THE PHARMACISTS PARADOX

The more I read,

the angrier I get.

When did a pharmacist get the power to override or even question a doctors choice of medications? 

The ones at Walgreen's do.

All it takes is an 80 million dollar fine for violating the rules on dispensing controlled substances and now a Walgreen's pharmacist can call your doctor and question him/her on your diagnosis and if prescribing a controlled substance is actually what they should be prescribing.

Oh, also, they can question how long you need to be on it.

According to an article in "The National Pain Report,"  there are red flags that can prompt a call to your doctor and, possibly, your prescription being denied. Some of those red flags I can understand. If you're seeking an excessive amount of pills or a multiple doctors prescribing the medication it makes sense that the pharmacist could exercise some caution. When you're on the prescribed medication more than six months, well, that isn't a flag. Chronic pain sufferers are just that. Chronic. What about cancer patients?

Don't even get me started.

Walgreen's calls it their "Good Faith Dispensing Policy" checklist. 

Here are some of the points the pharmacist is to go over with the physician.

• the diagnosis
• expected length of treatment
• use of alternative or lesser medications for pain control
• the regimen is within the standard of care
• date of last pain assessment

I understand abuse and addiction. I've seen what it can do to lives. I think pharmacists have a duty to be observant and cautious. Doctor shopping for pills, filling prescriptions early tend to signal there is a problem. Not always but, in most cases, I would agree that using caution is prudent. Having said that I think it's absolutely ridiculous for Walgreen's to have the ability to override a physician. I wouldn't fill a prescription at Walgreen's anymore. I have nothing to hide but when they start questioning chronic pain, I draw the line. When I need my prescriptions filled it isn't for fun. A few days or weeks without them mean I'm in a great deal of pain.  

Pain that a couple of Tylenol won't touch.

Oh, another little tidbit..........

If you go to Walgreen's and your prescription is denied?

That denial is entered into your profile.

It's seen by all of the Walgreen's Pharmacies (more than 8300).

It also notifies the DEA that your prescription has been denied and they must justify the reason.

However, if YOU want to know why????

Good luck.

I can't be sure but click here for the link to a possible copy of the checklist.

THE REVERSE WAR ON DRUGS

The war on drugs. 

It sounds good. 

Countless lives have been ruined because of them.

But, as usual, things go awry.

It's very irritating to me when I hear that in order to get a prescription at some of the chain pharmacies you have to go through some song and dance and convince the pharmacist that you actually need them. 

Oh, and I'm not talking about the patient.

I'm talking about the doctor.

It's ridiculous when the pharmacists puts your doctor through an interrogation. They want to know if they've tried every other remedy before prescribing opiates. This is absolutely unbelievable to me. When can a pharmacist override the doctor? Who went to medical school??

Well, it seems it's happening every day.

I understand that there are pill mills out there. It should be fairly easy to catch the ones who doctor shop and refill scrips from different doctors at different pharmacies. I will agree that they are abused, HOWEVER, why do we have to start living our lives from the position of the abuser? When is the pharmacy allowed to use CYA (cover your a**) as a legitimate tool for dispensing prescriptions given to you by a doctor? 

I will agree that people need to be conscientious and responsible. You don't leave them about when you have children in the home. You need to understand their power but that doesn't mean that the people who are responsible and need them to actually function on a daily basis need to be looked at as some kind of addict. 

Pain is debilitating. 

I also understand overdose but if it can be caught before it's irreversible why isn't naloxone being used more? Naloxone reverses the effects of the opioid and could save thousands of lives due to accidental overdose.  Addiction is a whole other animal and unless the root problem is dealt with all the naloxone in the world won't help. 

It just sounds like anyone who uses opiates is automatically labeled an addict.

That is SO wrong.

Where is the balance?

As usual, when it comes to legislation...

Common sense and balance are missing.

HELGA'S HOUSE OF PAIN

I don't think my doctor believed me.

He does now.

Pain management is a funny thing. Obviously, you have issues otherwise you wouldn't be there. If you don't have much pain you don't need medication. If you have too much pain you're probably neurotic.

I must have fallen somewhere between the two.

He has been pressuring me to get a discogram for over a year. I gave him the report from an MRI but that wasn't good enough. What is it? They don't like reports other doctors get....they want to see for themselves.

OK, so I finally gave in. 

I TOLD him I was terrified. 

And I told him why.

I know what disks are bad. I researched the discogram and the more I read the more terrified I became. You can't be totally out because they need the feedback from you about the level of pain. If you're disks are bad you're in for a rough ride.

So...........

They give you a mild sedative. They put on the fluoroscope and put a few needles out there to numb the area.

It didn't work.

When they put the first needle in, I can tell you that I have NEVER had that kind of pain in my life. I went through 28 hours of labor and that was a walk in the park compared to this. Let me say, as I've said in posts before, I can take a great deal of pain. I've had stitches without Novocaine in my forehead and didn't move a muscle.....and I was 6 years old. I have sprains and breaks and got through it by almost having an out of body experience and talked myself out of the pain.

That's whats so weird. I can do it with some types of pain. 

Anyway, that first needle hit and I grabbed the table and screamed. Literally screamed. I was crying and screaming and endured that through 5 disks that he examined. It was the most painful thing I've ever been through. 

And that doesn't even adequately describe it.

There truly are no words.

So I've spend the last week getting through the flare that the test has brought. It's raining again so between the test and the weather I've just been a peach. 

The one good thing?

The lady that came after me came in and her face was WHITE. She was devoid of color...trust me on that one.....

Her words to the doctor?

"Oh dear God, please don't do to me what you did to that other lady."

I went home before she started screaming.

I think he finally believes me.

And I don't think he'll ask me to repeat the test.

IT REALLY TICKS ME OFF....BIG TIME

Unbelievable.

It reinforces my belief.

A lot of doctors suck.

Big time.

Okay.....I have health issues. I know that. Heck, everyone knows that. What I expect when I go to a doctor is a little knowledge and conversation and possibly....quite possibly.....a way to fix the problem.

Apparently, that is asking too much.

I've gone to doctors that have refused to name Fibromyalgia on my chart. I've gone to doctors that look at the kind of pain I'm in and give me the "oh, suck it up" look. The last one I went to looked at my skin peeling under my nails and offered the following comment...."well, you do live in the desert." 

No duh.

I've lived here 47 years and I've never had skin peeling from under my nails. I've go alligator skin, thyroid problems and the bimbo says....."you live in the desert??????" WTF????

I go to pain management every month. While I appreciate the fact that pain doctors are incredibly busy, when a doctor walks into your room....takes a look at you and then the chart and WALKS OUT.....well, that is beyond ridiculous. I'm serious. This doctor was not in the room with me for more than 15 seconds.

Do you believe that one??????

I go to another endocrinologist on Monday. I can't wait to find out what this person will do. Although I hope I can be pleasantly surprised.....trust me,  I have just about had enough. What is it with Las Vegas?? If a doctor can't get licensed anywhere else do they all just come here?

Health care has become beyond terrible. What kind of arrogance causes someone to look at you in disdain when they take an oath to "do no harm?" How do they justify spending less than 4 minutes with you and then bill your insurance an exorbitant amount of money? No wonder health care is so expensive....no wonder there is so much fraud.

I'm convinced that Buster gets better care than I do.

That wonderful doctor comes in and talks to Buster. 

Asks how that sweetheart is doing and Buster's tail goes a mile a minute.

If there is medication it's explained what it is for and how to use it.

If there is a problem they want to get to the bottom of it.

And they REALLY LIKE PETS.

Maybe I should go to a veterinarian.

Boo bear......you don't know how lucky you are.