Its unfortunate I need to explain this to the pharmacy staff at the Altoona Walgreens, but I'll try. The pharmacist, known only by "Terry," not knowing me from Adam, may not overrule my doctor. How complicated is this?
My prescription was ordered to be filled on January 17. Apparently, this was not sufficiently clear. I was chastised for having it filled "too early." I responded to Terry: "this means that you, rather than my doctor, decide when and under what conditions I get my medication. You don't even know what I have. You must not realize what you're claiming here. You don't decide, my doctor does. Unless you're claiming that either my doctor or myself are running a forging ring, please fill my prescription."
I don't think he heard me.
Usually, the response is something stupid like "its store policy." My helpless protests of "no its not, it can't be" always fail. On occasion, they'll say "CII drugs are treated differently." There, at least I can respond intelligently and utter, "For you maybe, not for me. There has never been nor will there ever be any DEA regulation that justifies pharmacists to treat CII drugs as distinct from any other relative to patients. The issue comes up quite often. That's my doctor's business, not yours."
I do legal research for a living, much, though not recently, has been commissioned by firms dealing with DEA administrative protocols. Long story. Parts of Terry's Pharmacist's Manual relative to this stuff is authored by me. But who would believe that under such conditions?
I guess I can't blame him. He just got irritated and walked away. Like me, Terry's not a people person. Pharmacists get a full medical education, just without the respect or the income. How irritated could I get? They deserve more respect. Of course, so do I.
I was also surprised that Walgreens pushed this nonsense, since I've used them exclusively for years. The Walgreens in Chambersburg, PA, by contrast, is first class. Ultimately, I got it filled at the CVS down the street 30 seconds later, though using some crap cut-rate manufacturer - a stupid fight over a non-existent policy for nothing.
See, I require a specific manufacturer for my medication, since I'm allergic to an inactive ingredient in most other generic versions. Walgreens alone carries the good generic pills (as far as I know). Since there's no Walgreens near me, I have to get to one when I can. Had Terry let me explain, he might have changed his mind.
But I doubt it.
Dr. Matthew Johnson
Richland, PA read more