filling the narc. Rx, why not just tell the patient that you’re all out of it and won’t be getting any in for a few weeks – say that there’s a backorder with your vendor. Lie!

Comment by mark on 2013-01-12 19:43:19 -0800 #

one thing i have been hearing over and over is your to young for narcotic pain meds (lizzie) ……i’m 26 and have spina bifida,djd,degenerative arthritis,rotoscholiosis,buldging discs and my spine is barely attached. I don’t understand how somebody can deny me my meds but yet every time i go to walgreens pharmacy I get a damn tech that want’s to question me and make me feel like i’m doing something wrong. My AGE has nothing to do with the amount of pain i’m in. I can’t get out of bed with out it. I’m only on the Vicodin 7.5 and I went for my refill the other day a couple days early to get my meds before they no longer exist due to new laws of some kind but was denied because they were early now I have to wait 2 months to see my doc AGAIN because they didn’t get filled. Thats 2 months I have to be in excruciating pain because a pharmacist wouldn’t fill them a couple days early.It makes me sick to think the pharmacist could have just looked at me and said “oh he looks to young” and denied them to me. I personally think you guys have to much authority than you should if you can make a decision like that. It’s horrible you guys talk about people selling the pills when you guys force people to get them from the street because you don’t do your job. a drug dealer also has an option who they sell to. Now i’m forced to go to the streets if i wan’t a somewhat normal day free of pain.

Comment by Matthew Spencer on 2013-01-14 10:55:37 -0800 #

I am get Klonopin filled to stop the chest pain during thunderstorms and hypersensitivity during my hyper and obsessive and I have been approached more than once for my “Kloddopins” and they always have some orange crap called “Beaut” that they got for free while I fork out $50 for 120 pills… smoking their expensive cigs, loading up their gaggle of kids into their new SUV. They leave me alone because I say, without these, I’d be homicidal… LOL

My mom was into pain meds… signed pain contract to get opana and then got Oxycodone for migraines and she was taking these bar shaped pills that made her act drunk… she chose that over life… sad but true… luckily she had borderline personality disorder so the drama free life has been great

Comment by john on 2013-02-07 18:20:16 -0800 #

ok, first of all, why are you pharms complaining about an rx with high tylenol limits? I could go into any pharmacy and buy 20 bottles of tylenol all at once and not one of you would say a thing about that now would you? Only reason you use tylenol is because it has opiates involved. Second, how can you judge a cpp without experiencing cp yourselves? Do you have any idea how much life sucks living in constant pain? Third, you have a degree which allows you to follow orders from a doctor to fill what the doctor tells you to fill; you don’t have a medical degree, you were never trained or educated on how to treat chronic pain were you? You are actually like someone that knows a car needs gas to run and because of that, you now think you’re a mechanic as well who knows how the engine runs. Just because you have a degree on counting pills doesnt make you somehow competent in treating sickness. You don’t complain about selling cigarettes that you know KILL people, but bitch about selling pills that help people? Sure, there are some idiots that abuse pills, but, hurting ccp’s because of the drug dealers isnt the right aproach to deal with this issue, its like blaming the reason a car won’t run on the flat tire, when its clearly out of gas. Quit bitching, and just do your job, or maybe we should just get rid of you and let the doctors fill their own scripts from now on.

Comment by john on 2013-02-07 18:26:09 -0800 #

i highly doubt that’s true. whats true is, your dad knowing that you’re a pharm student lied, said he shred them up, filled them, and is now hooked and doesnt want you to know it….most likely the truth.

Comment by BloggerQueen on 2013-05-06 17:10:25 -0700 #

OMG, I’d been on Lorazapam for like 14 years, and the phamacy (walgreens) suddenly changed manufacturers. San Doz was putting out the new Lorazapam and as soon as I got it, I noticed the difference. I got little blisters on my lip and tonsul and butt. I felt nervous and my heart was beating weird, also, I didn’t feel relaxed like I usually do when I take it. So I decided to change to the brand of Lorazapam Ativan! OMG, what a circus that was. No trouble with my provider United Health Care, no trouble with my doctor writing a script’ for Ativan with BRAND ONLY on it, and all correct, and even BRINGING UP from a 25 day cycele to a 30 day, which in monumental for me!!! First Walgreens (the one I go to and have gone to for years, even know all their names) lied and said they did not have it. I’d have to wait. Then they suddenly had it and only gave me a pre fill of 30 1 mg of the Ativan. Then I asked when I could get the rest, and they said NO WORRIES, can you wait until WEDS???? By Wes. I would have been out of them. I said yes anyways. But I called back on Monday and demanded they give them to me. I called my provider who called Walgreens and spoke to them. I asked if they wanted my doctor to be involved he would call and say fine. They said NO. NO WORRIES. So I still could not get the rest. So i called my provider again and they called Walgreens and Walgreens outright lied and said “Oh the patient never returned to get them, so we had to take it out!” And the date was farther ahead than at first. And the date that provider had was different than Walgreens. So we kept going back and forth and finally they gave it to me. I said to myself, I’m going to fill it next month at another Walgreens, so when the time came(doctor only gives me 1 script and I have to return once a month to get the next month’s supply of Ativan). I went to another Walgreens, seeing as my profile is in there anyways, so it should not matter. They said they didn’t have it, I called days before and explained to the manager there that I had to change Walgreens due to the fact I’d be in their area at my new job and it will be easier to fill with them. They said fine. But when the time came to fill it, they said they didn’t have it, it never came it. But, they said to call over to the same Walgreens I ran away from, so I had to call there, and again they gave me a pre fill, and I asked if things would be complicated again in me getting the rest, they said no, but it almost did get complicated, then I called my provider who again called them, then I get a call that it’s ready. The manager at the Walgreens I ran from, but had to slink back in like a dog with a tail between its legs. The gave me no problems the second time. I asked what the date was for next month and they said the 26th, which is correct. I came for the pre fill on 26th. So I’ll see if they will give me crap again. Whenever this one pharmacist gets me on the phone, he says, “NO WORRIES” and then he started saying that he would rather me fill it with another pharmacist, he said , OH you have the tricky insurance! What? I could not get over the attitude, so I finally broke down and called the manager there and had a long talk with her, she agreed it was wrong what was going on and kinda’ fixed it for me. So we’ll see. Why would Walgreens care if I went from Generic or brand, and do you think they are giving me a knock off of the Ativan? It’s not really working and I’m feeling lots of weird pain behind my should blades. Maybe it’s sugar pills? Can they do that????? Doctor is in agreement with me and doesn’t mind me on the brand. It’s better for me, I’m on a 30 day, and I take 2 mg’s less. So the Lorazapam sucked. I had to change. I don’t want San Doz. It used to be Pureplex, but they were bought out. Actually, the Lorazapam felt like blood pressure meds, which I am highly allergic to. Could they be putting other chemicals and components in it? Am I right in thinking the pharmacy is on the take???? I don’t know what to believe, I just know I have not felt right since the Lorazapam was put out by San Doz, and I changed to the brand, put out by MYLAN! So what’s the story?

Comment by Dr Patanski on 2013-09-17 06:07:11 -0700 #

I have a great Idea! all those pharmacist’s who don’t want to give patients medicine, you are in the wrong field. No matter the case you are a pill pusher, warranted or not .. do what the DOCTOR says. you don’t know the the reason the DOCTOR does what he does. frankly it’s none of your concern. you do not the patient or there needs. It is people like you who make life for a dying person harder. If you do not like that here is an idea go to med school .. but I bet you could not make it that far because of your lack of concern for people. you are more concerned with your crappy little licend’s. no DEA agent will ever question a doctor who has a patient who is terminal. I deal with people like you all the time, it’s actually kind of easy the DOCTOR say’s FILL IT and you do your job. if you have issues with that you should maybe think about selling shoes for a living, but wait lemme guess people only need one pair a year.. A pill pusher trying to be a DOCTOR that is what this thread is all about … bottom line … cry to your doctor about it they will give you some anti depressants. (that is why pills are made is to use the extent is up to the DOCTOR and regulations that he can override because he has a P.H.D.) corresponding responsibility is all you have to fall back on , but the doctor will take the final heat so just do your job

Comment by Pain hurts on 2013-09-19 09:07:48 -0700 #

Dear Pained,
I agree with you and experience the same kinds of problems with all these “angry” pharmacists. I did want to mention to you, however, that you mentioned you want more children. I’m sure you realize, however, that the medications you are currently taking are NOT safe during pregnancy. I just wanted to make that clear for anyone else reading in a similar situation. Your baby would suffer severe birth defects if you take those medication while pregnant. I am sure your doctor has warned you of that. I am, however glad to see those of us with debilitating, chronic pain pushing back on these horrible, insensitive and judgemental and very ANGRY pharmacists!

Comment by MOM HAD POLIO THEN TOOK PAIN MEDS FOR PREGGERS on 2013-09-21 06:26:38 -0700 #

My mother had polio when she was 14. Then got over it. Then she got preggers with twins at 27 and lost them. Then my older brother was conceived but was totally tooooo big, so they gave her something for pain, he came out “challenged” and not right, and with a huge head and body. Then she had 2 more dead births. Then my second oldest brother came along, he never talks, was a stuttering, and then me, and I am a hyper ball of angst and other colon problems but I got off easy because my mother’s water broke in the middle of the night and my head was coming out in the taxi so they would not give her pain meds for me! Finally she had my younger sister and knocked her out for it, and sis has one boob toooo big and no boob on other side. Sad. Polio made my mom fear pain so they gave her meds during her preggers state, maybe that is why she lost twins and two dead births. And the rest of her clan including me are not right in the head. Oh well, I’m breathing. Thanks A.G.

Comment by MOM HAD POLIO THEN TOOK PAIN MEDS FOR PREGGERS on 2013-09-21 06:36:25 -0700 #

My mom must have been pumped with pain killers before she had all the kids except me, I was coming out in the taxi, so I was spared. I think my brothers and sister were dosed on the stuff and during the pregnancy and that’s why mom lost so many children. I know it.

Comment by Roberta on 2013-09-23 18:48:53 -0700 #

As a person with an invisible illness. Ehlers / Danlos Syndrome is genetic so it would not be uncommon to have the same scripts written. I have multiple joints that dislocate. Yes you can have it from both parents. I’m not saying this is what happened. When people who don’t look sink drop scripts off. They often feel they are treated as drug seekers because they don’t look sick.

Comment by PHARMACIST MANAGER IS PLAYING WITH MY ATIVAN! on 2013-10-25 14:59:06 -0700 #

OMG, I was on a perfect 30 day cycle for almost 9 months on Ativan. I was always on time. Then one day in July, out of the blue, the pharmacy manager calls and says (5 days early), “Oh you can get it any time!!!!” SO I’m like, OK, when? Manager said “now if you want!” “Don’t need it now, but how about Sunday!” He said ok. He did this 2 months in a row, even though I was not calling to get it early. It’s a controlled substance called Ativan. So I had no problems until I called this morning. This time he refused to fill it early, even though I said my Health Provider said it’s 80% consumption, so it’s okay to fill, they will let it happen. He still said NO! The problem is that on a certain date, my COBRA runs out and I’m then on an HMO and can’t even take the Ativan. So I want to fill it early so I can use that month to find another drug or get the Ativan at another pharmacy or even on an online one. No problems with the doctor. He’s okay with this so far, but it’s the pharmacy, and I was talking to the manager! He knows me very well, on a first name basis. Why would He not fill it? He was the one who called me twice and said I could fill early, now he says, “OH, I can’t unless your own doctor puts on the prescription “EARLY FILL OK”, then he probably will fill it. But why did he let me do that two times in a row? Now I got used to it and wanted it early again, and he turned me down, even though I told him my provider said it’s fine and will let it through. So what is the deal here? Anyone??????

Comment by PHARMACIST MANAGER IS PLAYING WITH MY ATIVAN! on 2013-10-25 15:01:46 -0700 #

I’ve been getting this drug Ativan from the same pharmacy, as well as ALLLL my other drugs, so why are they messing with me, when it was them who called me to say it’s okay if I want it. Is it because I had a refill? Doc only gives me one refill, and now I have to go back to him and tell him to fill it out with “EARLY FILL OK”, and I have to explain to him, and I don’t think he’s really wanting to treat me anymore anyways, so this will probably be the last time I use him, seeing as I move to a shitty HMO. So why is this happening? Thanks.

Comment by brian on 2013-11-06 14:07:27 -0800 #

From a patient perspective, what a non opiate user pharmacist gets an education on relative dosage, opiates of course have that terrible characteristic, a nearly logarithmic tolerance issue.
I was ruined by a charlatan insurance surgeon who did a flawed cervical dissectomy, after I tried everything else, (trigger pts, epidurals, accupunture, voodo)… So opiate, without the Tylenol, has been the only way I can survive and keep a stressful job. I’m in my fifties and accept this as a chronic compromise. So the dosage went up over some years to 120 mg oxycodone/day, and stabilized there. I cold turkey to the point of withdrawal when pain level allows, so that the meds will remain effective. If you took my dose you might OD. But to my body, a 30 mg is like you taking a 5/325. It really is relative. This is not an ideal way of life, but it’s the only one that keeps me functioning.

Comment by Dustin on 2013-12-22 09:45:24 -0800 #

That’s doc was right, mind your own business and learn your place, you are a pill counter. I’m so sick of you guy, I’m a 22 year old with degenerative disc disease. I can’t lift my leg a foot off the ground without screaming in pain. Without my meds I can barely walk. I get oxycodone 15 mg and when I walk into any pharmacy you look at me like I’m a drug addict/dealer while you are telling me you don’t have them or I don’t meet your company “policy* you guys are jokes, count my meds and leave the professional work to the real doctors. Who is any bullshit pharmacist to tell me if I need my meds or not. They write their scripts for a reason.

Comment by Aesops_Table on 2013-12-30 21:44:40 -0800 #

First let me ask this. All you pharmacists: Why doesn’t helping a patient deal with pain give you “A huge pharmacy boner?”

I agree with a few points from both sides of the discussion; however I am noticing a recurring theme here. Every pharmacist complaining about doctors or patients questionable practices excuse their aggressive “junkie/Pill doctor” labeling as their method of “protecting my license”. If this were truly the case, then Pharmacists should only care about the documenting of their concerns to the prescribing physician. If the physician still decides he would like the prescription filled, then there should be no question as to what to do. Until the DEA investigates and strips the doctor of their license, or, clears them of any wrongdoing, then from the responses in the above posts, you all should be quite pleased that your pharmacists license is safe in hand.

This is not the case though. It is quite clear to me that many of the pharmacists care little for the Doctor’s patients, and more about the power struggle and sense of authority they gather from these interactions. Notice the recurring comments of “Giddyness” or “Excitement” the Pharmacists have written of when suspecting a bad doctor, or suspecting a bad patient? Most make up their minds regarding this behavior very quickly, and some fresh out of pharm-school, and with little or no background information. It seems the anger, and thats what we are talking about here, of the pharmacist explodes, when their suspicion is not shared by the doctor.

This boils down to abuse of authority. Now that the State and Federal government has granted some measure of authority to the pharmacists, I am hearing of more and more cases where patients are being abused by their pharmacists. Doctor’s are being squeezed between a rock and a hard place. Every person in America has the right to pain relief by a medical practitioner. Didn’t any of you “Angry Pharmacists” learn this in school? Or is that just not exciting enough for you? Now I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You pharmacists know, deep down for some of you, that you are hurting some of these people when you roadblock the treatment of their disease, treatment, pain-relief. We are all aware that there are patients who need certain medicines, and come in too early to refill, and you feel like they broke the rules if they are out of meds too soon. But you’re coming at this problem with a pretty mean-spirited way of thinking. I can tell a lot of you are simply blowing off some steam, others I’m not so sure of. Life isn’t QD, BID, TID, QID. Life is, unfortunately, is SHIT HAPPENS. Keep these games up, and the supreme court will side with the patients, not with you. The right to have adequate pain-relief in this country trump’s any and all of your sore ego’s.

Comment by Steve on 2014-01-09 13:58:56 -0800 #

All pharmacists are are bottle stuffers. They arent doctors for crying out loud. I’ve had trouble with lousy pharmacists filling a script for some xanax. They think they are on par with the highest of educated physicians but they arent. When i present a script from my doctor to a pharmacist i expect the punk to fill on the spot.

Comment by Steve on 2014-01-09 14:01:54 -0800 #

I reported one pharmacist to her regional manager and the state board of pharmacy too. A month or so later i went back to get a script filled and she just glared at me the entire time i was in the store. I glared right back. She must have had a good talking to from someone.

Comment by JD on 2014-01-10 06:27:57 -0800 #

You are what is wrong with this world, Steve…not just the world of pharmacy, but humanity in general.

Comment by GOT AWAY FROM BIG KAHUNA WALGREENS on 2014-01-11 07:56:53 -0800 #

Finally got away from the big kahuna Walgreens! It took some real doing on my part, but I got away, yeah, yeah! I had enough of them messing with my med dates. I take a brand and I would get calls from them saying “Come get it now!” and it was like a week early, so what would you do? GET IT, right? Then when I really needed it filled they gave me so much runaround that I had to go to E.R. I swore after that I would go to a small nice easygoing independent pharmacy and I did it. So ha ha on you Walgreens, you saps, you losers with your student techs telling me I cannot have my meds! So now I found this wonderful pharmacy that is NOT a Walgreens, Rite Aid or CVS (It’s KOSHER), and they gave me my meds with the manufacturer it should say “MYLAN”, not “SAN DOZ”! I am vindicated and refreshed. So will gain all sorts of points and credit by moving all my refills from Walgreens prison to Kosher freedom fighters Pharmacy. This pill popping patient is HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY, I wish I had changed to a Jewish doctor who practices in the Latino ghetto a long time ago. That’s what made it happen. Bye Bye don’t Cry Walgreens, but I’m gone! I owe a lot of my of tactics to get to this new pharmacy because of THE ANGRY PHARMACIST BLOG SO DO NOT REMOVE IT!

Comment by GOT AWAY FROM BIG KAHUNA WALGREENS on 2014-01-11 07:59:46 -0800 #

@Steve WAY TO go Steve, you did the right thing. I used to go to Rite Aid, and they were giving me crap, so I reported them and they found out it was me, so they did a lot of glaring too. Do not sweat it, and you may want to consider changing to a small kosher Jewish pharmacy like I did. You will fare better.

Comment by The Angry Pharmacy Customer on 2014-01-13 16:12:36 -0800 #

All you pharmacists need to get it through your thick heads to follow the doctor’s instructions to the letter when filling a prescription. Your job is to confirm the prescription is legit, check for drug interactions, and fill the prescription exactly how an MD prescribed it. That’s it. That’s your responsibility, nothing more. Stop complicating things and aggravating customers and wasting their time. I lost count of how many times Pharmacists gave me a hard time and delayed filling my prescriptions, even after checking with my doctor and getting his approval, and as a result, I suffered. Once, my doctor was so angry with a pharmacist he told me he was going to make sure her license was revoked. You’re not MDs. You are Pharmacists. If you want to play doctor, go to medical school and get a license to practice.

Comment by Nick on 2014-01-14 07:38:49 -0800 #

You’re a fucking self-important idiot. We go to school for the same shit that doctors go for, yet our residency doesn’t include scooping out people’s assholes. Your doctor is just placing his personal blame on the pharmacist so you don’t bitch at him. If you only KNEW how many mistakes doctors make in a day, but hey, its to be expected. Especially when that doctor sees ten thousand dirty assholes like you in one day, looking to blame someone for your prescription not being done in 2 seconds. Get a fucking life and appreciate your healthcare. Stop looking for ways to take advantage of it, prick.

Work in a pharmacy, and deal with assholes (just like that picture in your bathroom mirror) all day every day before you even open your mouth to breathe, much less speak.

Comment by HERE, HERE THE ANGRY PHARMACY CUSTOMER! on 2014-01-14 10:23:19 -0800 #

Here, Here, there cheers for you, you are so right in what you say. Pharmacists should fill and shut up, that’s why I moved to a smaller pharmacy, a better one, better customer service and better meds even though they are generic. The med they gave me is fantastic, and I’m expecting the others to be fine too. I’m so happy to be away from Walgreens that I want to have a “happy to be away from Walgreens!” LOL! They were so mean to me in the end. And I was always nice, not like most customers, but the pharmacist decided that I was pulling some crap and slapped me up side the head and denied me my meds, so I left. Now I’m on the right track and I agree with The Angry Pharmacy customer. Time will tell.

Comment by YOU PHARMACISTS THINK YOUR’S DON"T STINK? on 2014-01-15 20:33:57 -0800 #

OMG, your pharmacists here have your fucking nerve berating a customer who posted and said what he did. Just think how we think of you. I used to go to a big chain pharmacy and they seemed to love me, but when I switched to a crummy HMO they changed, and I left them and took all my meds with me. They care? Nah, but now I’m with a KOSHER pharmacy and they are cool and deliver and are cheaper than the one I went to, they are nice and polite and know me by first name and don’t even ask for my ID anymore. Today they delivered all my meds to my door for free. I should have gotten away from you baby mouthed, creepy, phony crackhead pharmacists a long time ago. Love my new pharmacy and the pharmacist is like a secret agent behind the frosted glass, I never see him, only talk on phone, and when I go there, it’s a nice Chinese lady and my meds are sitting right there, wow. What was I thinking? Go bury yourselves pharmacists from the big chains.

Comment by Really? on 2014-02-26 01:14:25 -0800 #

Michela,

Really? How is it even remotely possible that you know this much intimate information about someone that you refer to as “dirtbag(s)”? You know the exact medications, doses, exact times and days they go to the pharmacy, exact days they go to the hospital, when they chop wood, when they have heart issues that are withdrawal issues, when they use a cane and when not, the exact amount of time they have been on said medications, the specifics of the doctor-patient relationship regarding the physicians drug testing practices of this/these person(s), which pharmacies they switch to not to arise suspicion and the list goes on.

The best investigator in the world wouldn’t know all of this.

So this is your husband, family member, yourself, or you are are recreational drug user who used to use this person for medication and for whatever reason are on bad terms with them now.

The laws are already ridiculously strict. Making laws even more strict leads to worsening the diversion problem. Why do you think there is a black market at all? Think about that.

Comment by Reality on 2014-02-26 01:36:27 -0800 #

This does not surprise me.

You have pharmacists who are “angry” because doctors have a “god complex” and are angry because these pharmacists want to be the ultimate “say” in the loop of power. These doctors you dislike so much who tell you to do your job and fill the prescription are acting EXACTLY like you are acting. How do you not see that? It’s who gets the greater “over-ride” , who has the most power? Obviously the Physician should have the last word.

Pharmacists don’t agree with this,.. of course not. Why? Because they went to school and know more about the pills they put in the containers than the doctors, so they should have more power.

But, guys, reality is that the physicians studied for twice to four times as long and have more overall knowledge of the human body, disease, diagnosis, and prescribing medications. Period. End of story. If there is a profession that deserves any degree of a final say in “Medicine” it is a Medical Doctor, not a Pharmacist, PharmD, Technician, etc. This is not an insult, it is Reality!

A pharmacist should check for drug interactions between multiple doctors that aren’t aware of each others prescriptions, educate patients that have questions about their medications, and .. well .. fill the prescription. That is all. That is what you went to school for, that is what you should have expected to do ,.. day in and day out. Nothing more, nothing less.

What you pharmacists want it some sort of power that isn’t justified with your position. That’s life. If you want more power, go back to school and become a doctor,.. go into politics,.. or some other drama filled power filled “job”.

When I see pharmacists talking about diagnosis, questioning a doctors prescription for a relatively UNKNOWN diagnosis .. I see people who are not qualified at all trying to do something they know little about. If pharmacists were the “Gate keepers” of power here, the doctors wouldn’t be needed.

Think about how modern, western, medicine works. What tools do physicians have to “treat” their patients? Drugs! Prescriptions, Pills, Syrups, Injections, 99% of the time the diagnosis is X or Y, or X and Y.. and the treatment is X Prescription.. Or X and Y prescriptions.

People don’t go to the doctors to be told,.. you have spinal stenosis from C4-L1 and thus nerve compression, I’m sorry.. Goodbye. They get the diagnosis and then a prescription for some relief. It isn’t going to take away ALL the pain, or ALL the anxiety, etc.. For these situations of unfortunate people in chronic medical situations,.. but it is going to help their quality of life.

As has been said, quite well,.. is people unfortunate enough to have chronic pain, and/or chronic anxiety, etc.. don’t need further problems in their life trying to get medications that help them get on with their lives to some degree better than before. But that is what it has become.

Through the legislation of our government (who are not qualified to make these decisions… politicians are not M.D.’s).. The rules and laws have gotten more stringent ever few years.

Take a look at the reality of the situation. You ask why are these laws here? They say to stop or lower diversion, drug abuse, deaths from overdose, et al. Then you say, ok fair enough,.. Then why is their a direct correlation of increased drug abuse, drug diversion, larger black markets, drug related violence, drug related crime, etc the tougher the laws become?

No answer — If there is an answer it is just denial of this fact. The Judges, The police, the Politicians.. the Presient! Will all say Drug abuse, drug crime, Cartels, etc are all going down.

Go ask Bill Clinton his thoughts on these laws and the “War on Drugs” now that he isn’t in Office. Go ask former police officers what they really think about what they used to do? Do some searching for the truth on the matter.

We have to scrap these laws and “War on Drugs” and go a different route. We have only made things infinitely worse over the decades.. There is NO debating it, it has to change.

As for Pharmacists taking the immediate “Drug abuser/addict/drug pusher/seller” suspicion on any and all patients who come in with “narcotics” — and to a large degree doctors who flat out refuse to write these narcotics with the same suspicions on EVERYONE,.. Where is the humanity?

Why care more about a Drug Dealer getting away with some pills, than caring more about HELPING a human being?

A person should rather 100 people get their “prescriptions” for the wrong reasons if ONE person who really needs it is helped,.. Than the way it is.

Which is they would rather 100 legitimate people be tortured or denied to catch 1 drug dealer.

Come on guys, ladies,.. Life is short, don’t live it this way.

Comment by Reality on 2014-02-26 02:11:41 -0800 #

You do NOT study medicine to the depths and variance that a Medical Doctor does. Why would you? You are a Pharmacist! A Pharmacist is not a doctor who didn’t do the ‘dirty work’ in residency. This is ignorant at best. You know better Nick. At the end of the day everyone is a human being. You are quite hypocritical calling the previous poster “a self-important idiot”.. when you say “we go to school for the same shit doctor go for…[sic]… doesn’t include scooping out people’s assholes.”

Further, why do people in any profession think other intelligent people can’t possibly FATHOM what things are like in their profession if they aren’t also in said profession. You aren’t in a “Secret Society”.

Comment by Reality on 2014-02-26 02:17:18 -0800 #

Well said.

Comment by tim on 2014-03-08 04:54:56 -0800 #

Maybe you didn’t see that he wouldn’t be coming back to read replies…yet you still replied. You pharmacists really aren’t so bright. After reading this site I realize how easy it must be to become a pharmacist. You count pills all day so to pass the time you create drama where it is not necessary. The sad life of a pharmacist.

Comment by Medicated customer on 2014-03-31 22:44:44 -0700 #

As a non pharmacist, non doctor this thread makes me super self conscious now!

I came here because I was trying to figure out what something that was had written on my prescription bottle meant.

I am legitimately on Suboxone, as is my husband (we both got treatment together and it’s been a 5 years sober but still trying to get off the suboxone.) my husband also gets a sedative for sleep and I get wellbutrin. Sometimes I come in early mostly because it’s just weird timing because I travel. I’ve lost some medicine when traveling and had some stolen from my car before (I used to leave a few suboxone a in my dash for if I forgot to put them in my wallet). I’m always polite and the people who work there know me by name. Recently was given a prescription for xanax because of my massive panic attacks.

Point is, the wife / husband mix isn’t ALWAYS something shady and coming in early and worrying about cost is just being in a lull (we are both small business owners and sometimes paying for our medication is hard)

Just wanted to mention my experience.

That said, I love my pharmacist. He’s the nicest guy and the people who work there are great people. I hope they aren’t thinking in up to shady shit.

Comment by marry on 2014-04-13 20:13:43 -0700 #

I recently read an article about CVS missing 40,000 pills and the DEA said they went to the black market. The article stated that 3 Million pills were stolen each year including one million missing in transit. The patient may have a lot of stories to say and tell but I think the Tech and the Pharmacist stories are much more interesting… LOL….

Comment by ralphinbama on 2014-04-14 12:38:14 -0700 #

What would you do if your really nice Dr. ask you to run over to the next door pharmacy and pick up an order of demeral for the clinic’s use,and you did, and then found you out a month later he was in rehab for shooting up the shit.Then the other Dr.s kept it quiet so that Dr. wouldn’t lose his license. And when he came back to work they decided to quit writing your xanax and then would not even see or treat you anymore.And you have no insurance and can’t find another MD to write your meds.

Comment by steve on 2014-05-01 11:51:21 -0700 #

As a human not in the med. field this is my thoughts on your post. I know as a pharmacist you for very hard going through school to get where you are today. For one reason or another you did not choose to be a doctor. I believe a pharmacist is to use his knowledge to properly fill prescriptions written by the doctor. I am finding too many pharmacists taking advantage of their position to be abusive to us people on the other side of the counter. Not all, but some which I have personally encountered. My question to you is if you have a legitimate prescription written by Dr. to fill for a patient why can’t you just fill it and leave the patient alone. As long as you do your job correctly when filling that prescription there should not be any conflict between you and the doctor. Granted there is abuse out there but you cannot lump them all up in one some and be paranoid. You are the angry pharmacist I am the angry patient. I really don’t feel comfortable posting this sort of thing on the Internet but I cannot help expressing my thoughts to someone it may make a difference to. I will give you an example. I have degenerative arthritis in both of my hips. For 10 years I suffered with pain with one hip and I was given naproxen to take for the pain. I still have a few hundred left from two or three years ago since I had my hip replaced. Talking about something that will blow your liver out that will, and it also causes stomach damage among other things. But the pharmacists and the doctor had no problem giving it to me whenever I needed it. I never ran out. Now I take Ambien because of my job I am forced to sleep against my will. Over the last five or six years I have grown a dependence and resistance towards the regular dosage. Sometimes I need to take more than one as directed for them to even work. I have read quite a bit about zolpidem. A lot of the studies made are with 40 to 80 people.everyone is different. My wife can take one 5 mg and sleep fine. If I am not stressed out and I am totally exhausted I can take one 10 mg and sleep okay. But I am up to almost 20 milligrams a day for them to work. That means I get 30 of them and I run out in 15 days. My doctor understands my problem and writes me a prescription for 30 more unfortunately the pharmacist will not give it to me. Talking about being angry. I have asked the doctor how I can get off of them and he told me until I develop normal sleep patterns you are going to have problems sleeping. So here is what ends up happening Mr. pharmacist. I lay awake while everyone else is sleeping watching TV or sitting on the computer waiting until I get tired enough to go to sleep before I go to work. Unfortunately I have to be to work in one more hour so it makes no sense to go to sleep. I tried this for two weeks. Without the medication I was going berserk some might call it sleep depravity. I drive a truck for a living and the last thing you or anyone else needs on the road is a truck driver falling asleep at the wheel. I have been using this medication for over five years and it has worked fine. I get at least five solid hours of sleep when I take one. I am very careful not to be on this when I am driving. I am a professional driver and I have been for the last 36 years. It just seems as I get older closer to retirement sleeping becomes more difficult. I don’t care if a pharmacist doesn’t get paid by the insurance company if that’s a problem I will pay for it myself. But just fill my prescription and treat me like a normal person and smile and we all can get along just fine. We all have to live in this screwed up government and work six months out of year to pay taxes. as an American citizen let’s just get along and work together. The government is getting too nosy in all of our business this healthcare is the tip of the iceberg. As this e-mail that I am sending is going to be subject to government scrutiny. I love my country but I really do not like the people who are running it. But you as a pharmacists and my doctor is a doctor we know each other enough to take care of each other without some bureaucrat in Washington DC dictating what we should or shouldn’t do with our personal life.

Comment by Social Scientist on 2014-05-06 02:22:05 -0700 #

All I hear is about all you undereducated complaining about drug control, laws, and corrupt doctors. None of you have any compassion to those who suffering from a deadly disease known as addiction,all you care about is you licenses and reputations, and the woman or man who referred to subtle human beings as Junkies is uncalled for and you should be ashamed of referring to a person in that manner who suffering from this deadly disease. Do not sit on your high saddles and point the finger at people who are addicted to pain medications, or psychotropic meds obviously in some ways it must help them feel better, and if it works for them don’t judge. Do any of you personally know the damaging effects drugs has on ones mind, physical body, and even spirit. Addiction is horrible the withdrawals are incredibly debilitating to ones life that it affects their personal life, social life, and mental state. What some of you gripe about is dealing with those who you consider lesser human than your self, because you’re not addicted but, I bet half of you cannot go without a drink of alcohol or some of over the counter vice to help relax you. You who made not so obvious but, very obvious you worked at the VA, how dare you describe men who have seen combat, have you ever seen then terrors of combat yourself? Do you know what it does to someone to women, children, fellow soldiers, and the enemy dead, mutilated, and you know you’re the responsible for aiding in that destruction. Some of you need to become more sympathetic toward your customers or leave the health care practice because, if I ever encountered any one of you giving me a rough time for something I need to help me manage day to day I will be sure you would lose your job anyways. Drug addiction is a biological disease it is predetermined in ones genetic make up, and in a society such as the United States that is so based upon drug markets, privatized medicine, and adds that entice to people to seek out medication to control some chaotic social epidemic to take a pill to cure your problems does nothing but ascertain that those who are morel likely to become addicted versus those who are not is the failure of medical institute itself. Drugs are designed to change, internally on how the body functions. In some cases drugs are the right answer to balance out how some people behave, perform, and respond to social stimuli. If all of you are just going to bitch about this person to the next, or this doctor practices is more liberal than this other doctor then quit being pharmacists because, you’re non-sympathetic ideals and personalities would definitely not get you hired in my Hospital and retail chain.

Comment by Please remind me why we need―I wanted to be a MD, but I got angry at the MCATs―again? on 2014-05-11 01:38:16 -0700 #

Count the pills. Close the mouth. And smile. If you lose your license, just go to school for another six months, enroll in the non-vigilante career track this time, and embark on that long journey, which ends in a career that touches upon social utility. Or, simply, carry on mindlessly, you have my pity …

Comment by Vicki on 2014-06-19 08:36:16 -0700 #

John, after reading your post and many others I feel the need to reply. I’m a housewife in chronic pain. I can see both sides of the on going discussion. Without my pain medication I wouldn’t be able to move and no, I don’t like having to take medication but for me it’s a matter of being able to live a somewhat normal life. In fact, I say somewhat because even with the pain medication I still have pain 24/7. Also, I’m embarrassed that I have to take pain medication daily. But also I rely on the pharmacist. Pharmacist are trained in medications and interactions, at least that’s what I’ve always thought. I would hope my pharmacist would tell me if I was taking a potentially fatal dose of something! So maybe you pharmacists could be a little less judgmental, take the time to talk to your customers who monthly come in for pain medication and show a little compassion and maybe we chronic pain patients can understand that pharmacists are trained , not pill counting monkeys as expressed by some people on this forum. There will always be addicts but there are also many people who are just trying to live a normal life.

Comment by Chrissy on 2014-06-24 16:08:54 -0700 #

20.00 bills are what is dispensed from an ATM, I see your point on others but the 20.00 comment is just ridiculous and reaching.

Comment by Clint on 2014-07-14 04:58:38 -0700 #

I am just floored by some of the comments I’ve read on this site. I have great respect for pharmacists, when it comes to medications they know far more that any MD ever will. However, after reading how so many that work in the field view their patients I am just disgusted beyond words. I agree that the criminals and people just trying to get high are pieces of crap. But the sentiment I’m picking up here is that if you’re on a controlled substance that you’re a pile of shit that you guys shouldn’t have to bother with. Why did you get into this field? I would think you would have some empathy for people or want to help others. There are people who seriously need large doses of powerful pain medications just to be able to somewhat function because they are in such pain, and if they are chronic pain patients the body becomes tolerant and of course must increase the dose to compensate. You don’t know the patients exact circumstances, what exactly they are taking this medication for, and why they might very well require what the doctor is prescribing. If they are selling it on the side or the doctor is doing something illegal, they should be caught and suffer the consequences, but if not they are people who deserve some respect and dignity.

Comment by JustthePOA on 2014-07-19 07:11:57 -0700 #

Okay – I know that this is old but I just couldn’t stop myself. To Jen AND Kyle (since you agree with Jen) – Pharmacists are pharmacists because they WANT to be pharmacists. They CHOSE to go to pharmacy school, ignorant moronic twits. If they would have wanted to be a doctor they would have went to MED school. This wasn’t an accident. I HATE it when I see people say that Pharmacists are just med school drop outs and wannabedoctors. That is the most ignorant thing I’ve ever read. It’s like telling a nurse that she/he settled for being a nurse because he/she couldn’t cut it as a Doctor. Ugh. I really hate people like you two. And I’m not even a pharmacist. As a matter of fact (as my name suggests) I’m just the POA of someone that is on pain meds for chronic pain. She is prescribed 12(!) Oxycodone 30 IR/day on top of Klonopin and Soma. Sometimes she takes that many, sometimes she doesn’t and at the end of every month (when it’s time for her refills) I take what is left in her bottles and take them to the pharmacy and get the new refills and turn the old bottles in. The pharmacy then destroys the old medicine. Yes, I turn in bottles of klonopin, oxycodone and soma that still have something in them. That’s what you’re SUPPOSED to do. If your doctor changes your prescription in the middle of the month – then you bring in the old bottle and have THAT medication disposed of and pick up your new prescription. It’s as easy as that. Yes, I go every month and pick up her prescription 2 days early because that’s when they will fill them. It’s not because she’s out of medicine because she never is, it’s just when the pharmacy will fill them. Hell, just this past 4th (a couple of weeks ago) I had to get an early refill for her because we were going out of town for the 4th and wouldn’t be back until the 13th. She had medicine then but would have been out on the 9th. Her prescription wasn’t due to be filled until the 6th but we got the authorization from the doctor to fill it one more day early so we could go out of town. The pharmacist didn’t have a SINGLE problem with getting the authorization and filling early. Want to know why? Here ya go.. 1. We NEVER fill early. only by the 2 days that the pharmacy will fill them. 2. I treat the pharmacist and the tech with respect and we all know each other by name (we talk about this site every time I go in the pharmacy) 3. We do what is right by bringing back the old medicine that she didn’t finish taking and letting the pharmacy dispose of them before getting the new refills. 4 I don’t yell at the pharmacist or techs for doing their job or for calling to verify (which they don’t anymore because we’ve been there for so long) You want to keep your pharmacist happy and keep your narcotics flowing properly? That’s how you do it. It’s people like the two of you “Just fill it you piece of shit. You’re not a doctor. Blah blah blah” that make it hard on everyone else and make people like TAP blog about your stupidity. Pharmacists know more about medicine than MD’s do because, well, that’s what they are DEGREED in. That’s their JOB. You both are insipid twits who don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground nor the difference between an MD and a PharmD. So you just end up making yourself look stupid in the end. How much you want to bet that your pain could be under control if you would take your medicine AS prescribed? The problem is that you have taken said medicine for so long that you have built up a tolerance to it (dependency anyone) and you need to up your strength. However, if the bottle says to take 1-2 every 4 hours PRN then you take 1-2. 1 if the pain isn’t that bad, 2 if the pain is horrible. I’m willing to bet my paycheck that you are taking 2 every time you pop the bottle open – OR you are taking 1 every 2 hours (or 30 minutes) but I’m SURE you aren’t taking your medicine correctly or you WOULD be able to function properly. Any person that has half a brain knows that after a while, your body is going to grow accustomed to a certain amount of meds and it is going to need some tweaking (if it’s long term) but there is a difference in not being in pain and not feeling the pain pill. There is no pain pill in this WORLD that is going to disspell of pain completely, so looking for that magic pill isn’t going to happen. And just another FYI, pain pills don’t make your pain go away, it just blocks the receptor to the brain that SAYS you’re in pain. You’re still in pain, you just don’t know it dumbass. So, learn the difference between managing the pain and being high as a kite. Just because you aren’t feeling euphoric or have a shit ton of energy or aren’t smoking a pack of cigarettes in 5 minutes doesn’t mean the medicine isn’t working. Try checking to see how much pain you’re in bfore calling the doctor and telling him/her that you’re still in excruciating pain. A little ache isn’t pain. Learn that. OH and just one more thing. Your doctor ONLY knows what you tell him/her. If you go in the office complaining of chronic pain then chances are, you’ll get pain meds. I’m sure you go in and tell your doctor that you’re in more pain than you actually are to get a higher strength or your count upped. If you REALLY are more concerned with getting out of pain than being high – the next time your doctor changes your prescription in the middle of the month, take back your unused pain pills when you pick up your new prescription. if you don’t, then you’re selling them or you’re a junkie. Plain as that. Pharmacists have to protect THEIR livelihood and THEIR jobs. So when they question something, be glad for it. You would do the same thing if YOUR ass were on the line. I don’t think you’re going to offer to pay your pharmacists bills when he/she loses his/her license for filling your Vicodin early are you? No, didn’t think so. So pipe down and shut up. Seriously.

Comment by Marie on 2014-07-28 02:44:50 -0700 #

Thank you. First one telling from the PATIENT’s perspective. I am on fentanyl patches myself and THIS HAPPENS.. my doc just tells me i need to tape each on on.. nevermind that the TWO lousy places they let me put them (according to them, my whole chest other than my collar bones constitutes “boobs” which it is “inappropriate” to put the patches on, wont even let me put them on my back or anything. ) has gotten so sensitized to the adhesive that the skin turns red and irritated as hell by the second day, and if im wearing a patch cover (tegaderm or like) i actually get BLISTERS all around the edges within a day! No time for the skin to heal because i only have those two places to put them.. so i leave off the tegaderm, and the idiot doc wont write for me to change them every 48, which would help not only with the skin but with adhesion and with pain since im one of many who the patches dont last 72 hours on, but no. And when something happens, (which, ive only said something to them/asked to refill early TWICE in three years!!!) like this month, i was sunburned and the patch just peeled off with the skin on the second day and nothing was coming through the layer of dead skin even when i tried to make it stay on, THEN i broke my danged FOOT, so come the end of the month (NOW) they not only refuse to give me anything for the horrendous pain im in from compartment syndrome in my leg (the break was complicated, fell between two steel plates, my whole calf was squeezed into a two inch space, scraping my muscle tissue to the size of my bones practically, yanking the muscles so hard they tore the tendons and snapped one of the bones in my foot… yeah) and ran out of my patches two lousy days early, they refused the call back they said they would do, refused to fill my script even to give me a postdated script so hubby could have it in the pharmacy so it could be filled ON TIME, now we wait. i was supposed to change it this morning, if it HADNT fallen off, as it is its been two days already, they never called to say my script was ready, it could take them all day or later, then hubby has to drive 20miles away to pain management to pick it up, then come back, take it to the pharmacy which may or may not have it in, wait for it (usually up to 2hours, unless they dont have it)and it will be another 12 hours after that before it will start working.. and they have NEVER given me break through pain meds. Where do these people even FIND docs that actually give a crap much less that overprescribe like this?? So guess whats had to happen while i wait.. overdoses on tylenol, ibuprofin, and alieve. Yeah, my doc is really lookin out for my liver.

Comment by Marie on 2014-07-28 02:47:52 -0700 #

Oh by the way, i have NO problem with the pharmacy guys.. they are great and ive never had any trouble with them. Ive always come to them with my questions, they know my history, theyve been seeing me through my chronic pain issues and many years before and cannot understand WHY im being treated the way i am. They KNOW ive never had any problems with anyone, much less the law, im not some drug dealer, im a housewife with four kids and documented back injuries, fibromyalgia, and diabetes. I just want to be able to have a life with my family. Is that too much to ask? And to not be treated like a criminal when i have a problem. I even refused the pain meds the emergency room wanted me to have for fear of getting me AND the doc in trouble. Then called my pain management like they tell me to, and this is what i get.

Comment by Bryce on 2014-07-29 09:57:40 -0700 #

If you really feel that strongly about asserting your authority (I mean, being a new Pharmacist and all, I can totally see the need for letting all of your customers know that you make the rules and not those pesky healthcare legislators… am i right?!? 😉 ), then maybe you should have thought more about it when you decided to go to school to be a pharmacist instead of going to med school to become a doctor. First, you are extremely paranoid. And because of that, you ultimately affect your business as well as your customers in a negative way. Doctors are doctors. Pharmacists are pharmacists. Both have jobs to do / responsibilities to those whom they serve. Please stop thinking that your knowledge of a patient’s condition is anywhere near or even somewhat close to that of the person’s doctor, because that isn’t the case and you know it. It is troubling as a pharmacist to read that others out there have such deep-seeded paranoia that they will act in this type of manner. Very troubling, and I hope that by now that he/she has either come to realize that and have loosened up a bit, or that he/she has moved on to another profession that doesn’t require one to respect the professional assessment of someone who has far more knowledge and understanding of a particular situation.

Comment by Bryce on 2014-07-29 10:10:33 -0700 #

Um, what???? This makes about as much sense as prescribing penicillin for the flu…
And just to let you know, Blue Oyster Cult said ‘don’t fear the reaper’. Just saying.

Comment by Bryce on 2014-07-29 10:58:21 -0700 #

JustthePOA, you obviously have a lot of passion for this subject and I respect that, as well as your commitment / assistance to the person for whom you act as POA for. However, in your diatribe, you make a lot of assumptions about the reasons for why people get upset with a pharmacist who questions their doctor’s orders. You don’t know about situations in the past with that pharmacist or that doctor which have occurred, you don’t know about the patient’s condition or why they are being prescribed the medication that they are, etc. . Yet you base your opinions on the fact that each individuals situation occurs in a vacuum (in other words, one situation has zero affect on another), or on the fact that you have each and every person who has put forth their thoughts on this all figured out. You are obviously an intelligent person with the ability to connect complex thoughts and ideas, so it is interesting to see the way that you utilize your reasoning skills to make the point that you may personally feel is the only way to see things, but do so by relying on extremely over-generalized assumptions and straightforward misinformation in order to do so. Yes, pharmacists have a job to do. But that job is not to question the doctors whose job it is to provide the highest level of care to their patients. If you are encouraging the attitude of the overzealous and uber-paranoid pharmacist, then you are really undermining the entire notion of the fact that pharmacists have a job to do and so do the doctors because you are encouraging pharmacists to operate outside the scope of their actual job – which only takes away from the work that they are actually supposed to be doing (working with patients who receive legitimate prescriptions from a licensed and board approved physician, not challenge the unknown reasons that the prescription was provided for in the first place). Just my two cents…

Comment by Bryce on 2014-07-29 11:29:51 -0700 #

Common Sense… While I am sure that would be a tough situation for anyone to go through, I just want to point out a couple things about your version of events here that seem a bit, well… inconsistent:

First, you say that you are a pharmacist working at a small ‘mom & pop’ pharmacy. Great! I always prefer giving my business to those types of pharmacies as opposed to Wallgreens / CVS / Rite Aid. However, in the sixth line of your post, you state that: “Up until this point I had always had someone at my pharmacy fill these medications, people who know me and my medical situation…” And then in the first sentence of the final paragraph you say that: “We do not fill any prescriptions for narcotic pain medication on my pharmacy”

Secondly, you mention the fact that the entire reason for you going to another pharmacy in the first place is because of the fact that they were the only ones open on Christmas Eve. Totally understandable, but an inconvenience nonetheless I’m sure. So your pharmacy (along with many other businesses in the area) was closed, but your doctor’s office was open? They must have been in order for Pharmacist Satan to have called to verify your prescription, correct?

I empathize with your situation, and I do think there is legitimacy that should be addressed in here somewhere… I just think that maybe the facts related to the events of that evening might want to be reviewed / revisited and possibly amended so as not to take away from the tough situation that you had to go through and the real problem that is caused by pharmacists who act and behave the way that the one you described.

Comment by Bryce on 2014-07-29 11:54:52 -0700 #

That simply isn’t true, Pharmacist123. Suppose you have a person who receives an Rx from their doctor, comes to your pharmacy and fills it, and then gets caught selling the medication that you filled for them. Upon investigating further, it is discovered that the person selling the medication has used the same doctor before (not enough to raise suspicions, but has simply gotten Rx’s from the doctor in the past), but this was the first time that they have filled said Rx’s at your pharmacy. In this situation, you are saying the pharmacist’s license would be in jeopardy? Anyone with any knowledge of pharmacies, pharmacists, etc., knows that simply is not true in any way, shape or form. While I do not agree with the caustic and overly simplistic views that Josh purported, I don’t agree with your rebuttal either, as it simply looks like you let someone get under your skin and therefore you try to over-extend or exaggerate the consequences to someone who blatantly states that they will never even read what you have to say. So if you are going to waste time writing a reply, why do so in a way that is grossly overstated and uses sweeping generalizations / stereotypes to attempt to prove a point that has no purpose of being proven in the first place?

Comment by Bryce on 2014-07-29 12:33:56 -0700 #

While it is true that prolonged or continued use of certain narcotic medications does present a large risk for pregnant women and their unborn children, it is asinine to say that a woman in labor who is given pain meds (i.e. an epidural, just to name one) will result in the types of complications that you state your siblings are afflicted with. If what you say was actually true, a vast majority of all people would be born with these types of defects / conditions. A healthy pregnant woman who is given an analgesic during labor is not risking additional harm to her child. To say that you ‘know’ otherwise is simply either a lack of understanding or a regurgitation of something that someone told you (which is absolute b.s. in the first place). I find it to be quite irresponsible for someone to make the claims that you do, especially when you claim to know that what you’re saying is an unequivocal fact.

Comment by Dr Paul on 2014-08-02 18:14:35 -0700 #

As a physician, I have become fed up with this issue (and the related anxiety – benzo issue). I no longer treat chronic pain. It gets in the way of practicing good medicine. For acute pain, I only treat patients I know. No first visit narcotic request are filled. Period. All chronic pain patients are referred to pain managment.

The reason is simple. Chronic pain overshadows all other health problems. Most patients place much higher priority on getting their pain scripts at each visit than their hypertension, diabetes, high choelsterol, and other chronic issues. I am a doctor who is here to heal. I am not a drug dealer. And that is how I felt when I dealt with chronic pain. It sucked the life out of me. Day in and day out all I heard about was this pain and that. Always wanting more. I found most patients, even the ones usually most honest, would not correct me if I made a mistake and gave them too many or an extra refill by mistake. This saddened me.

Now I am free of all this crap. The riff raff has left. My REAL pain patient see chronic pain management. And the patients who care about their health come to see me for their other problems.

Divesting myself from chronic pain (and treating anxiety – they go to psychiatry) was the single best thing I ever did to regain my sanity as a doctor.

TO THE CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS – If you desire to have your doctor be a good partner in treating your pain, you must become interested in treated you other health problems. Most of us are more movtivated with our patients who are EQUALLY interested in controlling their hypertension or their diabetes. Keep you pain medicine a non-issue that is low maintenance. Be pleasant. Show interest in your other health problems. Dont ask for early refills, go in every month, don’t be late or no show, don’t cry at every visit, don’t always want more. And if you doctor makes a mistake and gives you too many, make him aware of it. These are the marks of a good patient. As you all rant about your pain being an illness, then treat it as such. You usually have no issues doing the above thing with your BP or diabetes meds.

As doctors, we want to treat chronic pain as an illness. It is the patients who make it something else.

JUST SOME ADVICE THAT MIGHT MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR YOU.

Comment by -x,RXADDICT- on 2014-08-21 17:05:17 -0700 #

I KNOW YOU GUYS SEE THIS HAPPENING, AND AS AMERICANS WE SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO STOP IT BUT WE DONT AND THATS SAD. LOOK AT ALL THE REASONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OR FDA TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY. MONEY IS BEING MAD IN ALL ASPECTS OF RX ABUSE FROM THE PHARMACIST TO THE GUY WHO SELL’S HIS MEDICATION AND IF HE WERE TO GET CAUGHT THE PRISONS WOULD MAKE THERE CUT AFTER THE COURT TAGS THEM WITH UNREAL DOLLAR AUMONTS IN FINES. MOST ADDICTIVE RX PILLS SEDATE U IN SOME WAY AND HOW MUCH EASIER IS IT TO KEEP TABS ON SOMEONE WHO IS IN A SEDATED STATE OF MIND. THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES HAVE THERE MONEY TIED UP IN THE STOCKS OF THE COMPANIES MAKING THE PHARMACUTICLES SO THERE MAKIN’ A BUCK.
IF SOMEONE OVERDOESES DEADLY OR NOT THE HOSPITALS AND REHABS GET THERE CHUNK I MEAN THEY HAVE TAKEN PAIN MANAGMENT AND MADE IT INTO A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR BUSINESS.AND WHEN PEOPLE DIE FORM THESE MEDS, THEY HONESTLY COULD CARE LESS, PRETTY SAD MY ADVICE USE CANNABIS, AND IF YOU THINK IM WRONG DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

Comment by John on 2014-09-12 05:38:15 -0700 #

This kind of BS pisses me off and causes issues for LEGITIMATE Chronic Pain patients that AREN’T doing this shady shit. Those with CP and know they will be living with it for life DON’T want to take insane amounts every day and shoot their tolerance up….as that’ll make life even worse in the years to come.

Comment by evobrother! on 2014-09-25 03:27:45 -0700 #

preach it brother! the tylenol in percocet is what makes it more euphoric..

Comment by John on 2014-10-08 10:27:52 -0700 #

You should NEVER be judging or I guess I should say misusing your license and discriminating on patients because of prescriptions that THEIR FAMILY has. You said yourself they weren’t assholes, they werent filling too early, or doing anything shady. I have chronic pain and a prescription for narcotic pain killers, my mom has a chronic disease that causes her extreme pain and is slowly killing her. Totally different reasons – also has pain medication. Neither of us abuse them, neither of us really has anything to do with the others prescription other than occasionally picking it up for the other when one of us is in too much pain to get out of bed/leave the house that day or week. I get your issue with example one and clearly theyre trying something and the doctor just didnt care, but in example 2 theyres no evidence anything shady is going on. If there was a pharmacist like you and my mother or I had to have a delay as it got cleared up because our pharmacist freaked out that were both on pain medication, and we had to go without, we would literally be stuck in bed in agony until it was cleared up. Nevermind how overreacting/panicy the healthcare field is now in that aspect where an incorrect red flag that was raised by a pharmacist could cause someone to lose their prescription, even when absolutely nothing is done wrong. I know youre worried about losing your license, but there are no grounds for this sort of assumption here. You also need to be worried about the health of your patients, you did go into the “healthcare” industry after all. This can ruin their lives too

Comment by Brokenman on 2014-10-17 10:03:14 -0700 #

Thank you clint

Comment by SandiiLou on 2014-10-29 09:26:38 -0700 #

Don’t you love it when you do walk in a pharmacy that you have been going to for the last 15 or so yrs and every mo. I get the same meds and I am asked “HAVE U BEEN HERE BEFORE” really?. Then they make me feel like I am a dealer or addict and I get all of the dirty looks from everyone. One time I told a tech if she did not like her job she needs to quit and she best stop talking about me. I have MS, broken back/tailbone, fibromyalgia, migraines, etc. I have always had to live with the stigmata that oh the MS is completely in my head. Well being blind and paralyzed for 6 mo. was that in my head too?. Pharmacists need to do their job and doctors do theirs. End of story. When I was able to work I was a pharmacy tech and believe me, everyone that comes through that door is talked about – EvERYbODY. Sad, I know but if the pharmacists are doing it then why can’t the techs do it?.

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Comment by SandiiLou on 2014-10-29 09:39:04 -0700 #

I truly agree with you. If people want to stick a needle in their arm or smoke until their lungs explode, is it our job to worry?. Why does (WALGREEN’S) want to play “GOD” and do things on their own terms. As long as the Rx is legit- fill the damn thing. The doc should know what he is doing – believe it or not he went to school for 8-10 yrs where as a pharmacist went 5 or 6. As long as children are not in the picture and being abused because of an adults’ bad choices – do it. Like the wild, the weaker ones will be taken out and the smarter healthier ones seem to live and prosper.

Comment by PHARMACISTS KILL READ THIS! on 2014-12-18 13:43:08 -0800 #

14 charged in meningitis outbreak that killed 64
14 workers at compounding pharmacy charged in meningitis outbreak that killed 64, sickened 750 Massachusetts pharmacy executives charged with MURDER!

Massachusetts pharmacy executives charged with murder in 2012 U.S. fungal meningitis outbreak Cubans hope for prosperity after normalizing relations with the U.S. playlist_grip Around The Globe Around The Globe

BOSTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors charged 14 people in a 2012 meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people nationwide in what authorities called the largest criminal case ever brought in the U.S. over contaminated medicine.

The co-founders, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy are accused of using expired ingredients and failing to follow standards for cleanliness at the now-closed New England Compounding Center in Framingham, which is blamed for tainted steroids that caused the deadly outbreak.

According to an indictment announced Wednesday, mold and bacteria were in the air and on workers’ gloved fingertips. Pharmacists were accused of failing to test drugs for purity before sending them to hospitals and pain clinics.

The most serious charges in the federal racketeering indictment were leveled against Barry Cadden, one of the pharmacy’s co-founders, and Glenn Adam Chin, a supervisory pharmacist, who were accused in a racketeering indictment of causing the deaths of 25 patients in seven states by acting with “wanton and willful disregard” of the risks.

The other defendants were charged with such crimes as fraud and interstate sale of adulterated drugs.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said NECC was “filthy” and failed to comply with even basic health standards, and employees knew it. “Production and profit were prioritized over safety,” she said.

More than 750 people in 20 states fell ill — about half of them with a rare fungal form of meningitis, the rest with joint or spinal infections — after getting steroid injections, mostly for back pain. Sixty-four died.

In reaction, Congress last year increased federal oversight of so-called compounding pharmacies like NECC, which custom-mix medications in bulk and supply them directly to hospitals and doctors.

Cadden’s lawyer, Bruce Singal, complained that prosecutors are trying to turn a “tragic accident” into a federal crime.

View gallery14 charged in meningitis outbreak that killed 64
Associate Attorney General Stuart Delery speaks after U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, right, announced …
“Not every accident, and not every tragedy, are caused by criminal conduct,” Singal said in a statement.

Chin’s lawyer, Stephen Weymouth, said he was stunned that prosecutors charged his client with second-degree murder under the racketeering law.

“He feels hugely remorseful for everything that’s happened — for the injuries and the deaths — but he never intended to cause harm to anybody,” Weymouth said. “It seems to be a bit of an overreach.”

Lawyers for the other defendants did not immediately return calls.

John Nedroscik, 64, of Howell, Michigan, received the tainted steroids while getting treatment for damaged discs in his back. He contracted a fungal infection that caused an abscess on his spine.

He spent nearly a month in the hospital for surgery to remove the abscess and then had to return frequently for a string of problems. He said he still takes pain medication and has trouble sleeping.

“I still struggle with some stuff,” he said. But “it could have been a lot worse.”

Cadden and Chin were ordered held in custody until a bail hearing on Thursday. The others were released on bail pending trial.

Gregory Conigliaro, who founded the business in 1988 with Cadden, his brother-in-law, was among those charged.

The federal law used against Cadden and Chin, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, originally was aimed at organized crime but has been applied in white-collar prosecutions and many other kinds of cases over the years.

Jeffrey Grell, a former prosecutor in Minnesota who is an expert on RICO, said it is unusual to use the law to prosecute a pharmaceutical company.

But “here, you’ve got such a close link between the meningitis and the malfeasance at the laboratory, I can totally understand why the U.S. Attorney’s Office is using it in this circumstance,” he said.

The center filed for bankruptcy after it was bombarded with hundreds of lawsuits from victims or their families.

Comment by Marianne on 2015-01-03 01:12:48 -0800 #

I am a chronic pain patient just responding to your post as you have misquoted the poster Common Sense. I realize this is an old post but wanted to respond. The first sentence of the last paragraph states “We do not fill many prescriptions for narcotic pain medication at my pharmacy”. Not “We do not fill any prescriptions for narcotic medications”. A doctor can be called after hours as they typically have an answering service. When it is a pharmacist calling, the doctor usually, not always, calls the pharmacy back in a short amount of time. So all your points are incorrect. The poster’s story makes sense and does not need clarification. “Pharmacist Satan”? Sarcastic and sympathetic? You sound passive/aggressive and failed to correctly read the post of someone going through some pretty extreme pain.

Comment by weird on 2015-02-09 14:19:13 -0800 #

Im a medical student, and a friend of mine who is also a student happens to be a pharmacist showed me this website. I do not mean to offend anyone but I have never seen anyone care less about their profession, and more about what other people do with their prescription medications in my life. How can there be this many pharmacists that are this furious about people abusing drugs?

I mean my dad is a dentist and prescribes i think the same prescription of 20 percocets to every patient he does surgery on. Now, after surgery, patients he says often have a few days of pain, but thats all, so that seems standard, and appropriate to me at least.

Now as a business owner, WHY in the world would he care even a little what that person goes and does with their pills? hahahahaahhaahahhaha that sounds terrible, but if you bought a laptop off someone, would you care at all what they do with the money you just gave them as long as the computer is legit, it was fair, up front, and everything was appropriate? I could not imagine caring less what he does with that money.

I def wouldnt get this angry about it i dont think.

but my god I am in shock right now.

Comment by Spyz on 2015-03-04 17:51:35 -0800 #

(Clap, clap, clap) “here! Here!”

Comment by Joe on 2017-04-25 06:00:18 -0700 #

Life sucks. Of course people want this shit. It makes you feel good. Stop acting surprised. It’s simple math.

Comment by Adeline on 2017-08-13 09:57:30 -0700 #

This post is ancient but it’s right the fuck on. I’m a person with pain and I’ve abused meds, but I eventually needed to get off them. It sucked. Now, even though I could get more, I instead use heat, exercise and accepting the friggin reality that life hurts. Jesus Christ. Unless you’re terminal, YOU DON’T NEED FENTANYL, SOMA AND XANAX. Or whatever crazy combo they’re taking.

Comment by Porsche Waters on 2017-11-02 17:29:13 -0700 #

I personally do not understand why pharmacies or for that mater a pharmacist has the right or believes they can over-ride what a Doctor says. I am chronically ill and have had over 30 obdominal surgeries on my bladder and kidneys over the past five years. I cannot tell you how horrible I have been treated over the years by corporate pharmacies at times. It’s usually the day of surgery and post surgery when all I want to do is take my pain medication & antibiotics and crawl in to bed. But instead I’m put through the ringer all because my Doctor chose to give me a popular drug that many like to abuse on the streets. I have gone so far to bring all my medical records to The pharmacist so that he or she can see that I am really sick. Something I should not have to do but if I don’t it’s always something. I don’t have enough to fill your rx and its illegal to give you a partial, we don’t carry that kind of medication while looking at me like I’m about shoot up black tar herion in the ally, going to have to call your Doctor to verify he really wrote this to many more stupid and unnecessary reasons for making me wait to getting in my bed. Really? I would love to know what the ratio is for pharmacist loosing their license for filling a rx to someone for pain medication. Because they act like every single thing they do it is causing their livelyhood to go up in flaims. You all need to come up with some better training in your pharmacy 101 classes on how to spot a junky from a really sick and tired patient I mean to tell you! I always say to myself how very sorry I feel for terminally ill patients because I know they have to go through the same thing…. I don’t know if I could handle it ….. I’m not terminally I’ll just chronically I’ll with two autoimmune diseases with no cures and limited treatments. So as we go through this so called opioids epadimic I have stopped having treatments and stoped getting any kind of pain medication at all because I cannot stand to be treated like a drug seeking piece of shit any longer. Hope the pharmacist feel really good about what they have done to the really sick. I run a not for profit to help out sick patients that have the same diseases as I do and you would be sadly surprised at how many feel the same way. So very sad at how this whole thing has affected the really sick in a big way!

Comment by Porsche Waters on 2017-11-02 17:34:34 -0700 #

How is it legal with HIPPA to call other pharmacies and share confidential lists? That I would love to know! But I bet you break the law and do it with your stupid pharmacy smile! Bull crap!

Comment by Roland on 2020-01-25 11:10:09 -0800 #

Nicely said. The pharmacy Gestapo needs to chill out, they aren’t making friends here. Their need to self righteous satisfactions are not professional at all. And they are not god, which is who they are acting. No. Employee. That is who they are. If the law is ambiguous then one can choose to help the customer or help themselves. It’s clear that this pharmacy guy had a boner for helping himself. Asshole.