Pharmacies Refusing to Fill Prescriptions

[Hydro-Joe]

Recently, I received a script for 120, 10mg Lortabs. These lortabs were prescribed (for those that have not read any of my previous posts) for kidney stones (which I suffer frequently).

I took the script for the lortabs (along with a script for Ambien CR) to my local pharmacy. I dropped them off and waited for them to be filled. I had other things to do, so I told the pharmacist that I would pick them up in a couple hours.

After I returned to the pharmacy, the pharmacist said that he could only fill the Ambien, because the lortab was written for an excessive amount and that it was too soon to be filled (according to my insurance).


According to my insurance, I had to wait for four days so that the insurance would pay for the lortab. I told the pharmacist to NOT use my insurance. I told him I would pay cash for the script. He told me that he would not fill it. I asked to have the script returned and he refused.

I had to wait (and suffer) for the four days. I reside in one state, and the pharmacy resides in another. My doctor is located approximately 30 miles from my house. When I moved, I kept the same doctor I have always seen. I had the script filled in the same state where it was written because controlled substances cannot be filled outside of the state I'm referring to. Had it not been for that, I would have had it filled closer to home.

After the long wait, I had to drive back to the pharmacy to pick up the script. When I went back to pick up the script, it was finally ready, and I had to endure all of the stares from the pharmacy staff. I could see that the pharmacy staff was talking about me (not that I give a shit).

A had a previous prescription for 120 10mg lortabs that had been filled at another pharmacy about one month prior to receiving this script. A portion of the lortab was stolen by maids at a motel I was staying at for business. Of course, when a portion (or all) of your prescription is stolen, everyone thinks that you are just trying to get another script because you already used all of your pills up. Legitimate or not, no one believes you if a script is stolen...especially the pharmacy.

Controlled substance theft is a frequent occurance. I told my doctor about the theft, realizing he probably would not believe me either. He readily wrote me another prescription for lortab stating that these particular medications were frequent targets for theft.

I can understand why no one would believe me about the theft. Its a frequently used excuse to obtain narcotics. Unfortunately it was the truth...

Whoever was responsible for the theft removed the lortabs from the bottle and substituted them with some ibuprofen tablets. The Watson brand 10mg lortab is blue in color. The drug used to "replace" the lortab was "white." Gee...how would I have known that someone stole my pills.

Anyway, I can't believe pharmacies cannot, or will not, follow instructions from its customers. I told the pharmacist twice..."Do not use my insurance, I'll pay cash." What did the asshole do...He used my insurance (which allowed me to purchase my lortabs for $5 instead of the full price).

While I understand that pharamacists have a lot of responsibility, I don't (for one minute) believe that pharamcists should have the power to refuse a legitimate prescription. Pharmacisits should also follow directions. When I said not to use my insurance, my request should have been fulfilled. If the asshole pharmacist wants to make care/treatment decisions, he/she ought to go to medical school!

Pharmacists and pharmacies are getting out of hand.

Hey Kroger :finger4u:

Not that you give a shit, but you have forever lost ALL of my business...But hey, its not about business, its about the ability to be a prick!

My two cents...

[JoyDivision]

Can't even get Lortabs in Australia so you're lucky! I have to wait 5 days till I see my pain doc for an increase in OxyContin. I'm on 3x10mg CR's at the moment. I may or may not get an increase. I've been on that dose for 6 months which I think is a fair trial. I see my GP the day after so at least I'll get something on that day weather it be a months supply of the increased dose or my current dose.
To piss me off even more. My Sister went in for day surgery and came out with Endone (immediate release 5mg OxyCodone) and so did a friend of hers who went to hospital for a few days. Normally for pain all my Sister and her friend ever take is Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. And then they goto hospital and get handed OxyCodone! fucking really gives me the shits. I have chronic pain and I've never had Endone. Not even when I last went to hospital. All I got was 2 x 32.5mg propoxyphene hcl capsules while I was there and they didn't even give me any to take home and I had a pilo nidal sinus removed with closed wound healing and couldn't sit down for many days.

Why is it people with no chronic pain or a high tolerance to narcotics get all the good shit?

I'm only on Panadeine Forte at the moment (same as Tylenol 3's) and you don't understand how much I'd love to just have just 1 Endone. After not having OxyContin since probably 20-30 days. I can't remember really. And fuck I would give her like 5 Panadeine Forte's just for 1. Or 10 for 2. And she's got no tolerance to Codeine either.

She's got absolutely hardly any tolerance to OxyCodone. So she's getting the full side effects. She's also got bi-polar and it's making her manic, irritable, anxious and extremely talkative.

The Doctors really went overkill. After she's out of Endone that's it. No more. It's just for post operative pain. Where as I get 90x10mg CR's a month atm. And soon possibly more.

She's taking like 4 a day atm too. When she gets withdrawl symptoms after running out. I'll be there to say "I told you so, you should've given me some for some Panadeine Forte".

People with no tolerance shouldn't use strong shit. And people with no pain shouldn't use any shit except Alcohol and illegal drugs.

As a chronic pain sufferer I really hate it when people fuck it up for people with genuine pain problems.
Because of these people. The new Nurofen Plus pills can't be split properly and now I have to consume heaps of ibuprofen shit to get it to work.

I use drugs to make me normal, to function like everybody else and to be free from pain. I have no sympathy for people who use without a legit reason and become junkies. If you want to get high smoke pot, drink alcohol, do cocaine, use heroin, I don't really care. Just don't use pharms and fuck it up for people with legit problems.

[candy]

Next time if it happens ask that the pharmacist call your physician and call your insurance company yourself. You can also call your docs office and ask that someone on his staff or himself call the insurance company to get an authorization to fill your meds.
I am not sure what guidelines the pharmacist follows. Maybe once in his possession, he can not release the script back to you...It may have to do with state guidelines. But, no one IMO should have to suffer and the pharmacist has no right to make that determination. Get your doc involved...He wrote the new script and talk to your insurance company yourself. Most often they don't get all the info they need to make a determination one way or the other.

[JoyDivision]

Sucks you guys have privatised health care and have to worry about insurance and everything when it comes to meds. We have no such thing. We do have a form of private health care. But it only relates
to weather you goto a private hospital and the time it takes for you to get elective surgery.

My GP himself calls for an authority but only on certain meds. Insurance doesn't pay much part in it though.
I have both private and public health cover. That will change when I turn 23 as I won't be covered under my parents scheme. Then I have to signup myself with a private health care provider. Like I said though. This only relates to mostly going into hospital. We do have some medicines which are private scripts and our insurance providers sometimes will pay for some of it. But mostly our meds are subsidised. Kind of like in Canada.

All in all. Governments still don't seem to spend enough on health care and public hospitals.

[Paregoric Kid]

privatized health care is great. socialism is a system of failure. the government needs to stay the fuck out of medicine. they already interefere way too much and create more problems than they fix. no one has the right to healthcare and no one has to be forced to do their job. although I think it is stupid that some pharmacists don't do their job, it seems so backwards. why would they get into that business if they aren't going to do their job? well that's his problem and he should be fired, but at the least he will lose some business. the solution to the original problem that was posted: go to a different pharmacy, one that wants your business. you can also get prescriptions filled through pharmacies that will send them in the mail that might be better if another local pharmacy can't help you.

[Zoop]

PK, you are da man. Socialism is a tried and true system of FAILURE. Never worked. Never will. All who pursue it are doomed to repeat the failures of the past, usually a bunch of whiners who can't even wipe their own asses without "help." It is a system of enslavement.

Ahem...

Anyway, that pharmacist sounds like a real prick! I used to be a pharmacist, and have NEVER heard of any rule or law anyplace where the pharmacist HAD TO keep the scrip after the insurance claim was refused b/c it was too soon to re-fill. What are you talking about, Candy?

That guy was just trying to make your life difficult, Hydro-Joe, plain and simple. There are jerks all around us.

[ontario_opiophile]

That is total complete bullshit. It's just more proof of how America is sliding downhill. What ever happened to your rights? Why is it the pharmacists business that you are refilling your prescription your DOCTOR ordered for you!!! Where I live (Canada), pharmacists don't tell you that you can't fill prescriptions. They don't stick their noses in your business. If you want to refill morphine or ketamine or marinol or hydromorphone, they just do it. They don't meddle in your business. People like this nosey pharmacist should be forced to go to a class that teachers them how to not be nosey fuckers! This is just another case of uncle sam's little bitch cousin sticking his dick where it shouldnt be. If you said you would pay for it out of pocket he should have filled it. He had no right to deny it. I've heard stories like this so many time. It's always some idiot pharmacist who thinks he's doing the country a favor by fucking with people who take opiates or controlled meds. They just abuse their power because they don't like the way you look or because you might have looked at him the wrong way or because he suspects your a junkie. Even if you are a junkie, it's none of his fucking business! His job is to fill the medicine the doctor orders, simple as that. The prescription was not excessive it was about enough to kill the pain of a small dog with arthritis for 1 month. There is more painkiller in 1-2 daily doses of methadone, so how the hell was that excessive, or too soon? Oh wow you were 4 days early, who cares. I would just go to a different pharmacy from now on. Man that pisses me off so much. America is a rip off. Everything that has to do with medicine has a jacked up price that is probably 400% higher than you'd pay in Canada or somewhere in Europe. We get the same drugs in Canada, that are made in the same factories, for much much less. I think thats pretty pathetic and I don't know why Americans don't stand up and demand answers as to why your drugs cost more than 4 times as much. Screw 4 times it's more like 5-8 times more money, for the EXACT SAME THING! We have more of a selection too and many more generics available. And guess what! If you are poor, you get a card that pays for ALL OF YOUR DRUGS! and you pay nothing. And they pay for your heating oil for the winter, and for your electricity, for food, and healthcare related things such as diabetes testing supplies and everything else you can think of. All in all our government is much nicer than yours even though they are assfuckers too and semi-socialist. I think rich and poor people deserve equal care. No human on this earth is worth more than you or me. Monitary wealth has nothing to do with equality. I think that the homeless person living under the bridge deserves the same healthcare I deserve. Life is life and money doesn't make you special. I sure don't mind paying taxes for the increased care our citizens get. I want to see the homeless living in apartments and getting fed and taken care of. I want to let them go to the dentist and see psychiatrists for free. Most of these people have major mental issues and they have been totally abandoned by their families and society in general. You can call me a tree hugger or a hippy or communist or whatever but most homeless didnt do anything to deserve to be where they are. Families turned their back on them and so did everyone else so I think they deserve a chance to be something, or to be more comfortable while they try to survive in this living hell that others have probably created for them. I'll probably get alot of shit for this but I dont care. Socialism is not the worst thing in the world. I think that America hasn't been a very nice place recently and it's only getting worse. I think a bit of care is needed for the families and people that truly need it. Why the fuck would you punish people who are sick and can't care for themselves. Healthy people don't truly understand what it's like to be sick and be in their shoes with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills and no home or car or money to do anything with their lives. It's really easy to sit back and say privatized healthcare is good but wait until you have cancer or some horrible illness that makes it impossible for you to take care of yourself and see how great it is to be dirt poor and unable to fend for yourself.

[JoyDivision]

I think both privitised and subsidised systems have their bad points and good points. I think there needs to be a good balance. But you can't tell me that no one has the right to health care just because they are homeless or something. Maybe it's someones own fault that they are in a low socioeconomic situation. But lots of times it isn't. You can't just say four legs good two legs bad. Four legs good two legs better. OR whatever Orwell said.

And don't bring socialism into it. That's got nothing to do with it. If Government ownership is so bad then why does China have pretty much the best growing economy in the world? It's because they have a mixed economy of both Government ownership, small, medium and large businesses. Which is the ideal model. Not just a wholly Government owned or Private owned model of business. Those of us in Britain and Australia have seen what happens when just one company owns the copper network.

Medicine should not be in the hands of businessmen or government full stop. It should be in the hands of people who know about medicine. You know like Doctors, Nurses, Specialists, etc with good management skills. Not pen pushers without a fucking clue. Like the ones who drew up this newest medicare tripe for seniors. Ask your Grandma or someone elses how they feel about choosing between 46 or more different medicare plans.

Would you put a bunch of pacifists in charge of defense? I think not. So don't put a bunch of indecisive law school educated academics in charge of the health care system.

I'll take my subsidised drugs, medicare system, private health care and falling at the seems health care system over an American one anyday. Regardless of how many more beneficial drugs you have.

[candy]

Hey Zoop, being a pharmacist you should then know about the "Corresponding Responsibility Rule." This regulation by the DEA accomodates pharmacists when making a decision regarding prescriptions. There is the "prescription" and then the "purported prescription." If the pharmacist suspects that he has been given a purported prescription then he can deny to fill it and keep the actual script until either the prescription has been deemed good or in the above situation of the post.

I am not sticking up for the pharmacist, but you asked what I was talking about and this was it! No one should suffer in pain and as a nurse, I advocate for my patients and those in need. But, I as well know the system and the Corresponding Responsibility Rule applies to all the states.

Maybe I should of stated myself better in my post.

[duke_nemmerle]

wow - what bullshit

[katomic]

Free health care for all (well its not really free) I know it doesn’t always work very well, but its helps Even the wealth which is what’s its all about right? Over hear we pay a set cost which equals to $11.00 for each item on a script whether its cheap codeine or expensive seroquil. you can go privet if you want.

But it great cos its affordable health care for all.

A personal example:
at the time I couldn’t afford insurance as I was unemployed so if we didn’t have a health service when I went to the dentist last year I needed a filling, a large half a molar size gold filling I couldn’t have afforded that at all!! My tooth would have killed by the time I had a job to get the money.
But I got a big gold filling on the heath service

Now I have a fucked hip socket need an op to get it sorted every ten years then its still gonna hurt.
I wood pay more insurance because im an liability right?

In a gov run health service the majority pay the same to the health service maybe not every gets there money from it because some people get real ill and some people are lucky.

But every one gets the best condition of health they can be in.

So which is more important?


I understand that I don’t understand the U.S health system very well so maybe I got it wrong if so enlighten me

Just my thorts

[duke_nemmerle]

Just a note on the US health care system. I'd say most that need health care likely get it. Now whether or not, it's affordable or the debt incurred by such ruins their life is another story. Example, a drug dealing buddy of mine just got in a bad bad motorcycle accident. He had no insurance, but he's alive, and has been receiving pretty good care. I don't know what he'll do when he has to pay for his first scripts, but he's applied for some kind of gov assistance.

I'm lucky enough to have great insurance so I really can't attest to some of the seedier portions of our health care system. It's hard for me to develop an opinoin either way on whose might be better(in every way, socially and for the patient), but it's a decent discussion

[Zoop]

Candy, are you saying that a pharmacist can by law keep a valid prescription just because the patient's insurance says it's too early to refill?
I am really really doubtful of that. (BTW, Candy, I am no longer a pharmacist, just to set the record straight, although I have the degree and did practice it for a few years. I had my RPh license suspended, and then some time later after I started another career, voluntarily surrendered it.)

Now on the other hand, a pharmacist can definitely keep a script if he thinks it's fruadulent. Maybe that's what he was doing. But our friend Hydro-Joe had a valid prescription, so that pharmacist was way out of line.

As for the socialism vs. evil capitalism thing. I am still unconvinced. Socialism and communism are very bad things.

BUT - we don't need socialism/communism to make sure that people get health care. Like Duke said, it's amazing how even non-insured, non-welfare receiving people get cared for in this country. We have lots and lots of social programs in the U.S.

We don't agree on everything, but that's what makes this such a good forum.

But, dude, seriously, Ontario, man you are really overreacting and exaggerating and stuff like that. That pharmacist was a total fucking jerk-off, and he does not represent America or anything, he's just a dick that probably has a complex about certain types of people. That's all. He is not part of some sinister plot to destroy the free world.

[JoyDivision]

Reminds me of when my Sis took some 5mg valiums she had from a previous prescription to hospital and they said she didn't need it anymore and took it away from her. I told her not to take it to hospital but she didn't listen cause she actually listens to nurses and doctors. Oh well.

[GMorris]

I can relate to the original post, that same bulls**t happened to me more than once. I had a script of 10mg. Lortabs, 60 pills, that was supposed to last a month. Only 2/day for bad back pain. I knew that wasn't going to cut it. Since it had 2 refills, I figured I'd just get one of them if I ran out. You can guess how THAT came out. The stinkin' pharmacist refused to fill it until like 3 days before what would have been a month, which was about 2 more weeks! I did not know that they could do that at the time, and I was pissed! I thought that I'd be able to get them when I wanted, hell I even thought about asking for all 3 at once but didn't have the money to pay for them at the time. Now I believe that it's the law that they can't fill any earlier than 3 days, which sucks. Two of those per day was nowhere NEAR what I needed, and the doctor would not write any more than that.

[Paregoric Kid]

no one should have the right to free care or free heating oil or free anything. if you want those things work to get them. socialism is the most unfair system, it is communism with a different name.
the US system is better, and you can see this because people don't have to wait MONTHS and MONTHS to get treatments like you do in Canada and in the UK and other socialized systems. socialized systems create waiting lists and also create higher fatality rates because of that. you are more likely to die from a disease an american won't die of because you have a socialist health care system.

[Zoop]

no one should have the right to free care or free heating oil or free anything. if you want those things work to get them. socialism is the most unfair system, it is communism with a different name.
the US system is better, and you can see this because people don't have to wait MONTHS and MONTHS to get treatments like you do in Canada and in the UK and other socialized systems. socialized systems create waiting lists and also create higher fatality rates because of that. you are more likely to die from a disease an american won't die of because you have a socialist health care system.


amen ma bruva

[candy]

Hey Zoop, Absolutely...A pharmacist can keep a script, refusing to fill it. It is a legal loop given to the pharmacist by the DEA. Under normal circumstances a pharmacist can be disciplined for refusing to fill a legitimate script...But, if the pharmacist feels the script is purported, he can then keep it and refuse to fill it, until either he has cleared the misunderstanding or not.
So, even if he makes a mistake, he is still covered by this regulation and therefor not in any kind of trouble. The regulation allows that a pharmacist will at times make a mistake. It also covers him/her, should they fill an illegal prescription.
It is why most of us run into problems when trying to fill a script early.
Yeah, I agree it sucks. When you need your meds, you need them and I am by no means on the side of the pharmacist or DEA. Just stating the facts.

Unfortunately, this falls under the assumptions that have been made regarding pain and pain management. Someone who deny's meds when they are in obvious pain are looked upon as being strong and are often rewarded in some way for tolerating their pain. It may come in the rewarding of such behaviors by the doc in giving that patient a script with multiple refills and in a large quantity. On the other hand, the patient who is unable to tolerate their pain and needs to be medicated is often looked at as being an addict or dependent on their meds. If this patient asks their doc for something stronger or to increase their dose, they are drug seeking. They suffer without reason and will often go from doctor to doctor seeking someone who is compassionate enough to recognize their needs.

Pain is subjective. I can be in a tremendous amount of pain and go into the ER needing to be medicated and refused because I am not rolling around in agony. While the someone with the same symptoms and condition will be medicated because they are in an exaggerated state.

And then we have the addict. Well, he is an heroin addict, he does not feel pain in the same way! What bullshit. The opposite is actually true and while he/she may need a stronger pain med, we still feel pain. This is the misunderstanding with those on Methadone. That those on Methadone should not have pain, since they are already on something.

All of these misconceptions lead to a great deal of frustration for so many. No one should be denied care and no one should suffer for the moral or ethical beliefs of others. But it is the world we live in.
My suggestion, get your doc to call in a script if you feel there may be some problem. And as I said, if you have insurance, ask to have someone call the insurance company to get authorization before taking your script in to have it filled.

[duke_nemmerle]

Pain is subjective. I can be in a tremendous amount of pain and go into the ER needing to be medicated and refused because I am not rolling around in agony. While the someone with the same symptoms and condition will be medicated because they are in an exaggerated state.



Hopefully not for long. Brain scanning is becoming increasingly inexpensive and both temporal and spatial resolution is increasing exponentially. I can imagine a time where ER's will have handheld scanners on hand that will be able to tell how much pain a person is in almost instantly. Maybe this wont happen, but I'm willing to bet something like it will some time

[candy]

With brain scanning as a way to determine pain...Depends on the cost I imagine.
I worked in the E.R. for a long time, before going to Harm Reduction and HIV. If pain is not based on the pain scale, you know those little faces were asked to point at, then it is based on the subjective complaints of the patient. Increase in BP, pulse, respirations, will point to pain, but not always.
Take for instance an infant with abdominal pain....They may just lie there, not moving or making a sound. It hurts to cry and move, but they are often the most undermedicated in terms of pain control.
Things are improving, but not enough where adequate pain control is in place for everyone.
I dare not tell anyone I am a junkie or was, nor do I tell them I am on Methadone, unless in an emergency situation.
I should not have to lie, but if I want fair and appropriate treatment, I better.

[MAXELL]

I Hear Ya Buddy, We Moved To North Carolina From Massachusetts. I Also Kept My Doctor Of 13 Years. I Would Go See Her Every Six Months, And She Would Write Out My Scripts With Refills. One Was Tylenol With Codine #4 60 Mg., 100 With 5 Refills. The Last Time I Saw Her We Changed It To Codine Sulfate 60 Mg With The 5 Refills. I Went To The Same Pharmacy, Was Told He Had To Order It Come Back Tomorrow. When I Went To Pick It Up, He Gave Me The Bottle. I Looked And It Said No Refill, I Asked Why. He Just Said I Can't Refill This Medicine, Great Anser, Wish He Had Just Said That To Begin With. I Could Have Mailed The Script To A Family Member Back Home, Which I've Done Before With Another Med. Called In The Refill And Have Him Mail Them To Me. Anyways I've Since Been Going To A Pain Clinic Here In Nc, And Getting Two Types Of Morphine Time Released And Fast Acting. No Problem Filling Those. Cookie

[skeletontea]

Sorry to hear about the theft Hydro-Joe. Perhaps you could put the Lortab in a bottle which indicates something different, see if you can find an empty Detrol (for incontinence) bottle. No one will ever touch your meds again! (of course, that is probably breaking some kind of law, so it depends on which is a bigger risk.) The worst part about the theft is that you have a very legitimate need for your pills.

I've never really gone into a doctor's office to get pain-pills (though I do need them.) My spine was supposed to collapse when I was 19...nearly 6 years later it sometimes feels like it has. My ex-chiropractor said my spine resembles that of a 86 year old man's. Fortunately because of my new chiropractor, the blinding pain which feels like my spinal column has been severed is pretty uncommon now, but it still happens. They might give me narcotics if I asked for them, but I doubt it. And yet a friend of mine gets prescribed codeine everytime she has a cold, and she hates the way it makes her feel! (she can't understand why anyone would want to feel that way. She also frequently has nightmares when she takes it.)

[GMorris]

Huh? I've NEVER known a chiropractor that can write prescriptions for narcotics. I've been to them in the state of Georgia, North Carolina and agony for that matter, and have always been told that they cannot write narcotics. The only scenario I can think of would be a chiropractor who is also a GP or some other kind of MD with a license to prescribe narcotics.

[skeletontea]

Huh? I've NEVER known a chiropractor that can write prescriptions for narcotics. I've been to them in the state of Georgia, North Carolina and agony for that matter, and have always been told that they cannot write narcotics. The only scenario I can think of would be a chiropractor who is also a GP or some other kind of MD with a license to prescribe narcotics.
Let me clarify. When I said I've never gone into a doctor's office with the intent to get pain pills, I was referring to my general practitioner. I mentioned the chiropractor because it indicates how bad my back is, but also states that he is doing something of some value. When I said "They might give me narcotics if I asked for them, but I doubt it." I was again reffering to my GP, and specialists at the hospital I go to (not the chiropractor's office.) Sorry if my post was a little vague.

[Hydro-Joe]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post.

:speechles