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Posted 10/15/2007 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
 

      Hey gang,

      We've all heard the GI horror stories & the ER nightmares. Recently, I've been reading up on pain management & arthritis treatment. Anyway, I came across a few stories of Pharmacists/ & pharmacist techs setting themselves up into a DEA role. Has anyone EVER experienced anything like this? I've come close a couple of times. Years ago, before my IBD dx, I had a pharmacist make rude comments on my coedeine scripts for back pain. More recently, in 02 a pharmacy cheated me out of 4-6 Lorcet. Not as dramatic as some things, but you get the idea.

    Has it happened to you? When & what did you do about it?

   Inquiring minds et al :-)

    Matthew

Posted 10/15/2007 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
In my province pharmacists have a positive responsibility to monitor narcotic drug scripts through the province's prescription monitoring program. While crohn's patients might legitimately need them, many of the pain meds being abused are wrecking havoc on the street. They are highly addictive and, when there is no underlying pain, apparently they provide a significant high and are highly sought after. As the incidence of usage of these drugs like oxycontin rise so too has the incidence of crime. House invasions, thefts, armed robberies have become issues in communities that traditionally don't see that kind of crime.

So maybe your pharmicist is fulfilling his regulatory responsibilities when he monitors narcotic drug scripts. I can understand that it is annoying, but I'm glad there are monitoring programs to at least try and minimize the abuse of these drugs. Perhaps the next time you feel scrutinized or labelled you can respond in the affirmative. Compliment them for their diligence in monitoring and point out that you have a serious chronic condition that requires pain management in order to function. I suspect if you acknowledge their responsibilities while standing up for your needs it might change the outcome of the exchange for the better
Posted 10/15/2007 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
I had a pharmacist question my doctors assistant once when she was calling in a script for pain meds. This was a few years ago, when you could still call pain meds in. She promptly told the pharmacist off. As in "if you had what she has you would need pain medication too" And then the next time I was in the office she told me about it. I switched pharmacies. But it does make me feel a bit more like a drug seeker sometimes. I wonder, does this pharmacist think badly of me..... that kind of thing. Its a terrible thing for us to have to worry about. We shouldn't have to worry about anything other than trying to get better.
Posted 10/16/2007 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
Matthew-

I work for a pharmacy and I can tell you that pretty much of what bellenstein said is correct. Having said that, If I have the right Matthew, I believe you are the "stone king"? If so, is it possible you have several scripts for pain from different doctors? Also, from your posts I'm assuming you are young and most pharmacist would question your need for continuing scripts for pain medications. Remember, unless you have told them, they do not know your diagnosis. Finally, if you are EVER short on ANY script for meds, talk with the pharmacy manager immediately and if you do not get any satisfaction...report the pharmacy to the state pharmacy board! I regret they you have been treated this way, however, I do feel it is a precaution on the pharmacy's part. Lack of one on one service with your pharmacy is more prevalent in the larger chains also. If you continue to be unsatisfied with your current pharmacy/pharmacist, I would recommend you switch to a local independent pharmacy whereby they get to know your particular needs better and you are not just another buck to them. I know that now that I have put more weight on and don't look like something out of a concentration camp, most people think I am fine and not symptomatic. How untrue that is....I still experience all the lovely pain from time to time and have never know remission. If my boss, the senior pharmacist, did not understand this, he would certainly question my needs for percocet all the time. Since we can't take NSAIDs and I can't tolerate straight Tylenol...this leaves me in a rather quirky situation doesn't it?
Posted 10/16/2007 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
the onlyproblem i ever had was from a dr. my regular dr was busy so they gave me to the rotating one in urgent care. , me 29-30 years old in for a demerol shot couple times aweek there for a while, plus my script for morphine etc... i had left work and had my boss take me in. i had taken a couple of morphs, to try and cut off the pain, but it was to late. . anyhoo, this dr came in and was griiling me for like an hour and i still had not got my shot. i was in agony at the time. right before another surgery and my stricture was pretty narrow. the nurse all knew me and were just as perplexed as me. i usually had my shotin a few minutes of getting there. my dr would cal down and tell them to give me the shot and keep on untill i was ok. so finally the nurse went and got my dr out of his office and he came down and ripped the guy a new one right in front of everybody. saying, that he has a standing order for meds, and you have no right to keep him there in pain because of your views on meds. after that i never had to see a new dr. mine always came down right away. this dr is one of the 2 that i put on my living will. to decide when to pull the plug should the need arise again. itrust him completeley.
Posted 10/16/2007 11:46 AM (GMT 0)
I have just moved to a bigger city Matthew and I have had 2 run ins already with 2 different pharmacists working at the place I chose to go to get meds........

Last week my RX for oxycontin was due both the 40 mg and 10 mg plus my percocets .....well I was treated like a second class citizen not knowing this woman and wondering WHY she had such a dislike or whatever for me ........it was plain for the other tech's to see as well as customers......anyways to make a long story short I spoke up and said "I have no idea what the problem here is BUT if you think I am abusing this med you are way outta line .I brought out my bottle from previous RX and it still had 4 in it so she kinda huffed and blew me off

Yesterday I go and different woman ......this time it is for my ativan for nerves ( RX is 5 days overdue )
When I went in I swear I had a label on my forehead ......I was so ticked off that I finally just told them once my repeats are done next month I will be looking for another pharmacy...........HMMMMMMM.........Quite the change of tune then but I will be talking to the owner as I have never had a problem with him he knows my doctor and knows my history ........
I will not and dont put up with treatment like that from the pharmacy or anywhere else

Yes I know there are those that abuse so this is part of their job BUT to ASSUME I am an abuser and treat me as one just blew me away ya know .......

Okay
Thanks for letting me rant n rave ....lol
Feel better now
Good thread.......
Posted 10/16/2007 12:47 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with the advice to find a pharmacy and stick with that one. It's an awful situation. Not that there is any excuse for being rude, and I can believe it happens because I work in this field and I see the attitudes concerning "drug seekers", but I also know that pharmacis are caught in the middle. The DEA is like the Gestapo and the state board of pharmacy isn't much better. Pharmacists have to worry about their licenses being revoked and we all know people lower down the totem pole who like to think they are the boss. So I think the best advice is to find a pharmacy and go there for all your meds and they will get to know you. It may not be fair but that's the way it is.

This was many years ago before measures were taken to provide confidentiality but I had a pharmacist yell out over the customers at the pharmacy counter "do you realize this is a STEROID"? I was getting a script for dexamethasone rinse for mouth ulcers.
Posted 10/16/2007 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Ive been fairly lucky w/ my pharmacists but I have rarely been on pain killers. When I had back spasms I went to my regular pharmacist w/ a rx and he was like "woah, we prescribe this to really big guys. Please be careful when you are getting up from sitting down etc." I thought that was very responsible of them to just be concerned especially since they knew I didn't take that kind of med normally. My husband however had an issue w/ this same pharmacist similar to root's "steroid" issue. My husband had been prescribed an anti-naseua med but his doctor never told him it wasn't an oral medication. When he went to pick it up the pharmacist was like "oh just a minute I need to get it out of the fridge." So we started to walk away... The pharmacist then yelled over to my husband, do you know how to use a suppository? Have you used on before? I was CRACKING up laughing. First, he had NO idea he was getting suppository, he had NO desire to even use it, AND the pharmacist just broadcast it to the whole place. My husband did not find it very funny. I thought it was great lol. But if it was me, I probably would have been upset too.
Posted 10/16/2007 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
No, I am not young. Not anymore. Never make assumptions. Actually, I was just researching the question for people who need really strong pain relief. I'm not one of them YET..
And while it might be called for in some cases, there is definitely a risk for the patient with a legit rx when some one gets over zealous. It does happen. I read a doctor's account of how he eventually needed a strong pain med & the pharmacist told him " we don't serve junkies here. You want trash like this, go to the Methadone clinic.." It was a legit rx from a well known doctor, with everything nice & proper & legal. Yet he got this. so while you may believe you are doing a service ( & usually are) be aware that mistakes happen. OK?

Matthew
Posted 10/16/2007 3:14 PM (GMT 0)

Matthew said...
(we don't serve junkies here. You want trash like this, go to the Methadone clinic.." )

 That was totally uncalled for.  I don't care if a pharmacist suspects someone'e script isn't legit, there is absolutely no reason to say things like this, and to treat another person so rudely!
Posted 10/16/2007 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
Right before I was diagnosed my family doctor had written me a script for loratab 5's. I was put in the hospital the next day and they discovered my Chrons disease. My GI doctor wrote me a script for loratab 7.5 because the 5's werent working. My pharmacy told me that the insurance wouldn't pay for 2 hydrocodone scripts that close together (which I understand) but then the tech went on to say "Besides, if you have taken that many pills in just a few days, I doubt you really need anymore. Do you know how addictive those things are?" I was so mad that I didnt even know what to begin to say. I know that they must see a lot of people who find ways to get pain pills that don't really need them, but its really frustrating to have someone look down on you for needing pain medication. I used to work in the xray dept at a local hospital and we saw tons of people who would come in acting like they were getting ready to die of pain and there xray tests would come back normal. It was obvious some of them were drug hunters, but I never felt it to be my place to accuse them of it or say anything to them about it. To me, thats something that should be between you and your doctor. Not anybody else.
Posted 10/16/2007 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Malibu05,

I totally get everything you are saying....but I have been to the er before with severe stomach pain, they took xray's and everthing looked fine and nothing showed up, of course they just sent me home, but two days later I went to a different er and they found an abcess.  Now, no one at the first er said anything rude to me or anything but the point i was making is that you can be in a ton of pain and nothing show up on the xray.  That also doesn't mean you are a drug seeker just because nothing shows up, it just means they didn't find it.  although, i'm 100% sure that it does happen the other way too, but again it boils down to people automatically assume that you are just looking for drugs even when you are diagnosed with a legit problem and that can be frustrating.  I always feel stupid asking for something and often don't ask at all even when i should because of these exact problems.  If someone is in pain it should be taken care of, I wouldn't judge anyone knowing the experiences I've been through.

Posted 10/16/2007 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
I would never put up with attitude from a tech like that. I would speak with their boss/pharmacist right away. If the pharmacist wants to have a private conversation to ask me questions, I can accept that, and will tell them the reasons for the pain meds, but the techs have no right to judge you or make comments. I worked in a pharmacy and situations like this were always dealt with in a private and professional manner.
Posted 10/16/2007 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Judy
Well said as per usual

LYN
Posted 10/16/2007 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with many others responses as well ....I was so upset when treated that way the last 2 times at this pharmacy that I nearly blew a gasket right there
BUT then that would have been just as bad as what they had expected me TO BE LIKE IMHO

Yes I am tiny and I had an IV lock in gaping sores all on arms and hands yet I still got this type of TX it really does make you wonder and I am in Ontario where the laws are just now changing especially towards Oxycontin and other scheduled Narcotics ..........

I will still speak with th owner of the pharmacy as HE is aware of all that ails me .......and total history .....
Posted 10/16/2007 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
I bring the bottle into the pharmacy and show them I was shorted 120 pentasa and got them since I was jipped for free
Posted 10/17/2007 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I wanted to do that. But at the time, I never counted pills in an RX. Considering we're all human, that was a mistake on my part. Last week, when I got my new Tramadol script, Walgren's had changed the generic supplier ( or used a different one temporarily) and the pills looked different. I called almost right away! LOL.
As the above account goes though, I'd been appalled by that behavior. And the patient himself was a doctor. He said up until that incident, he had always thought his own patients exaggerated about difficulties with pharmacists.
Personally, I've been sticking to Walgreens lately. Not usually a problem.
But then I'm not on Fetanyl patches, Methadone, Talwin, etc. yet. I know some of us aren't that lucky. Of course, this all boils down to attitudes & assumptions. Which is unfortunate if you are in severe pain. So any more anecdotes?

Matthew
Posted 10/17/2007 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
I am sure there are plenty more out there Matthew maybe more will post today

I am shortly heading to speak with the owner of the pharmacy and see what that will work out as....whether I change or stay is my options..........

I think this is a good thing to talk about in all honesty as it does happen as you said they are Human too

Thanks for posting this
LYN
Posted 10/17/2007 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
I guess I'm pretty lucky. All heck broke loose with my health quite suddenly and I've been going to the same pharmacist since then. Sally know my whole history so she never gives me trouble when I refill my pain meds. I was more scared of addiction then my doctor or pharmacist are, so I think they are pretty comfortable about refilling my scripts.
Posted 10/17/2007 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
A few months ago, my GP wrote prescriptions for Talwin (I think it's a Schedule IV narcotic, which is a lower rating) and hydrocodone at the same time, so I did get questioned for that, but mostly to make sure that I knew it shouldn't be taken together since they're both pain meds. I explained to the pharmacist that the hydrocodone is to control diarrhea so I can leave my home, but the Talwin is for arthritis pain, and yes, I knew not to overlap them. I rarely take the hydrocodone now, just the Talwin, because the Neurontin I take makes the hydrocodone have little-to-none effect. As to diarrhea control, I stay home--a lot.

Tramadol (Ultram) has become a scheduled narcotic in Arkansas this year, though I think the federal law still has it unscheduled. I guess the Arkansas government felt they knew better than the federal. But I think it's buying Sudafed that makes me feel the most paranoid since my daughter has to take it regularly due to allergies. I'm glad regulation has cut down on the meth labs, but what a pain to buy! I probably look guilty just because I'm afraid of someone thinking the wrong thing since we have to buy it weekly. Our local pharmacies are staked out by undercover agents, apparently, since an arrest was written up in the paper recently describing the incident. I am definitely paranoid about going to the pharmacy nowadays, but not just due to overzealous pharmacists.
Posted 10/17/2007 9:10 PM (GMT 0)
I get some strange looks from the pharmacy techs when I fill all my rx's at a time. I think they just don't get it. The pharmacist seems to be nice to me though. it is my Dr that I can't get to prescribe pain meds. I have some strong pain from fibro and my arthritis and I am told to take 2 tylenol. I told the Dr that it does not work one bit and he said that is all I can take.  I feel like he thinks I might be a junkie or something. I just want to feel better and don't care how Nice post though, helps me see others problems etc.... Karen
Posted 10/17/2007 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
rkilcher25,

I understand that many times things are wrong that xrays don't pick up but that it is hard to distinguish between those who are in pain, and those who are seeking drugs. My point was that I don't believe it is my place to pass judgment on which on a patient is because I have no way of knowing that. Nor does a pharmacist or a tech.
Posted 10/18/2007 1:51 AM (GMT 0)

malibu,

no, i got what you were saying, and i appreciate that you are one of the ones who don't judge.  Also, i think it's kind of crazy that someone diagnosed with a diease would get crap from anyone.  If you have something wrong with you, especially if it's already been determined than i'm surprised that people like docs, and pharmacy people would give anyone a hard time...I certainly wouldn't want to be in the position of guessing who is legit and who isn't.  It just sucks that people who are really in pain get a hard time and people who are fine screw it up for us.

Posted 10/18/2007 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, this in no way detracts from the pharmacists & techs that do a great job. Which are the majority. Of course there are many great GIs, etc. It just seems that us people with chronic health issues run into the OTHER kind too often. Must be the Law of Averages or something.
Its a good thing I moved from Arkansas! Actually, I doubt its an issue. Tramadol is a controlled substance here too, but I don't get too much grief from people here..
AS for Sudafed, I'm glad they took it behind the counter, speaking of Ark. Living in Hot Springs, I saw the end results of Meth abuse all too often. It at least cut down the stealing of the meds. Of course, the speed freaks found other ways..
****
But it still blows my mind that someone can see a powerful rx script & instantly assume the person who needs it is a drug abuser. People DO need poweful meds at times, & not just cancer patients.

Matthew
If I ever got the attitude I got from that one those years ago in Florida though, I'd be after the store manager. I wonder if anyone ever gets sued in these cases? I sorta doubt it..
Posted 10/18/2007 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
hmmm I smell a tort and its not cherry lol? Intentional infliction of emotional distress maybe? JaSanne, regarding your daughters sudafed. Have you talked w/ the pharmacist? I know its not necessary but you might be a little less self concious if he knows about her allergies. Also, keep a check on her blood pressure. My dad was using tons of sudafed for allergies and had to get switched to a different RX kind after his BP sky rocketed.
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