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I'm not sure if this is where I should post this as I don't post much.
My cousin called me today in complete hysterics over an issue with a prescription she was having filled for her child. He takes ADHD meds for ADHD as well as for Tourettes. He has had a recent increase in his dosage, though it's still very low, so they are not able to get the 90 day supply they once used. He was given this time a 60 day supply broken into 2 prescriptions. This was a new protocol for her. She tried to drop off both at the same time, thinking they would hold the 2nd one for her as they do with other rx's sometimes, but they would not. She put the 2nd one in her glovebox, though the pharmacy tech gave her info about 1st and last fill dates that did not coincide with how she read the rx.
She took the 2nd one to fill about 5 weeks after the 1st as her child does not take meds on weekends or holidays so his weight is within a normal range. When she went to drop it off, she was waiting to be helped in the drive-thru and listening to the reminder recording about having address, birthdate, etc. is filled out/legible. She looked at the rx to check as they do not always do that at the office. She noticed that the corner of the rx had been up against her cup and had faded the ink on the top part only where the address was. She also noted that her zip code was incorrect by one number. She wrote it on, correcting the zip code. She said the top date was slightly smudged, but legible. She did not rewrite that part at all.
So she gets a call from the pharmacy stating that they will not fill the rx because it has been tampered with. They feel she has changed information. She explains what I repeated above, but they insist that it's not that at all, but won't go into detail. She is totally freaked and decides that she should go back there to find out what is going on and get a better explanation. They show her the original paper rx and say that both dates are different from what her doctor supposedly wrote. She doesn't remember what the dates were as she wasn't trying to fill anything early.
At this point she even noted that she gets very frustrated because his refills come too soon due to him not taking on weekends and most holidays. But if she tries to push appointments back, they say that he is not being seen at their recommended intervals and switch him to being seen every 30 days instead of 60 or 90.
She said that they asked her if she wanted the paper rx back as they would not be avle to fill it. She said yes because she didn't really know what the "right" answer was. She scanned the rx for me to see. I can see where she went over the address and changed the zip. NOTHING is changed or even looks suspicious in the middle part. The date at the top was written over, but she says not by her at all. They are saying that a bottom date (nowhere near the ink run) was altered also. It does not look like it to me at all. She says she touched nothing but the address line.
When I asked her who has the rx besides her and the pharmacist, she said the pharmacist from the night before who didn't seem to have an issue with filling it if she wanted to return that evening. She said that she would return the next day. The only other thing she remembers is that after making a copy of the original in the office, the secretary noticed that the 2nd rx had 2012 instead of 2013 on it and sent a nurse to have OT corrected. (this was in December, so a common mistake)
She is the most straight laced, never had a ticket, doesn't drink, doesn't smoke person I've ever met. She is a rule follower to a T, so she is literally making herself ill over the "what ifs."
Thoughts??? I feel bad for her, but I don't know anything about this type of thing.
There is a lot of "hanky panky" with drug addicts modifying prescriptions. And their faking symptoms to get certain prescriptions. Basically they are making things quite difficult for the rest of us!
And some hyperactivity drugs are those used by the drug addicts.
They therefore have very STRICT regulations on prescribing and dispensing these drugs. And I just read they are making the rules more strict.
So the doctor may be limited as to what he/she can do. Maybe prescriptions HAVE to be limited, no refills allowed, and must be a paper prescription - not called in?
And the pharmacy must also follow strict rules or they can get into BIG trouble! All paperwork must be in order.
Add to this that insurance companies may not pay for advance prescriptions. You can only get a refill after so many days.
My advice would be to ask the doctor what he/she can do. The doctor may be limited by drug laws. And that is that!
And then ask the pharmacy what they can and can't do. That would be along with whatever insurance you have and what they allow.
Then of course DON'T write anything on any prescriptions. Rather tell the pharmacist if there is an error. Or better yet read it before leaving the doctor's office and have them write a new one if there are errors.
And save future prescriptions at home in an envelope so they don't get damaged.
I don't think she's as upset over the 60-90 day thing as she is at being accused of "tampering" with a schedule II rx. She said they had left the address line blank on several occasions and the pharmacy made her write it in.
They said she changed the date, which should not have mattered anyway, but it does when they cross check and it didn't match. She said the date never concerned her in the least as she was within the 21 day limit to fill the rx. She had it set on her calendar in her phone to fill by that day so it wouldn't pass, rendering the rx invalid.
I told her that if they have the rx back to her (even if they scanned it into the computer) that it's unlikely that anything could come of it.
She should get a new physician that will work with her son's medication schedule and get a new pharmacy to boot! When there is an increase in dosage it should be easy to deal with as long as the pharmacy can contact the doctor and third party administrator.
If this had been done correctly, the doctor would simply have replaced it. There is so much tampering with rx's these days, (as mentioned above) that the pharmacies are just trying to cover their behinds. Even something as an address change not done by the pharmacy itself (or even zip code) is grounds to have it not filled, legally. Did she make a simple call to the doctor and explain what alledgedly happened? If so, and she never has had any issues with this before, 99% of doctors will have her pick up another script and drop off the one that has a problem with it. If they will no replace it, that would be because this is not the first time there has been an issue with the rx. (I'm not judging or assuming anything on her part, just letting you know from both sides of the issue. I've worked in doctors offices, and seen it all).
I would ask if the can send the scrip electronic that's what I do. I Colorado all scipts are in a state wide database to see if you have been abusing them, it's a good thing.
I was taking Klonopin for insomnia and anxiety and I get the look at the pharmacy because it's a schedule 2 DEA controlled drug. Jeez, you don't even get an euphoric feeling, I don't see the big deal. My script ran out and I took one of my brother's Xanax I don't see what the big deal was..... I got much more high in college ( years ago ) from smoking weed.
I would ask if the can send the scrip electronic that's what I do. I Colorado all scipts are in a state wide database to see if you have been abusing them, it's a good thing.
I was taking Klonopin for insomnia and anxiety and I get the look at the pharmacy because it's a schedule 2 DEA controlled drug. Jeez, you don't even get an euphoric feeling, I don't see the big deal. My script ran out and I took one of my brother's Xanax I don't see what the big deal was..... I got much more high in college ( years ago ) from smoking weed.
Klonopin (Clonazepam) Is schedule IV, not II. Formally, the level of "control" over it is identical to most other prescription medications. Schedule II is limited to drugs such a stimulant ADHD medication and narcotic pain killers. There are restrictions to these medications (e.g. they cannot be called into the pharmacy via. phone.)
DEA schedules notwithstanding, many physicians and pharmacies are pretty strict with Klonopin and other benzodiazepines), since these substances can be addictive, and often abused. So, it is "a big deal."
She should take the tampered with prescription to the doctor and have it replaced. I can't blame the pharmacy not wanting to take risks with controlled substances.
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