Thursday, March 12, 2009 Thinxminx asks

Q: With Holding Pain Med's..Is this legal?

Today my husband went down to pick up my pain medicine, which BTW is Non-Narcotic, for the record. He was told by the pharimist that he could not pick them up for another 2 days, due in part to a message that was left in my record it states that since I chonicly pick up my pain medicine early 'they' will no longer allow us to pick them up any earlier then 30 days, even if the Ins. has 'ok.'d' them and will pay. This is a pharmacy decision not the Ins. companys. I have only been picking them a day or 2 early after I had spoke with one of the pharmists a couple of months ago and he said 'Well since your Dr. has you taking them one to two pills at a time, you know you can pick them up after the 28 days has passed and your ins. will cover it, so as you won't run out again". I thought ok great and I did and have been picking them up on the 28 or 29 day, usually have a few left but knowing I have some for the weekend has always been a relief till now. I am afraid I have been Labeled! My worst fear....grr. Anyone have any suggestions? Would love to hear what I can do about this. Is this legal?

Thanks for listening

Be Well

ThinxMinx

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Answers (5)

Lene Andersen, Health Guide

3/16/09 11:56am

If your doctor has given you a prescription that reflects the new instructions, I'm pretty sure this isn't legal. You may want to give your doctor call to tell them about the situation - your doctor should be able to clarify it with the pharmacy so they stop this nonsense.

One of our users is a pharmacist - I'll try to contact her for more details.

Ellen Galo

3/13/09 12:00pm

I haven't - I can usually pick up meds up to several days early (maybe 5?)

If you have a choice of pharmacies, they will often advertise helping you to switch your prescriptions over to them, if you have a problem with this one. Or perhaps your doctor's office could call and say this is inappropriate/

Jamie

3/16/09 8:53pm

Hi Thinxminx,

My name is Jamie and I am a pharmacist. No, it is absolutely not legal for the pharmacy to withhold your pain medications. Insurance companies are the ones who set the date on when it can be refilled and picked by their subscriber. The pharmacy is getting paid for that fill date while not letting you have them. It is the insurance company has given the ok to refill it then the pharmacy is obligated to refill them and dispense them to you. The only other possible thing I can think of is that sometimes doctors will call pharmacists when they have patients who are always trying to pick up narcotics early and the doctor orders the pharmacy to wait. But that is usually for cash paying patients because as we have all experienced, you can't pick up any RX earlier than you insurance company oks it.

Insurance companies also error on the last possible second to renew prescriptions anyway. They wait until you have completed around 80% or so of your meds (different by each insurance carrier) before they allow refills. That being said, most insurance companies will allow what is called a "vacation override" which gives you a renewal early so that you don't run out while traveling.

If they refuse to give you your meds, take your business elsewhere.

Thinxminx

3/16/09 10:28pm

Hello everyone,

THANK YOU so much for all your comments on this. I figured I would 'update' you all on what happened, your going to love this-

When we went to pick up the medicine (2 days later- Saturday) we get home I open the pill bottle and the pills look different. I read manufacters name and it is the same, the whole label was the same as the old one even the discription...aww...the discription did not discribe what I was holding in my hand. So I called the pharm and discribed the pills- he says (The other Pharmicist) those are TRAZADONE..(heavy duty sleeping pills) So my hubby brings them back for the right pills and asked about the note on my file. The pharmicist says there is NO note on her file (keep in mind this is the pharmicist that the other pharmicist said wrote it!), one of the clerks behind the counter over hearing them talking, says "yeah, you just caught him on a bad day"...meaning the other guy who said there was a note stating that I could not pick up early anymore. So the pharmicist apolgieses and gives my husband a $10.oo gift card.....also notes in the file that 'it is OK for this person to pick up on 28th day'. well at least thats what he said anyway. What the hell?
Yes do not worry all...we are looking for another Pharmacy!
Be Well
ThinxMinx

honda_mom2006

3/20/09 2:36pm

To your update: WOW! I have to say that I would have taken it a bit farther than a $10 gift card! Imagine if you had taken them and had an accident or whatever! I wonder if you can find out if it was the same pharmacist that told you the bogus from the get go that filled that? Would seem not so coincidental... but then again people make mistakes and now you know to be aware when you get your meds filled!

Q: With Holding Pain Med's..Is this legal?

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