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That's it, pretty much. The DEA is revising regs, it seems, on a daily basis , as well. Now, pharmacies are only allowed to have so much pain medication on hand. I think its like 200 pills or so. When those are gone, they can't re order for a month. I just went through this. 3 desperate places couldn't fill my Rx, because their."allotment" was depleted. Thing is, 200 pills? ONE person s Rx could wipe that out. I get 90 a month. 3 per day. I know people who get 180. This leaves a LOT of people without, a d having to wait 3-4 weeks for their meds.
What does this accomplish, I ask? The pharmacies get blamed, but its the DEA doing it. My pharmacist was telling me they end up telling terminal cancer patients away, people who really need these meds, because they are not allowed to keep enough on hand to supply all their patients. . Like I said, ONE persons Rx, can clean them out for a month. Its plumb nuts. Government, in between us and our doctors and other medical professionals... again. And it accomplishes NOTHING to even inconvenience abusers and sellers. It actually helps them. Drives up prices, and more "customers".
My doctor told me, street price for oxy is a dollar per mg. A 20 mg pill, 20 bucks. Our government is just so brilliant in its methodology. Hurt the honest people, make business good for slingers, and drive desperate, hurting people to drugs like heroin, as well.
Yea....makes sense to someone, I guess.
All the pharmacists I'm talking to don't have that small a limit but locked storage is now a problem as they can no longer order #1000 pill bottles like they used to. That's what's been restricted way down so they have to have space for all the small ones not to mention having space for all the other drugs like Tramadol that have to be locked up now. The pharmacies were already tight for space so it's now a dance. Used to be they could transfer between stores as well as do "split-fills" but from what I'm told that's all been stopped with the new laws. You either get it totally filled at that pharmacy, at one time or the remainder of the prescription is nullified.
I'm surprised your pain docs don't have their own pharmacy that you HAVE to use to get all your meds filled at. Might as well get your $$$$ from start to finish...
All the pharmacists I'm talking to don't have that small a limit but locked storage is now a problem as they can no longer order #1000 pill bottles like they used to. That's what's been restricted way down so they have to have space for all the small ones not to mention having space for all the other drugs like Tramadol that have to be locked up now. The pharmacies were already tight for space so it's now a dance. Used to be they could transfer between stores as well as do "split-fills" but from what I'm told that's all been stopped with the new laws. You either get it totally filled at that pharmacy, at one time or the remainder of the prescription is nullified.
I'm surprised your pain docs don't have their own pharmacy that you HAVE to use to get all your meds filled at. Might as well get your $$$$ from start to finish...
If you have to do a split fill, in order to get the remainder you have to go back to the doctor and get another hand written scrip. They also won't finish filling the months supply, till the first partial is gone. , At least that's how this one particular outfit works. I changed pharmacies last month because of the inconvenience of their anal internal regs, going above and beyondthe already draconian DEA requiremts. Pain patients it seems, are co side red criminals just because. . I'm always treated differently. Less courtesy automatic suspicion. I've changed doctors, as well. One who took the time to examine my condition and review the history. So far, its been better.
I'd suggest Sams Club or Costco if you can. I just switched over to Sams and they're treating me very well. They always have the amount I need on hand and don't try and play cop or doctor.
You don't have to be a member of either to use the pharmacy by the way...
I'd suggest Sams Club or Costco if you can. I just switched over to Sams and they're treating me very well. They always have the amount I need on hand and don't try and play cop or doctor.
You don't have to be a member of either to use the pharmacy by the way...
Last time I had to do a split fill, which meant a drive all the way into Reno for the second d scrip, I got curious when I got home and counted the pills. Short by ten pills. 3 days worth. I filled one more scfip there the next month before changing pharmacies. Pissed them off, and counted them right there before I left. It was the full months order this time, and I was short 5 pills.
It was a good thing I checked before I left, otherwise, no way to prove the order was short. Oh, the tech was mad, because I held up the line. Cry me a river. Seems to me someone was skimming. Making some side action, since a 60 mg ms contain at a dollar a mg adds up. I think mlrphine goes for more than oxy as well. Oh....an honest mistake, of course. Two months in a row. It seemed I was always coming up short on those ms contains. I figured maybe a "friend" had scarfed the bottle which may have happened as well. I lock my pain meds up now, but, someone at the pharmacy was skimming to.
I count them before I leave , every time, now. My new pharmacy doesn't get pissy about it either, after I explained why I do it. Been there four months now, not a single issue. It only takes a couple minutes to check. Doesn't bother me if someone has to wait a bit longer in line.
Last time I had to do a split fill, which meant a drive all the way into Reno for the second d scrip, I got curious when I got home and counted the pills. Short by ten pills. 3 days worth. I filled one more scfip there the next month before changing pharmacies. Pissed them off, and counted them right there before I left. It was the full months order this time, and I was short 5 pills.
It was a good thing I checked before I left, otherwise, no way to prove the order was short. Oh, the tech was mad, because I held up the line. Cry me a river. Seems to me someone was skimming. Making some side action, since a 60 mg ms contain at a dollar a mg adds up. I think mlrphine goes for more than oxy as well. Oh....an honest mistake, of course. Two months in a row. It seemed I was always coming up short on those ms contains. I figured maybe a "friend" had scarfed the bottle which may have happened as well. I lock my pain meds up now, but, someone at the pharmacy was skimming to.
I count them before I leave , every time, now. My new pharmacy doesn't get pissy about it either, after I explained why I do it. Been there four months now, not a single issue. It only takes a couple minutes to check. Doesn't bother me if someone has to wait a bit longer in line.
I would make a call to the DEA and the Pharmacy board ASAP. I can tell you from experience they will be on that pharmacy like stink on poop.
It will trigger an audit of their books vs actual pill count and most likely some interviews with Federal agents. Hopefully they will find the person skimming and that will be that. I'm reminded of a Pharmacy Tech at our local Walgreens who was caught with a smock pocket FULL of Oxycontin. Something along the lines of 1000 pills. Nobody could figure out how she'd gotten away with such things for months but she did. Now she's sitting in Federal custody.
Since it happened more than once for the same pill/person I'd say skimming was going on. Once is an error although not good it does happen. More than once for the same highly restricted pill is no mistake. Since we, as patients, are being held to this "high scrutiny" I think it's only fair to hold the Pharmacy to the same, or at the very least hold them to the laws as written.
Are the pills all counted out for each prescription then instead of coming in pre-filled bottles or blister packs?
Narcotics are always double hand counted, at least at any pharmacy I've ever been around.
Even if they were dispensed by an automated system they'd be hand counted a second time.
Narcotics are always double hand counted, at least at any pharmacy I've ever been around.
Even if they were dispensed by an automated system they'd be hand counted a second time.
Strange, they always come in pre-filled sealed bottles or blister packs here, as packed by the manufacturer. Hand counting just seems like giving way too much room for error or skimming, doesn't seem like a very sensible system to me, no wonder there's problems. I've never experienced a pharmacy refuse to hand over a prescription or only give part of it, its not up to them to make decisions about it, its up to the prescribing doctor which is exactly the way it should be.
Strange, they always come in pre-filled sealed bottles or blister packs here, as packed by the manufacturer. Hand counting just seems like giving way too much room for error or skimming, doesn't seem like a very sensible system to me, no wonder there's problems. I've never experienced a pharmacy refuse to hand over a prescription or only give part of it, its not up to them to make decisions about it, its up to the prescribing doctor which is exactly the way it should be.
I've been saying that for years. Unfortunately, here, the government and others seem to think they have a right to override the doctors.
I've been saying that for years. Unfortunately, here, the government and others seem to think they have a right to override the doctors.
Ridiculous, hopefully that can change.
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Hurt the honest people, make business good for slingers, and drive desperate, hurting people to drugs like heroin, as well. 
Might as well get your $$$$ from start to finish...
Nobody could figure out how she'd gotten away with such things for months but she did. Now she's sitting in Federal custody.
