2011 30 Mg Oxycodone Shortage (Page 6)
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I am a 51 y/o who lives in Florida, suffering from chronic back pain, and have been prescribed to take up to six 30mg oxycodone tablets a day for over two years by my Pain Management doctor. However, when I went to fill my prescription almost 4 weeks ago, my pharmacy told me their distributor had stopped shipping oxycodone to Florida pharmacies. Since then, I have personally visited about 100 pharmacies but have been unable to find them in stock anywhere. As a former paralegal, I attempted to research the situation, but could only confirm that the DEA has yearly quot on all controlled substances (for oxy's is 98 million grams in 2011). From I gather from the Internet, it appears that the ENTIRE state of FLORIDA is not getting any shipments of oxycodone 30 mg. from distributors, but are other states having this problem as well? Also, can anyone confirm whether (and HOW) the DEA is pressuring distributors to avoid Florida?

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REPORT

Thought I would post my angst...I need some advice.

I am a college student with JRA. I went to the doctor yesterday in Orlando, FL as I have every month for the last 10 years. I take 15mg Roxys 5x a day. I drove back to my college last night (4 hours drive from the city my doctor is in) after driving to every pharmacy I could think of and spending hours of my time. I was told I could fill my prescription anywhere in the state of FL because of his license. However, when I got to my college city, everywhere I have tried is saying that they can't fill it because my doctor is 4 hours away (even though I have a permanent address in this town and have filled other prescriptions at the places I have tried). Then they go on to say that they are out of 15 mg oxy anyway (I am also aware of the shortages that are affecting oxy 30 and oxy 15 immediate release). I am going to have to have my records sent to a local doctor in my college town and have them rewrite me a new prescription (which could take days). I have already gone 4 days without my medication and feel terrible as it is. Can't even get to class or work and my life is suffering significantly. This has just been a pain in the ass for me. Seeing as I still will have trouble filling them, I am thinking about getting a substitute medication. What would be a good substitute? Something immediate release if possible, similar in strength, with no acetaminophen (as I am allergic to it).

Any responses will be appreciated.

I also hate how I have been a loyal customer to walgreens all my life. I went to a walgreens 2 minutes up the road from the one I always use, and they told me "we have it in stock but we have to save our oxycodone for our regular customers to this specific store". How is that even fair?

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Thank you, Yes being treated like gum on bottom of your shoe! Worse, Oh and do not forget the prices if you are lucking enough to even get in at a mom and pop place they charge you $6 plus I know a place $10 per and I don't know I am sorry but that is so wrong when walgreens is $2 with card I guess it is supply and demand! But I feel like these people %100 enjoy being mean to the customers. I am over it. They don't work anymore anyway they just bandaid the pain. I did try subuxon (cant spell) a long time ago but the subutex are great much better! I only need a 1/4 for all day and that is just to keep from getting sick, man if I took a half I would feel normal for the first time in 4 years. And trust me those are going to be very important to many people soon. Best wishes and good luck to all of us because we all know how it feels!

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KEVIN i didn't realize there are so many Donna Ratliff on FB
she has the profile picture with blonde hair and tan cowboy hat standing outside..
I think she is near the top of the list of names
and also Anyone can Click on each name and see which one has a profile for Advocacy for Chronic Pain

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Just reading the forum again and wanted to check In on behalf of those suffering here in Central Florida. We are STILL either getting a hard time about our scripts or not being able to fill them at all. Oxycodone is the only kind I can take because I am allergic to Hydrocodone or morphine products. I am a disabled vet who has been through knee replacement and back surgery in the last month. I may have received pain meds for a short time while an in-patient, but getting a follow-up script filled for at-home meds is not happening yet. I've mostly given up on follow-up therapy for my knee as the pain is too intense to try without pain management. Having nothing to endure pain from back surgery is no picnic either. By the time we get this shortage resolved...i will have atrophied enough that I will not be able to get out of bed any more. Do I even matter to the DEA as an injured veteran who was blown up overseas for her country? This shortage is ruining any of my chances of ever getting my physical body back to normal. Thank you DEA. And how is your day going?

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Donna Ratliff, Please contact me on FB; I can't seem to locate you thtere. UID "brightonbeck" Thanks

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Also, Canada made all oxycodone preparations illegal last month.
Carl

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Hey Floridian and others,... I have read a lot of information, only reliable, and whoa, you Floridians eat a lot of oxycodone. This is DEA data, I could be specific, but the numbers are out of my head already for the exact #. The country in 2010 ate over so many millions of tons of pure oxycodone. Florida is #1 by more than double of the second place state. They are aware of the shortage in Florida. They believe things will be getting better with the policies and legal crack down there, they feel a lot of Dr. aren't even prescribing Oxycodone any more because it a dirty word, their words, and it shows the scripts ARE down. The prosecution of many Dr's and Pharmacists. They are aware cancer patients can't even get this scripts filled. It is illegal to sell oxycodone out of the Dr. office now in Florida. You are aware of the prescription tracking that went into force recently. The pill mills went down from several hundred (can't remember) the # to low double digits. Btw way I had an appointment 2 hours ago been to the Office and Pharmacy 4 scripts filled and it's under 2 hour, leave to get home time, but then again I'm getting Diluadid. DEA has said that some pharmacy are not filling scripts from certain Drs., and they have the right. Also some are just filling to there regulars, not ones that just come in with a Oxycodone preparations every month only. I had that problem back in the 70's with one Dr. and I had no Schedule II's, I was filling either, which went into effect in 1970, under Nixon and his hard stance, of law and order, under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970. It took some time as in years. Example, Seconal, Sodium Secobarbital, and Tuinal, Nebutal all took about 5 years to move from the III they originally put it at until it went II as in Schedule II, Diluadid, Oxycodone and the such went directly to II The Dr. told me a place just down the street that would fill all my scripts and I got coupons for the store for food too, lol while was filling. They use to have a pharmacy right next door, and the pharmacist would keep looking out the door to see when the last patient was done or ask me how many more. :) The DEA also was sorry for the legitimate patients. Is that you? It takes a long time for the manufacturers, to get back to usual stock on a high demand product that has fallen behind. Todays managing Pharmacist, that I know fairly well for going there for just 4 months, because of my plan kept me filled with Dexadrine, when no other pharmacy in the city and surrounding area had them in 11/2011 until now except him, why the DEA estimates allowed for the year, of course off, and then it 3 months to get everyone mostly flush, that is all blame on the DEA, and absolutely no one else. You will probably run into this at the end and into the first of this year, most likely, be prepared. the Pharmacist over loaded on scripts before they went scarce, some care and are a few brain cells. The DEA believes..ha...that it will get better, but the manufactures send to a warehouse somewhere in your area, they don't get always what they order in any state, they try to ration them and they have certain ones they will ship first to if lets say they had 2 and only enough for on, or ration them percentage wise to there demand. THERE is no rationing by the DEA in florida as that would be against the law for equal free trade against the State of Florida. The DEA does not have that power, and the US Congress does not either under the anti Sherman Trade Act, and several others US Constitutional Laws to single out the STATE of Florida to do the same business as other States. The State can make it more difficult, with laws they in act as long as it does not violate free trade, as a law protecting the citizens of Florida for their Health and well being, as long it's not trumping a Federal law, The State instituted the script tracking, does not hinder fair trade, eliminates crime, aka Dr. shopping as one. Also, the DEA estimates for the country for the next year, the Country not State. Sorry jumping from subject to another and back, and not getting more info out there, but the main one is the DEA is not picking on Floridian's. They have upped the enforcement, put some out of business and jail. Pharmist are getting afraid, the state instituted the script tracking, which we have in this State for a few years. The Dea had one pharmacy selling over 100,000 scripts not pills a month. Pharmacy don't want the DEA looking down there back, intelligent ones and Dr's. They are watching particularly the scripts of oxycodone type med, from Dr to pharmacy to (patient). I have a lot more info, just need a break and a pee :). Any questions, or misunderstandings, or new info wanted, ask. BTW, the laws against anti trading are mine, and in it's self is a good source;) Carl

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KEVIN go to FBFriend Donna Ratliff she is the in charge of a private group of FB that is doing all kinds of good things, writing letters to the powers that be and there are others like you & me on there also.. In their Documents section are more names numbers, and emails then what i have..
it might take a couple of days for her to friend you back or right a way.. just tell her simple a brief story of your troubles.. ok? see ya there .

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Donna, I sent a message on the American Pain Foundation Facebook for a friend request.
Thank you!

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@donna s,

The link you posted to "health.source.com" doesn't appear to be working. I've added the "http:/­/­www." but still have a problem loading the page and finding the server.

Do you think the site may be down for some reason? I've googled the name but there are too many results to narrow it down.

If you could re-post a working link that would be great!

Thanks,
David

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Donna Ratliff - thanks for being a great advocate. I was the one that said any doc - but was unaware of the law changes in Jan 2012.

Now - Cardinal is the wholesale supplier in Lakeland that was shut down? Since January my pharmacy has not been able to order 30mgs oxycodone. Though they have been able to maintain the 15mgs and try to make sure they have it on hand for all their current pain mang patients. New patients or those that were unable to stay with one pharmacy seem to be going through the worst of it. It also seems to be a bigger problem in central and south Florida opposed to North FL.

Donna - you commented on my article from Jan 30th on World Wide Hippies - thanks. Since that time you have also "friend-ed" me on FB Sandy A. Sull [prefer not to have full name here] but if you can send me the email I'd be happy to email Dept of Health Florida.

Thanks again Donna!

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@CHRISTOPHER CURLEY
State of Florida: SURGEON GENERAL Dr. H. Frank Farmer:850-245-4444 Press 9 at 1st menu and 7 at 2nd menu
FLORIDA BOARD OF PHARMACY Executive Director:
Mark Whitten 850-245-4292 and 1-800-245-4339
health.source.com Citizen Consumer Complaint Form

Look at whatever State you live for these folks and call and /or write letters, something has to be done.. We are all tired of being profiled and judge by Pharmacists when we are only trying to fill Legitimate Prescriptions from our PM Doctors so we can live a slightly painless day to day life.

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doh.state.fl.us

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I have exhaustively attempted to e-mail the Florida Department of Health,but cannot locate an e-mail address.Thanks for your efforts,but if you could post the e-mail,or person to be contacted,it would be extremely helpful.I have pancreatic Cancer,perhaps the most painful condition you can have,and CANNOT,get my roxicodone prescription filled,other than to use express scripts,which most people do not have the alternative to do.Before I took these miracle pills,I was hospitalized,through the E.R. 39 times in a 2 year period,at a cost to the tax payer of 900,000 dollars,because someones junky kid abused our medicine,we must pay.
\

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Donna Ratliff,
Thank you for all of the work that you are doing on our behalf. How can we support the Petition or get information if we are not on Facebook, Twitter, etc.? If you could please let us know, we would really appreciate it. Once again, thanks!

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THATS KAYS, I'M SORRY

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Go to rays pharmacy on fletcher ave.

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I haven't been on here in awhile but after seeing all the email responses I was curious so thought I would pop in and see. Well I have finally received a response from the office of Rick Scott here in Florida. In fact his office directed my email over to the dept of health. The executive director there Joy Tottle wrote back to me saying, that she's sorry legitimate patients are unable to get their medications filled and that these pharmacies don't have any allotments, or regulations to not fill these rx's. She basically said we shouldn't be having any issues.?! Well I told her that this is a crisis and horrible tragedy to these patients and if that was her only answer, is that what she wanted me to tell all of the 630 petition signers? I also stated that many elderly didn't have any computers so they couldn't sign but that they would hand write on a paper petition. I reminded her tht re-election was coming up and that it would be to their advantage to have our governor fix this problem for legitimate patients. I told her people with cancer and other heinous diseases were suffering terribly. So I did send a rebuttal. I encourage everyone to email her at the FL DOH and explain how they are causing needless suffering here. I asked her to tell the governor to get the law and dea off pharmacies backs! I guess I will see what kind of response she gives me next. I told her that was not a good excuse to have me give the public in pain. I honestly feel that if they ignore us, then we will just vanish. Yea maybe from death. I told her that many suicides are starting to happen now. Folks, don't just let them have there way. Stand up for your rights to pain care! Yes, its your right to have pain medicine for legal pain! Btw, I saw that someone said any doctors can prescribe these meds on am earlier post. Sorry here in FL only a certified pain management doc can Rx these meds as of Jan 2012. You can read this on the HB7095 bill that passed. You will see that these shortages are false also! The manufacturers are making plenty but pharmacies are just not ordering many. Cardinal being shut down because they delivered too many oxy 30's to 3 FL pharmacies. Big deal! So that has slowed the supply down even more, along with limited ordering of drug stores. All this is why there is problems. On that bill I suggested states their are no legal allotments of oxy by the state. This is pharmacies making their own rules and this why our monitoring system isn't working and why we are going through hell down here! Sorry for long post but I wanted to inform you on why and what we can do. Call, write, or go see your local state rep. They are in every district. The drive is short. Good luck all and I hope to see ya on my group.

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I went back to my pain mgt doc (in Orlando) and they switched my script out for the opana ers. I don't understand why my doc didn't warn me ab the shortage, since this has obviously been going on for awhile. Does anyone know who we should contact, state govt wise to ask questions about this shortage??? I don't understand how they can just eliminate thousands of peoples scripts when they're suffering!!! Someone told me that its only the generic oxy that is not being produced and that its the pharmacutical manufacturers discretion...is this true? I'm looking for more info if anyone knows anything. I live in Tallahassee, and so far have also been unable to fill the opana er prescription as well. This is truly terrible. I guess its preferable for actual patients to suffer than to allow a few junkies to get high!!!

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...and I live in Pinellas County.
No Roxycodone at Walgreens. That is what I was told.

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