A week ago, I went to my normal pharmacy to get a prescription filled. When they told me they were out but could order it for me, I decided to try the nearby CVS. I was trying to make errand-running a one-day event. I walked into the CVS on Lincoln in Venice and politely waited my turn. When I handed my prescription to the clerk, she turned to the pharmacist to see if he had it available. He looked my prescription, looked at me, and said “I’m not filling that.” Confused, I asked him what? He repeated that he would not fill it and gave me a look that made me feel as though I was somehow a bad person. When I asked why, he grew curt and told me that he doesn’t fill prescriptions from out-of-town doctors. The woman waiting in line next to me rebuked his claim when she responded, “you always fill mine and my doctor is in Santa Barbara.” He silenced her with a stern look and told her this was none of her business. Standing amidst a flood of customers, I was too shocked and embarrassed to know what to do. So I left.
I’ve heard stories of people being refused emergency contraception, but my prescription has nothing to do with birth control. I’ve heard stories of people abusing the ADHD medication that I’m on, but I’ve been responsibly taking this particular medication since 2001 and my doctor would’ve easily confirmed that. I am a Berkeley student and my doctor is based in Berkeley. I have been seeing him since I arrived in Berkeley in 2003. When I moved to Los Angeles, he and his colleagues started sending me a physical prescription to fill down here provided that I visit annually for a check-up. Because my prescription is scheduled, it can’t simply be called in. Due to a bad reaction to whatever gelatin or sugar is used in the generic, I’ve always been given the brand name prescription. I hate paying the extra money, but I hate the headaches a whole lot more. While I’ve been given plenty of sympathetic looks when I shell out major duckets for the prescription, I’ve never been given a problem by a pharmacy before.
My shock has since turned into a series of emotions. Confusion, anger, frustration. I contacted CVS to voice my complaint and was told that “a Pharmacist works under their own private license and reserves the right to refuse to fill for any reason.” Is this true? I cannot find authoritative information on the matter and I’m quite confused, so I have some questions for anyone who knows more than I do:
- Under what circumstances can a pharmacist refuse a prescription?
- Are there laws that dictate when and how pharmacists can refuse a valid prescription even when it can be confirmed by the doctor and does not conflict with any other medication?
- Are there examples of people being denied legitimate prescriptions for things other than contraception?
- How often are people denied their prescriptions?
- What recourses and alternatives do patients have when they are denied?
According to the USA Today, “The policy at most drug store chains and the American Pharmacists Association is that druggists shouldn’t be forced to violate their beliefs, but they must make arrangements so the patient can still get the pills from another pharmacist at the store or direct the patient to a store that will fill the order. That makes sense. Pharmacists with objections to some medicines should identify those situations ahead of time, and stores should let the public know their policies.” This was not the case at CVS. There were no signs saying that they wouldn’t accept my prescription nor did the pharmacist make any offer to connect me with someone else or encourage me to come back at a different time. He simply chased me away and glared at me as though I was a criminal.
Anyhow, I’m not sure what I can do other than never step foot in a CVS again. I’m lucky that I have choices, but, knowing that many people do not, the way that I was treated and refused service makes me really upset.
Update: the CVS pharmacy supervisor of Los Angeles called me to get more information. He agreed that what the pharmacist did was inappropriate and that, if he had doubts about the legitimacy of my prescription, he should have called Berkeley or held onto it to call in the morning. The supervisor said that he would make certain that his pharmacists had a proper protocol for what to do when they were confronted with similar situations. He was deeply apologetic and professional.
The supervisor also made me realize one omission in my story. I have a long history of filling this prescription at other CVSes in Cambridge and San Francisco. The supervisor told me that the pharmacist would have been able to look my name up and see that record at other stores such that, even if he had never seen me before, CVS would have recognized me and my prescription as legitimate and having history.
I don’t know what the outcome will be for the pharmacist, but my hope is that CVS will actually do something to redress the broader issue, if only to not blemish their brand. Hopefully my experience and willingness to object will lead to new policies that will protect those less fortunate from being denied prescriptions in the future.
I too was shocked when a (new) pharmacist at CVS refused to refill medications prescribed to me by Pain Management specialists & doctors at one of the top hospitals in the US. I have been getting these exact same medications from this very CVS for over 8 years. He is the only thing that changed!!
I understand a pharmacists claim that he is trying to protect his license by refusing to dispense certain medications but shouldn’t other things be taken into consideration before refusing? What about protecting the patient? I have been taking MS Contin and Oxycodone for over 15 years for severe & chronic back pain. Compound this with the fact that I just had back surgery makes the filling of these prescriptions, at this time, even more critical. I have an eight year history with this specific CVS, with these exact same drugs! I can only being to imagine the horrible pain I would have been in between;
1)The new surgical pain,
2)Chronic back pain,
3)The withdrawals I would have experienced by not having any medications for the entire weekend.
When I asked this pharmacist to fill just one script, he refused that too!
Here it was, Friday at 3:30. I am on Workers Compensation and approval must be obtained before 5pm as they are closed on the weekend. No other pharmacy is set up to fill these scripts. I had to drive to 5 different CVS locations before I could find one with the meds in stock. They won’t even make internal calls to their sister pharmacies to see if they have the needed medications in stock. We’re talking about medication for a 60 year old repeat customer. Certainly they can figure out some way to discern the difference between a criminal and their long term customers.
Pharmacists should be held accountable for pain and suffering in cases like this. My father-in-law was head pharmacist at a VA Hospital and was appalled when he heard what happened.
One thing is for sure, I will NOT rely on CVS or any other single drug store to regularly refill my scripts. The respectful relationship that I once thought existed has been destroyed. I now know we are nothing more than AN RX#. What a shame!!!
Signed,
Unhappy customer
It is not just CVS. I left work early tonight to pick up my anxiety medication at Rite Aid, and a somewhat new female pharmacist treated me like I am a criminal. Afer a layoff and death in my family I couldn’t walk out of my house for 2 months. I decided to go to a psychiatrist and she prescribed me medications to get me out of the house. I now have a great job now (corporate level) but dread going to the pharmacy. I was one day early and I couldn’t pick up my medication. I have no tickets, no criminal record at all, no children (that would be exposed to my horrible mental illness (sarcasim)), and good credit. The pharmacist assistant explained to me so that other people in my neighborhood pharmacy could hear that the DEA watches everything ?? Okay? I am glad that I was not picking up my cancer medication. Pharmacist need to be educated on how to deal with all customers. I live in a state where marijuana is legal (never smoked it) but an over 50 year old woman is treated like a criminal picking up anxiety medication.
Pharmacists and technicians are lying about being out of stock, not knowing when the medication will be available and causing pain and suffering to a patient that shouldn’t even be moving around without their medication. I am soliciting any lawyer who would be willing to fight against this practice. I am running out of money and being subjected to extreme pain because corporations like CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and others are refusing to comply with a physician order. I want my local pharmacy to communicate with my physician and provide the service that I am paying for in premiums, co-pays, and deductibles to my insurance. Why should patients by punished for incompetence of Doctors and Pharmacists?
I too am looking for an attorney! My prescription was denied for four days even after the phys. nurse called and demanded he refill it.Walgreens have not heard the last of me.IM thre e weeks away from a total hip replacement and this pharmacist refused to refill tramadol.I am not only a senior citizen im also a registered nurse.IM seeking an attorney and my intent is to stop this idea that a pharmacist can decide not to give pain medication without a medical history.
Yes the same thing just happened to Me today April 1st, I went to Walgreens and handed the pharmacist my scripts , Ihave gone to this walgreens a few times before and I had no problems before except 2 months ago when I tried to get my scripts filled it was the 28 th day which my Insurance will allow it In 28 days and the pharmacy will allow it as long as its not consistent only once in awhile, we’ll I have My Doctors app. On Saturday because I’m working out of town so that’s the only day I can go so I don’t miss work well the pharmacist said He wouldn’t fill it till Monday and if I didnt like it than go some were else and basically treated Me like some criminal which would cause Me to Miss work so I took my scripts and left and went some were that else and filled them, well Today I went to get My Scripts filled and its been 30 days since the last time so I brought them to the Walgreens that I had the problem well I handed the pharmacist my scripts and I guess the doc. Filled one of them out wrong so I left one there and went back the the docs. Office to get it rewritten and when I returned he handed me back the first one back and said He will not fill it that I don’t meet Walgreens qualifications which I had no idea what that meant so I asked Him what He meant by that and all He said is that’s all I have to say to Me and than walked away, I don’t know what He meant and I didn’t recieve any explanation why ! What can I do about this I don’t understand how a pharmacist can get away with this especially when I never gave home any reason to not fill it I feel it was personal because I left that 2 months ago and got My scripts some were else and I feel this was so unprofessional and unethical and would really like to have something done about the pharmacist
Thank You for Your Time,
Sincerely Jay
This is an old thread, but the problem is still to this day HUGE! I understand that pharmacies are trying to protect themselves, but there is no compassion. My pharmacy wants me to wait till I’m completely out of medication before I can refill it. I suffer from chronic pain and am well aware people abuse this medication… I do not! In the 7+ years i’ve been taking it, I’ve only refilled early (2-3 days) twice for vacation. It’s just unfortunate and ridiculous they put everyone in the same category. We are not drug addicts and should not be treated as such. Imagine if it were heart medication and having to wait till I’m out before I can refill it… It’s ridiculous!
I too am so sick and tired of pharmacist telling me various stories, lies and just being rude. As I have worked in a pharmacy previous to the car accident that left me in chronic pain for last 11 years. I know the mistakes and errors that happen in pharmacies and could write a book on those, but when we need help, its like we are hideous criminals.
I want to wear a hidden camera and microphone and tape a visit to the pharmacy to let people really see how we are treated, where is 20/20 when we need them.
I am ready to turn the tables on all the crappy rude pharmacists that have been rude to me, lied to me, treated me like I was a 2nd class citizen but I am sure that we need to tell the managers of each store how bad they are treating us. Let them be punsihed for their bad behavior and feel the consequences for their behavior.
Sorry folks but a pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription for any reason, whether you think it is valid or not. Often, in order to spare your drug addicted feelings, we’ll tell you a white lie such as the medication being out of stock.
We deal with crackheads and drug abusers on a daily basis. The DEA and State Regulatory boards do not go after “patients” or doctors who prescribe freely, they go after pharmacist and pharmacy license holders.
As for early refills/fills, its a controlled substance for a reason. Part of the control means that they cannot be filled early or filled for same drug by multiple prescribers.
Anyone who is in chronic pain has been through the above disrespectful treatment by pharmacists and clerks that work for pharmacies. I do not believe it is just the laws or threat of losing licenses that drives their behavior. There are a certain number of them who enjoy the power to cause great fear and shock to an already ill person. If you react to their obvious unfair, cruel treatment, you are accused of “drug seeking behavior”. I have been verbally critisized and accused of illegal behavior, along with my physician in front of a line of customers who now knew I had a prescription for a pain medication, a dangerous situation for me. It has been my experience that the best tact to take is to smile politely, write down their name, go outside the store and start calling the headquarters of the store and politely explaining your situation. Any emotion will be consdered “drug seeking behavior”, so do not call until you calm down and tell yourself, “you are not the piece of garbage that little person tried to make you feel like”. You need to get used to it, cruel people look for jobs like this, and move on.
Instead of getting upset with the pharmacist, just think why the pharmacists are doing what they are doing. Refusing to fill a prescription means refusing to take your money. In business its called stupidity. But no other business person except a pharmacist does this. Why? Because they are forced to. The DEA and DOH are after the pharmacists just as a cat is after a mouse. One suspicion on the pharmacist that he may be committing fraud will get his license revoked. Therefore the pharmacists are thinking its better to lose money than to lose their hard earned license. That is why they are not filling Rxs which they feel are illegitimate. Unfortunately, genuine patients get hit sometimes.
I know that these people in these pharmacy’s working have a hard time with fraud and junkies but come on when iv been coming to the same place getting the same meds for years you could have a little compassion. if you are so worried about loosing your licens then find a job that dosnt require that. you should have to follow some kind of regulations not just go willy nilly and do what ever you want. if you worked for me i would fire your ass in a second,
I had a pharmacist at Costco in Lacey,WA. refuse to fill my dogs Rx because it was early. It was not a controlled substance, but it was tramadol and that is known to be abused. I explained that my wife and I like to be prepared for emergencies and always have a couple of weeks of all medication for ourselves and our dogs on hand. I was told by the pharmacist that it was too early to fill. There is no insurance involved so that wasn’t the problem. I felt like she was accusing myself, my wife or both of us of taking our old arthritic dogs medication. Nothing hurts me more than to see an animal in pain especially my own. When asked why she just responded that it was too early.
I called our vet who knows how we do things and we finally got it filled, but it was very insulting.
As part of my wife’s pain management contract with her doctor (12 plus years of significant spinal cord issues and countless surgeries) she must fill her prescription at the same pharmacy each time. A pharmacist at Walgreens recently refused to fill a prescription that had been filled monthly for more than 5 years. The Pharmacist cited recent DEA “guidelines” that prevented him from filling the script. When asked to see these guidelines, the pharmacist refused. The only DEA information that I can find online describes the fact that the DEA does not propose medical guidelines. The DEA further states that “DEA’s authority under the CSA is not equivalent to that of a State medical board. DEA does not regulate the general practice of medicine.” [page 52719] This document also denies any “targeting” physicians who prescribe controlled substances for treatment of pain. This notice was published in 2006 and I have not found any specific “guidelines”, yet. http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/notices/2006/fr09062.htm
Wow, I’m so glad to fnd this thread. I’ve just gotten off the phone with a Walgreens pharmacist who has decided it’s up to him to call my sons doctor to find out what a narcotics script s for, what diagnosis, etc., and to see if the doctor is aware of ” all tha narcotics scripts he’s had filled in the past year”! My son, for whom I am legal guardian, has a complex medical history and in the past year has gone through 3 major surgeries, the most recent just a month ago. He’s in a lot of pain and has a genetic condition which makes pain management difficult. This wasn’t our regular Walgreens, as they did not have the full amount of OxyContin on hand, so our pharmacist caled another Walgreens to see if they had the right quantity, as you can’t break up a narcotic script. Well this new guy admitted that our insurance had already approved the script, and I told him I had also called ODS to make sure it would be filled. But this jerk pharmacist insisted he knew better than our regular pharmacist (who would have filled it right away). Who died and made him God? I’m filing a formal complaint with Walgreens. If my insurance, who has my sons entire history, already approved it, who is he to question it. I just hope this gets straightened our before we run totally out of pain meds for my son, otherwise we will end up in the ER for sudden excruciating pain and drug withdrawal!
‘Often, in order to spare your drug addicted feelings,”
So, YOU are one of those who assumes everyone using legal narcotics is a drug addict. I hope you have debilitating chronic pain one day and receive the same treatment. Why do some pharmacists have some kind of puritanical brainwashed idea that certain drugs (and patients) are inherently evil? Maybe it’s an attitude that only “weak” people need pain relief and the messed up Christian meme that it is more noble to endure pain silently.
I went to go get my medication filled at CVS where it had been filled several times never early. Today they said because I don’t have ins. they would not give me my medication. It is a controlled substance for sleep and anxiety. I do not work or have insurance. All they would say is it is a new policy that the state past in WI of which I checked it is not and then they changed their story to its a new policy by CVS. Is it legal for them to refuse my meds because I don’t have insurance? I am pretty sure that is illegal and byast (spelling). I will be calling lawyers on Monday to find out my rights and if its illegal they will be getting sued. I will happily post it on here for all of you who have had problems with CVS Pharmacy. I’m waiting to here back from walgreen on if they can fill it or not. Wish me luck.
I too am having a problem with a rite aid pharmacy, i get about 10 prescriptions a month filled there. i have diabetes , lung ,thyroid , high blood pressure, and depression, i see about 6 different doctors. rite aid was sent a fax by my doctor to fill a refill of a 30 day supply of medicaition on 5/10/2013 , the last and 1st fill was on 3/18/2013. well i used the medicine sparingly an got way more than 30 days of medication out of it and called my doctor for a refill.rite aid did not fill the medication for me. i cant understand why the pharmacist has the authority to veto the doctors request for my refill? i am switching to a new pharmacy and have learn not to get close or small talk with the pharmacist or other employees in the pharmacy,they form an opinion on you and decide what they think is right or just want to be evil.so, take it from me, i am an educated lady with 50 years under my belt. it has to be strictly business , dont get personal with the pharmacist and dont let them know your history if you can help it. dont make any unneeded comments on weather, events or any chit chat. just order and pick up and be stone faced and it will benefit you! i learned the hard way!
I am sitting in awe at this blog….First i would like to say I had a similar incident as several of you at a Walgreens…been shopping there for years…well i had a new rx for pain medication from my new fibro dr..but had another rx with refills from my family dr. I suffer from severe migrains and fibro…two very painful things…well when i left i not only felt like a drug abuser but someone who was purposely breaking the law..he not only refused to refill but told me to take more of another medication that is prescribed by another doctor…these pharmacists need to realize there are people who are not out to miss use these drugs!!!! More people need to speak up..but who will listen????
A walgreens pharmacist who didn’t know me at all (and I hadn’t used a walgreens in years) refused to fill a script of 20 ct Ultram. I had filled a script for Vicodin week and a half earlier and he told my mother I didn’t need another pain med. I had just come from the ER. They were trying to get my scary blood pressure down which was 190/119 when I first arrived. They almost admitted me. After several hours tho, they released me with bp at 152/108. The doc gave me a small script of the Tramadol that works very well along side Vicodin for severe pain. This pharmacist didn’t know I had a broken nose, a broken arm, broken foot, large chest contusion and internal bleeding that didn’t stop for days, trashed knees and the list goes on. This guy argued with the er doc and threw away the written prescription. Um…..NO. I filed a complaint with his manager and the board of pharmacy and he was fired. Don’t let a pharmacist come on here and tell you to just suck it up if this happens. If the jack hole won’t fill it, they cannot throw away your script. They are NOT md’s. It takes a lot of your time to file the proper complaints but even I knew he was dead wrong.
I am a pharmacist, and I don’t care about your pain or your ADD. There are other real diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, etc. that are more deserving of my time. You people waste my time at work calling to get early refills, trying to call my boss to get me fired for not filling your pain or add meds. I turn down at least 40-50 prescriptions a day, it is disgusting. And no I wont ever call a doctor to verify if can fill an out of state or out of town prescription, of course the crooked pill mill doctor will say yes. I feel like I am destroying my community every time i dispense a pain medication or add med. Have you ever seen someone hooked on prescription pain medications? These medications destroy lives. i have had several young women come to the pharmacy and offer sexual favors in order to get me to fill their add or pain meds. It is disgusting. So for those of you that do have legitimate pain or add, sorry but i don’t have the time at work to try to see if you are legit. my answer is always a blanket no. So if you do really need these meds understand that you are taking the highest abused legal substances, and that the pharmacist that gives you a questionable look does so because he was just asked by the customer before you to let her give him a blow job to fill her oxycotin. So chill out and realize that this is the way this works, I don’t want to dispense the pills that turn my neighbors kids into junkies. So deal with the dirty looks, its not the end of the world. Quit being such pains in the ass and maybe you get your fix when you want it, or you medicine however you want to look at it. the problem isnt the pharmacies, its the doctors. complain about drs writing to many bad scripts, and get that taken care of, then i might not have to be such a dick to you guys all the time.
I’ll bet good money that the prescription was for pain medication.
There’s a huge backlash of federal regulations by the Obama administration on pain medicines. It’s part of the old “War On Drugs” movement.
State officials are granted a form of harassment power against what they believe is a root cause for drug addiction. Officials have threatened to revoke the licenses of doctors & pharmacists causing them to resort to pain management specialists and/or nor prescribing or filling medications.
It stems from a very real problem in the United States with drug dealers & drug addicts selling or trading prescription medication. Perhaps our pharmaceutical companies should stop crafting newer more addictive pills for every generation?
To the pharmacist who wrote: “you people make me sick” you’re the one who desperately needs to take a pill, ‘cos your mindset is riddled with sickness, and you should pray that you’ll NEVER be in need of medication designed to bring you relief and allow you comfort while recovering from an accident or illness that, God forbid, may befall you. I trust, by way of your supreme command of superiority over the fallen wounded of the world, will grant you exemption from ever finding yourself in need of medication, and I might add, we all do age. So by all means bask in the light of your self appointed power, but keep in mind you are not impervious to human suffering, and you might like to reflect back on your in-humane text and make amends. I truly believe it would make you feel better about yourself.
I would like to start off by saying that I have been in the medical field for over 12 years and just recently became a Family Nurse Practitioner. I only mention this to support the legitimacy of my statements, as well as to disclose my background knowledge and experience regarding the topic. I ran into a similar situation trying to fill my daughter’s ADHD medication while I was out of town to attend a business convention. The location was only 2 hours north of our normal residence and I took my daughter and one of her friends with me to enjoy the hotel amenities while I attended the conference during the day. I planned on filling her prescription prior to leaving but I ended up running late and figured I would not have a problem filling this medication once we got to our destination considering she has faithfully been on this same medication for 5 years!! Unfortunately, this was NOT the case at all. There are always several obstacles to tackle when it comes to filling this prescription:
FIRST ISSUE:
It is usually difficult to find a pharmacy that has it in stock. I have a friend that is a pharmacist at Walgreens & she has told me that this is due to problems with the distributor, which is apparently an ongoing issue. This in and of itself makes attempting to fill this prescription anything but a pleasant experience.
SECOND ISSUE:
As I have heard in many of the above comments, you are treated as if you are a junkie when you hand the pharmacy this small piece of paper which has been ordered and approved by a doctor! I can guarantee if it were the doctor trying to fill the prescription that they would be treated with dignity & respect!! Not to mention the time, money and energy one has already expended just to obtain the prescription!
THIRD ISSUE:
I do not understand how pharmacists are excluded from the moral obligations that the rest of the medical profession is so rigidly mandated to uphold; to refrain from biased opinions, stereotyping, and making generalized assumptions about patients. I can be dressed in a business suit with a stethoscope around my neck and still experience this type of treatment when I go to fill my daughters prescription!! Now, if I were to treat my patients like this as a nurse, or as a provider, I would have to worry about being sued & charged with patient abandonment &/or harassment!!
According to the American Pharmacist Association (2013) “Pharmacists are health professionals who assist individuals in making the best use of medications”. The Code of Ethics that pharmacists are supposed to abide by can be retrieved from: http://www.pharmacist.com/code-ethics. I do not see anything on this list stating that a pharmacist has the right to make their own clinical decision regarding the patient’s need for the medication they are attempting to fill simply by observing the patient for the brief moment that they are standing in the “drop off” lane. If this were the case then what is the need for the doctor’s visit in the first place?? I mean if pharmacists have some superficial power to make a clinical diagnosis by “simply looking at an individual for 3 seconds”, which would obviously mean they possess some form of supernatural, psychic ability, unknown by all other medical providers that have spent years in training to fine tune this skill, then PLEASE, by all means, let’s get these extremely talented individuals that have been granted a gift beyond the limitations of humanity to determine these complexed medical decisions!! Why don’t we put them to work as a means to solve the shortage that is about to hit the medical field?? …………… I hope my sarcasm is apparent!! My point is that an array of information is gathered, including a thorough patient history and physical assessment, in order to arrive at such a medical decision. I thought this was common sense, but apparently there are some individuals out there that are confused as to what their role is and need a little more detailed description. This process, is mandated by law, to be determined by a skilled and competent provider that possesses the required amount of medical & academic knowledge, as well as clinical expertise in order to make these type of clinical decisions. THIS IS NOT THE ROLE OF A PHARMACIST!!! They dispense medications that the provider has decided on as the best treatment for that given person. The pharmacists area of expertise is to know the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drug & to determine any contraindications, or drug interactions that could potentially harm the patient by filling the prescribed medication, as well as to educate patients and help them with any concerns they may have (which all of these are also the responsibility of the provider). If the pharmacist wants to refuse to fill the medication based on one of these principles, because they feel it may harm the patient, than this decision is well understood and expected. They should NOT, and do not to my knowledge, have the authority to override a physician’s order for any other reason, unless they are given some reason to believe that the prescription is a fake!
In the situation that I experienced, the pharmacist’s REFUSAL to fill my daughter’s medication placed A CHILD IN HARMS WAY & caused her to be at risk for withdrawals by withholding a prescribed medication that she had taken daily for years, which defeats the sole purpose of the pharmacist, which is to “assist an individual in making the best use of medications”!!!! What really put me over the top with this situation was that the pharmacist’s excuse for refusing to fill it was because I was not a “local resident” although, she could see the long term history of her being prescribed this medication in the computer. She also stated that she MUST verify the script with the doctor’s office and since it was after hours she would not fill it (it was 8pm, not in the middle of the night). So, I put a call into the physician on call at her doctor’s office and asked the on-call physician to please verify the script with the pharmacy. The doctor called while I waited next to the pharmacy window. The pharmacist refused to get on the phone because the doctor on call wasn’t the doctor that actually wrote the script THIS TIME, although she was the doctor that had prescribed it for her in the past MANY, MANY TIMES!!!! I must give credit to the doctor because she REALLY DID put up an argument with them and she filed a complaint of her own without me voicing that I wished she would! She was great!! I got the pharmacist’s name and the management’s information and I will definitely be filing a complaint of my own!! Even if a pharmacist is going to “practice” outside the parameters of their ethical code, there are ways to do it with a bit more class and professionalism! I know everyone makes mistakes and our medical system is far from perfect, but this type of discrimination happens far too often and someone needs regulate the ethical obligations of these pharmacists to prevent them from riding this power trip that they don’t have the clinical authority to navigate!!
I MUST ADD THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF GOOD PHARMACISTS OUT THERE AND I DO NOT WANT MY CRITICISM TO BE GENERALIZED TO ALL PHARMACISTS ACROSS THE BOARD!!! There are bad role models among all professions and my intention here is NOT TO place all pharmacists in this category by any means. It just happens to be that from my experience, the chances of me encountering this type of interaction are quite high and the script is not even for me, which I think reveals the severity of the issue!! I understand that there is a lot of prescription misuse and abuse in Florida and I am all for putting this to an end, but this medication was for a minor and the pharmacist was provided sufficient validation for the supposed concerns, and I still met resistance, and this is not right!
I have run into the same problems with walgreens and i was thinking about switching to cvs, but after reading all your accounts cvs seems just as bad so i don’t know what to do. i take clonazopam for a severe anxiety disorder. i would pass out on regular occasions before i was diagnosed. i suffered through years and years of being undiagnosed. I wasn’t able to live a life or keep a job. I was barely able to leave my house. I couldn’t even connect to other human beings. and to finally find something that makes it a little easier to go out into the world and live a life only to be labeled a drug addict. this is very unfair to those of us who really have these conditions.
drugs have always been and always will be a problem for every society. but those of us who the medications were designed for should be shown more respect. just because you can’t see my injuries doesn’t mean they aren’t there. the only way i can even attempt to be a productive member of society is with medication. and maybe i’ll be on it for the rest of my life. but i’d rather be on it then the alternative.
and for the “pharmacist” who doesn’t believe my condition is real. yeah maybe i won’t die from it today or tomorrow but without the meds i wouldn’t be able to live a productive life either. not to mention severe anxiety causes all kinds of other medical problems if left untreated. but maybe i should wait till i get some of those other medical conditions before I’m taken seriously.
My name is Robert and I am a 60 year old male and have chronic pain to to being injured on the job. In 1996 I injured my lower back and ruptured dic (L4 & L5) and needed emergency surgery. I had all the best of emergency care and doctors that they are in the Torrance, California area. After my surgery Dr. Came in to the recovery room and advise me that I had major damage to the S1 nerve and would probably have chronic pain all my life. I have been seeing a pain management doctor once a month From the time of my surgery until today. My pain Dr. and myself have experimented with different types of medication to try and find the best combination so my quality of life would be better with the right medication. For years I never had a problem getting my prescriptions filled and then for some reason when all the celebrities started overdosing and dying on the so called “prescription drugs” abuse and the news media reporting this over and over until everyone got sick of hearing it, then everyone must be abusing that type of medications. CVS is the worst pharmacy for this type of treatment. I have been treated like a drug addict, have been told that the pharmacist is unable to order the medication that I need and the one I hear a lot from the pharmacist is that they are not allowed to fill type of drug. CVS in Santa Monica told me that they were not allowed fill my pain medication because they didn’t even carry Oxycontin and the pharmacist said he would not fill it even if he had it in stock. I waited until later that night and called the same pharmacy on the phone and told them I have a prescription from an emergency room for Oxycontin and wanted to call first and see if they had that medication in stock and could fill it for me. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS IN STOCK and to bring the prescription in to fill it.
My pain medication Dr. Is very strict with this prescriptions want some months I have to take a drug test per his protocol and that shows that I’m taking the medication not trying to sell it. The Doctor and I make sure that I always take only one is prescribed for me to take each month no more.
My doctor and I do everything by the book and everything including pain we have been able to keep in check for years. Now my pain on a scale of 1-10 is always between a 4 and 7 when I have taken my pain medication. No matter what my pain is never under a 4 on that pain scale.
I do resent the way that I get treated by the pharmacist when I tried to get my prescriptions filled. When they treat me like a criminal the one thing these so called outstanding citizens don’t know about me is that before I was injured on the job now I am completely disabled, I started out working at 18 years old in emergency medicine (and latter a paramedic), then spent the rest of my work career in the south bay area as a law enforcement officer/paramedic until I was injured on duty. I will not stand by the side that pharmacies or pharmacist treat us the way they do. If anyone has any ideas (I’m working on a few myself) please write them down because I will be checking back on this form.
First I will start out by saying I am a CVS pharmacist. Reading these comments made me both very surprised by some of the stories of the actions of the pharmacists (throwing away the presciption?!?!?) and also want to explain why things are so difficult for some of you. It is true, due to the overwhelming amount of “customers” that we catch doctor shopping, calling in fake controlled prescriptions, or pharmacy shopping, there is definately a certain weariness that we have when we take your prescription and see it is for 120 tablets Oxycotin and 240 tablets Oxycodone. However, that does not deserve an immediate dissmisal or denial. If you had a legitimate patient-doctor relationship, and had been getting the same pain medications for a while at our pharmacy, never tried to pay cash for it early, ect. and of course it is a valid prescription with the required information, as many of you described in your comments, I personally would feel comfortable with filling the prescription. The key here, really, is to take into account the patient’s history, as well as any “red flags.” I feel sorry that people such as the above comments have been denied simply on the grounds that is a CII narcotic. What is unfortunate is that while some people give you “the vibe” of an abuser (new customer, wants to pay cash, wants to wait and watches you the entire time while you fill it, ect). there are people who want it for illegitamate purposes and you never would have guessed, and therefore many pharmacists tend to issue blanket decisions on such prescriptions. A large reason why so many of you have to jump through so many hoops is because of both recent developments with narcotic abuse and how the DEA handles these developments. As someone pointed out in the above posts, it is often only the pharmacist that pays the price for filling a “bad” script. The recent situation with a couple of the CVS’s in Florida (the pharmacists were filling ungodly amounts of narcotics, a huge percent of them being out of state prescriptions) has lead CVS and even Walgreens to readjust their policy on filling CII’s. There are several stories from posts above that I do not understand why they happened, because even with these tightened regulations, it still doesn’t mean I wouldn’t fill your prescription. Rather, I would just call the doctor to address any questions or concerns I would have, and I would definately take into account your profile history if you had filled with us before. Sorry that things are so difficult and some of you have definately been mistreated, but the DEA has definately instilled a fear in us to fill any control that we are uncertain about. I worked way too hard for 6 years of my life to get my degree to get it taken away because of one prescription, so we just have to be really careful and often air on the side of caution.
I came across this thread…what a relief to know I’m not the only one. I’ve got chronic back pain from multiple trauma and degenerative disk disease and have been on narcotics for slightly over 8 years. I take methadone and MS for pain and, needless to say, by now take large amounts of both. I haven’t increased in several years because of difficulties getting prescriptions filled. I say “difficulties,” but especially since the beginning of 2012 it has become increasingly more difficult to get these prescriptions filled. I have been lied to and have been presented with more and more hoops to jump through to get filled. Now CVS has limited me to 180 MS 30 mg per month; I take twice that. I have been lied to and treated rudely by pharmacist after pharmacist at Walgreen’s, CVS, Basha’s (a local grocery outfit in AZ) and Fry’s (another local grocery outfit). I have asked multiple pharmacists to just tell me that they refuse to fill these prescriptions, but they won’t, no doubt for legal reasons. I look like a normal person, I work, I’m 56, have never been in trouble, and I’m so tired of being treated like a criminal. I have faithfully tried nearly all methods of dealing with pain and narcotics just work the best with fewer side effects and less expense. So that will be taken away from me now, and I will be incapacitated most days by pain and lose my job and my house, because some judgmental, moralistic, cowardly, lying pharmacist(s) think(s) I’m sleazy.
What can we do about this?
I would like to respond to a post dated it May 26, 2013 from A. I really wish more pharmacist would stop and think the way you do about filling opiate medications without shooting off their mouth first. It is so simple as in my case, I had been getting my pain medication filled at that same CVS for years without a problem. Then that one pharmacist who was the new to the location, filled my prescriptions four or five times prior to refusing to fill any more. I’m not going into the whole story again but if you would like to read it, I posted it above on May 20. I just wanted to thank A for his comments of reason. I have filed a complaint against that pharmacist with the state of California pharmacy board.
To the so called pharmacist with the subject line that reads, “you make me sick”…. I find your reply disgusting! YOU make me sick! What kind of pharmacist do you think you are that you can judge people the way that you do? I hope that your “customers” read your “opinions” and find out who you are and cease business with your company. I would NEVER associate OR spend my money at your business!
The problem with this world today if you ask me is “EVERYBODY NEEDS TO MIND THEIR BUSINESS” JESUS!
I need to find a Pharmacy that can and will legally fill C-2 prescriptions for me and ship or send my mail to Florida. I am a legal Florida resident and have been a chronic pain patient for 20 years. I have trouble filling 2 prescriptions. I have trouble filling M/S Contin (Generic Morphine Sulfate 200 ER actually) quantity 56 per month. The other is Dilaudid 8mg Brand medically necessary quantity 200 per month. I can barely get my other prescriptions filled and have to get 3 sizes of Morphine because of insurance quantity limits, and 2 sizes of Dilaudid same reason. I have one of the best pain Doctors on the world and have been with hime for over 12 years. I was using a pharmacy “South Miami Pharmacy” for 12 years but they got in some kind of trouble not related to C-II’s and won’t fill them anymore. I live in Stuart and have traveled to Miami once a month for last 12 years. The Pain Clinics in Stuart are jokes or pill mills. My Pain Doctor is a specialist in difficult chronic Pain Management and also a Addictionologist. he knows the difference between drug seekers, junkies and chronic pain Patients. Can anyone please help me? I had as good a life as possible till 2 years ago. Now my life is miserable and i am barely hanging on. Can anyone help. The stress from this and pain is truly killing this 51 year old Grandfather with injuries so bad I’m lucky to have lived at all and still be alive. Have never been in trouble and won’t use illegal or non prescription pharmacies! HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!! I don’t mind paying Fed-ex both ways!
I have a question. Story is, I went to Costco today to fill my prescription for vicodin. this was a new prescription, the prior had been filled 4 times, I saw my Doctor on Monday and she gave me the new prescription. There was no problem, getting it filled, other than the fact that a pharmacy tech, said “DEA rules make us have to see your Driver’s license”. For the past 6 months no ID has been requested. They not only wanted to see the license, they made a copy of it for their files.
Is it a DEA requirement that the pharmacy see my license and make a copy of it? I am looking for that rule and I can’t find. As a strict adherent to the Bill of Rights, I have a problem with someone filing my personal information.
I am a Registered Pharmacy Technician. I recently attended a Law conference with The Florida Board of Pharmacy. There are many the Laws the pharmacies must follow. The DEA has made rules for Pharmacies to prevent Fraud, Waste and Abuse. They have made guidelines that the Pharmacist must follow. Gone are the days when filling RX’s was between the Doctor, Pharmacist and patient. We need to follow Federal Law, State Law, DEA Law. The Pharmacists have gone to University for 6 or more years and paid dearly in order to be Licenced. If they loose their license, they can no longer practise. They have to go study another field. The patient and the Doctor carries on merily with their lives. Who is right? Is it fair to just pick on the Pharmacist? Do patients really need to be on Narcotics for 8 years? Are the Doctors doing the right thing by the patient by continually writing more and more Narcotics? GIVE THE PHARMACIST A BREAK!!!!
I don’t have the problem of narcotic prescription refusal. I cannot find Opana ER tablets. Nobody keeps them in stock, so I have to pharmacy shop. I think that the different pharmacies see that I go to different places to get my prescription refilled and they give me the evil eye. What is going on with that? Not my fault nobody has it in stock,even when I got it filled at one store, they don’t keep it for the next time. So here I am looking for it again. Does anybody know why they don’t keep in stock, or are they lying to me to?
Hey, the pharmacy can kiss it where the sun don’t shine. You are stereotyping your customers and bottom line is it’s profiling which is illegal and punishable by law. We’ve had enough of your bs, if we are all drug seeking then prove it already and convince us. Oh that’s right, you can’t because you have no evidence to back up all your loyal customers being drug addicts and all their family/pain management doctors being mills. It’s pretty obvious when someone has a full blown narcotic addiction, you would think a pharmacist would know that, but these chains will hire anyone with a high school diploma. Go get educated and stop being paranoid and judgemental or soon you’ll be out of a job. Have a nice day 🙂
Convict us**
By the way, I appreciate a pharmacist like you A, you are doing your job yet protecting yourself and I respect your position, honesty, and compassion. My post was directed at some of the pharmacists who have already put us down on this thread without knowing our stories, our history, or our conditions.
I too am unable to get opana er 20 mg script filled. Have been taking for a couple of years. CVS will not stock it for me, the same CVS I have used for 8 years. I have phoned pharmacies over an hour drive away from my home. My CVS pharmacist said if you phone, they will tell you they don’t have it, and to drive to each pharmacy. Being disabled, driving hurts me more physically. Not to metion the time and money for gas… I have read that stopping opana cold turkey could cause heart problems and is dangerous. I am at a loss as to what to do. Opana is the first med that has helped my severe pain. I can at least sleep 6/7 hours, instead of waking up in severe pain after 3/4 hours. Come afternoon, I need to take break thru pain med (generic roxicet these last 2 months). I am leaving the state in a few days and do not have my opana er. Will I be able to fill out of state?!
I’ve had a life altering injury that’s forced me to have cervical fusion and I am still in need of multiple levels done in my neck. I fight chronic pain and migraines every single day. I also got MRSA from the hospital where I had my fusion. I’ve been running into these same problems, like everyone else, and today I found out that there are a “select few”, the “elite” that are still able to get their pain medications filled. I am not able to get out of bed without my pain medication, and have been turned away from Walgreens (and others too!) where I’ve been going ever since my injury over 7yrs ago; I was told by the same pharmacist that helped me each and every month for many years that he could no longer fill my medications-nothing. It was out of nowhere and because of him/Walgreens denying me my medicine, I felt as though I did something wrong, even though I hadn’t. I was told “that it was not me or my doctor, that Walgreens would not ever be able to fill anything for me ever again!”.. I cried in disbelief! Here this injury has stolen my quality of life and now the ONLY thing helping me be able to get out of bed is taken away. I can not find anyone that will help me and fill my medication. If I’m having these problems, what about others too? How is it the “elite” can get theirs filled & yet everyone else with real ligit problems have to suffer? There is power in numbers, elite or not, and we ALL need to take a stand & be heard! This is NOT right and the pharmacies whom once needed all of our scripts for their well-being of their company has now turned their backs on us. There has to be something we can do. Does anyone know of a way to fight this? I wish we would all be able to withdraw any and all other medications from these very pharmacies; I’m 100% certain then, and probably only then, will those pharmacies stand up for us against the dea or whomever is giving them the say to not fill our medications. Everyone should fill by Canadian Pharmacy, as much of their medications as possible, and then they’d listen; for they’d have to because we’d hit ’em where it counts-in their finances. Something has to give! And it’s not right it’s all of us suffering.
To Moronsoni, Your name is correct, you are a complete moron, who someday will be in such excrutiating pain that you want to die, and all that will be left is aspirin for you. And there is not one person who will feel a damn thing for you. All we have to do is sit back and wait for that day. It could be the day you are burning in hell. Who the hell are you to judge anybody? Your a nobody. Hope you have a great day.
To the pharmacist “makes me sick”! The only way you would ever understand severe, chronic pain, without meds, is if you end up with that pain yourself. KARMA will get you some day for being a mean, unempathetic human being. I’m hoping you will feel this pain…
It is so annoying when you go to a pharmacy like Walmart in Mentor Ohio and this young Pharmacist man gives me problems every time I go there! I am sick of it! I have several things wrong with me such as 3 herniated disk a torn meniscus in my left knee and chronic pain, I am in Pain Management and have to see my doctor every month get a urine test every month as P M rules and pay to see my doctor that is expensive, & when I go there every month this smart ass young punk pharmacist gives me a problem! I have been on the same meds for 4 years, He even said once to me that I was a drug addict and people like me make him sick! I have never been treated so rude in all my life! This Pharmacist needs to go! How can Walmart hire people like that! I take Percocet 10/325 qty 150 and 60 soma for 30 day supply, I cant even stand in the store to get my meds and then when I do they take forever to fill them! I wish these pharmacist would one time feel the pain we all have, Then maybe they would treat us all different! We are not Drug addicts, We are patients who are coming to get medication from a doctor that has examined us and have been through MRI s have had nerve injections every six months! I just don’t get it, The News Media has a lot to do with I think Pharmacist who act like this, They get scared but if they did there job and treated everyone with respect and compassion there would be no bad pharmacist. I know there are a lot of people who scam and try to get narcotics illegally But they have to understand that not everyone is that way! Were just trying to live a pain free life! Its bad enough we have to suffer and then have to go to the Dr who treats you then you go to the Pharmacy and you get treated like a Heroin addict off the street! Walmart in Mentor needs to fire this young jerk Pharmacist! I will never go there again. I hope that He gets treated one day like he treats others!
Thank You Pain Management For making my life less Painful~
Being as its late, I am not going to get into multiple trauma surgeries or being “bolted togather” etc. I started receiving this treatment recently from a Western Wa. Costco
I’ll be brief: Who’s the attorney?? I have no crim rec. x LE and I know discrimination, bias & unfair treatment when I see it. To the whinning pharmacist: Thanks for your professional un-ethical opinion, I will make sure I save it for future ref..
Here’s a pharmacist’s blog, interesting to say the least
http://www.jimplagakis.com/?p=6340
To the pharmacist who wrote: “you people make me sick”, Reminds me of “The Salem Witch Hunts” You appear to be on a power trip and appoint yourself Judge Jury and Executioner. I have never read a more compelling reason that your license should be suspended or revoked.
My mother in law (86 years old) has had 2 hip replacements and 2 knee replacements, For all 4 procedures she was prescribed Oxycontin for pain management. Based on your narrow minded standards she must be a Narcotic Drug Abuser. You are one sick puppy.
I should say you have my sympathy, After all, Mental Illness is a Disease, But you will get No Sympathy from me…
I’m sorry pharmacists, but you clearly have No idea of what CRPS / RSD is I have suffered
From chronic burning neuropathic intractable pain for over 17years!! I have tried every med there is which didn’t work or I had terrible side effects. I have has 7 surgeries, I have a Spinal Cord Stimulator implanted in m neck to help with the pain. I consider myself lucky that with low doses of pain meds plus my spinal cord stim, I can function pretty well and continue to work. I get really upset at being labeled, I am Not addicted, however I am defendant I can no just stop . It’s dangerous to just stop not to mention horrible withdraws I mean who in there right mind wouldn’t be upset at a pharmacist who says they won’t fill it. My dr is at a very respectable hospital in NYC and I love in Nj, all of a sudden they don’t want to fill it. I have been with the same pharmacy , same dr., same dose of meds! What do u do?? It makes me panic! I have to keep my job I need to be able to function! And YES to the pharmacist who asked do you need pain meds for 8 years. I have been on them for 17years!! And Yes because the burning horrific nerve pain will not stop, I have an in curable disorder, look up rsd / CRPS , you are NOT a Dr.!! I’m sorry but stop trying to be one. This is a terrible growing problem that truest saddens me.
Patients who suffer from chronic pain such as myself need to take some kind of action! There are many people who do not know what we go through each month to get pain medication. Most find out only when they are in need of a narcodic themselves. Somehow the people that depend of these medications must band together and pray that someone finally listens who has some compassion!
We should not be expected to run all over the plact to find someone who has our medication or will admit to having it so we can fill our perscriptions. We certainly should not have to do without even for one day!
It seems that the problem of the wrong people ending up with these narcodic mediations by way of forged scripts or pill mills and other methods of diversion were let go far too long. Now in an attempt to curb the problem it is the people who actually need these mediations that are paying the price by being unable to find or get the mediations that in many cases they have been using for long periods of time in an attempt to ease their pain!
Someone suggested that physicians should not write these medications for long periods of time. Do they not understand that all issues are not solved by surgery? Do they not know that sometimes surgery makes things worse? Do they not know that sometimes it is too dangerous to do a surgery or repeat a surgery? I am completely appauled at the knowledge of this supposed pharmacist!
Being a chronic pain sufferer now means much more than having to deal with pain. It means one can no longer visit with their family or friends for more than a few weeks because they will run out of medication and have to return home before that happens! They must plan the get-away around their monthly medication cycles. Even worse, when trying to make plans to go away one can not count on being able to obtain their medications before they leave and therefore can not leave as planned because they must obtain these mediations before they can leave! This can cause cancelations without refunds on airline reservations which in turn can cost them their planned trip!
These medical problems have caused many of us our jobs, friends, and many of the things in life that we use to love but can no longer do! Now it is robbing us of the little that we have left!
My son is to be married this Saturday and I was to leave first thing in the morning to spend some time with one of my daughters and go to my sons wedding! I am sitting here in tears this evening after going to atleast a dozen CVS pharmacy’s and finally having to give up because I was in too much pain to continue. To make it worse I have no
50/mic fentanyl patches to help with the pain because I was unable to find them. We are made to wait till we are out and then when we can not find any .. we are made to do without. Just a couple of months ago, I was out for 2 weeks before finding any.
I was once a flight attendant; I gladly drug tested at random! Then, in an attempt to fix a herniated disc, I had a cervical fusion which left me worse off than when I started. Unfortunately after continued pain, they found the screws were broken. Nothing more could be done as Dr.s fear they will leave me a quadraplegic. Then my lower back with pain going down my legs has left me barely able to get around. Then add to that the broken foot!
I am sitting here wondering why it is that I continue to endure the pain that I do! When there is nothing left that brings pleasure and your life is filled with nothing but doctors, pain, and obsticles … it seems that it is time to move on! I am sorry and I am sorry for everyone else who is in these same shoes!
RE: you people make me sick
May 15th, 2013 at 11:50 pm
This obviously isn’t actually a pharmacist, you guys. A pharmacist wouldn’t have gotten through school and any board certification while denying the outright existence of basic medical conditions (e.g. ADD), and they’d certainly know how to spell the names of common drugs (e.g. Oxycontin, which the person ironically claims to know all about). The story this person paints you of receiving offers for sex favors all day long is so ridiculous it’s funny.
Your physical and emotional pain is real enough as it is, please don’t be fooled into thinking this specific person is someone who has power over anyone.
If you really are a pharmacist, (which I doubt)your day will come. My hope is that you are suffering with extreme pain and you get a pharmacist just like you are. That will be poetic justice.
For everyone else, we must fight this in any way possible. We don’t deserve to be treated like this. Our physicians don’t deserve to have t0 be afraid to write necessary prescriptions, and an uppity pharmacist has no right to override a doctor’s valid prescription.
The DEA and the FDA are in this together and we must band together to let our government know that we will not be treated as criminals because we suffer disabling pain.
As a newcomer in a northern state. I found a reputable doctor to prescribe me my medications that i have been on for 7 years now. Norcos and clonazepam, along with anti infflamitory medications and an anti depressant. I have several herniated discs, DDD, and Spondylosis. And of course after months of being a repeat customer, i was turned down on my pain medication. But nothing else was an issue. weird isnt it.
Not surprisingly that day, i met a new pharmacist, and she had the evil eye on me from when i walked in with my limp. I dropped off my meds, and used the restroom. As i walked into the restroom i head whispering, and the words “look her name up in the system before we fill”… that should have been my red flag.
On top of that i just had my regular bloodwork done. So i had a band aid on my arm, and perhaps she thought i was injecting somthing…..
I heard nothing unitil it was time to pick up and pay up. Then after i swiped my card, she told me the pain medication is TOO EARLY…..hmm
Then she said i had to wait until tommorow. And then she gave me a speech about the DEA and how they are watching her and the other pharmacists. How 2 days early is legal, not 3….but it had been 2 days. exactly. Funny thing is, i called the board of pharmacy, they never heard of such ridiculous lies, and i was told that she lied to me, and that there is no law or regulation that exsists about this. My insurance, had no problem filling either. So it was all her. I took the time off work to go to my doctors office, and everything. But i knew she was judging me. And why would she fill other narcotics and not this one?
I reported her. I hope she is fired. I will never go to a rite aid again.