I have been filling all my medications at Walgreens for several years with few problems untill the last couple of months. Right off I want to say I follow pharmacy advice as long as it is not ridiculous and I have never filled my pain meds more than a day or two early depending on what is happening in my life at the time for example traveling, stores supply of medications, ect. Also I follow my Docters orders exactly as told and she closely moniters me with monthly or more visits and yearly drug screens with bi-yearly complete blood work-ups. Untill a couple of months ago things were fine the one night I went to Walgreens in Atwater Ca to fill my pain meds.
After filling the pharmacist asked me if my doctor had any long term pain management plans for me? Confused I looked at him and said you just filled it. The pharmacist went on to say that I was taking too much. Well anyone that knows ( anything ) about pain medication use for pain management knows that when you take these meds your body begains to become tolerant to them which requires occasional increases in dosage. The pharmacist continued to say I was a bomb just waiting to explode. Now becomming irritated I calmly explained my problems which two of them is progressively destroying bone and tissue surrounding them, and explained to him that I had seen several of the top Doctors in California looking for alternitive means of manageing my pain and every single one of them told me there was absolulutly nothing more that can be done untill research discovers a way to stop it. The Doctors told me either I learn to just live with the pain which we both agreed that was unreasonable or go on pain medication theropy. I wasnt happy with either choice but what can I do? Then the pharmacist said well what about when it gets better? Now I know hes already steriotyped me. I just said, as I just explained to you its not going to get any better. In fact the Doctor who did my back surgery told me the day after that he was completely amazed I walked in there because there was so much damage in my back that MEDICALY I should have been paralyzed from the waist down. He could not explain why I could still walk other than just pure will to continue walking. I left the store thinking some choice things and gave it no more thought. People like that arent worth the energy. However when I went to fill my pain meds the next month he had put a drug utilization report note in my file and they would no longer fill my pain medication. Now normally you would just say whatever idiots and go to another pharmacy that treats you like a human with feelings that had a terrible accident who would appriciate your business. But I live in a small rural area which has few other pharmacys that regularly keep my medication in stock and uave to order it.
Now I have to go to multiple pharmacys due to supply which contradicts my Doctors orders and is actually dangerous because of drug interactions if my Doctor has to prescribe something for any otjer problems I may have. Besides the fact that it makes me look like Im pharmacy shopping when Im not but nones going to know that unless they know this area and the reason. I have tlked to my Doctor and he understands and has agreed to ask patients to use other pharmacies from now on but due to an old way of thinking and obvious lack of current understanding of medications, I have been unjustly labled. If these pharmacist would take 5 mins and look up the currwnt perscribing information they would find that my meds are within appropriate levels due to length of time taking, what I have tried, how muxh I wiegh, my current health, etc. My Doctor has the training to do a completly accurate diagnosis. These pharmacist are just that pharmacist who should be following doctors orders who have had many more years of education. I have emailed their main corporate office a few times with no reply. So what do you do? As far as Im concerned they can jump in a lake but because of where I live my choices are limited because it looks bad enough having to use mutiple pharmacys here so I cant just go to another city. I hope somehow someone who can get a hold of anyone that can do something about these types of pharmacist but Im not going to hold my breath. It took me a total of about 30 seconds to look up the right information on google that would show a pharmacist that my meds are right on the money. Why are they being allowed to continue dispencing any medications if they can look up one simple medication to understand why I take what I take? Thank you for reading this and Im sorry about any mistakes or spelling mistakes. Im using a cell phone with no spell check :-(
psedoff
Winton,#2Author of original report
Sat, June 15, 2013
since it makes no sense to you then apparently you didnt get it. Its not about if they have the right or not and you apperently dont have chronic pain so untill you do why dont you research what Im talking about so you can make an intelligent comment. Have a nice day.
Stacey
Dallas,#3Consumer Comment
Sat, June 15, 2013
Your report makes no sense!!! If you are taking pain meds then maybe the pharmacy does have the right to think you are abusing said meds!! Think about it -