Need To Find A Pharmacy That Fills Subutex Asap!!! (Page 7)

I have been on subutex for 9 months now. But i have a very big problem next month k mart pharmacy will no longer carry subutex. I live in the tri cities in tn. I have called about 35 pharmacies around they either do not take new people getting subutex or do not carry it at all. I have no insurance i found 1 that cost 340 which is way more than the 215 i paid at k mart. Also some pharmacies I know only carry the small ones which to me do not work as good as the bigger ones. Huge difference. I go back on the 8th next month, so if there is anyone that knows of a good pharmacy in my area your help would be greatly appreciated.

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All of you who have tried the strips AND the pill form of SUBOXONE...which do you prefer?? I've been on the strips & they seem to be working (for pain) but from what I'm reading here it seems like MOST of you take it in pill form. Just curious if you think it works better or what?? Thanks.

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kdmrXohio, I am just wondering if you have made the decision to start up a petition? I think it would be a wonderful idea and it definitely couldn't hurt anything that's for sure. Things are already bad so I don't see how they could get worse.

Monday, I am going to make a trip to a couple local small pharmacies in my area that I have personally dealt with and left only because they didn't carry Buprenorphine and that's all I currently take and see if I am able to talk them into ordering the Buprenorphine. I am going to attempt to explain the situation with so many people not able to get their medication filled, how far mosteoporosis people have to travel to the pharmacy to get their medication and how much potential there is to make more money. If I am successful and any of them do decide to order Buprenorphine, I will share the pharmacy information with everyone here. If I can get even one of the few pharmacies I have in mind to order it and accept out of state prescriptions, it will be another pharmacy option available for everyone!

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(Response to ShariAmore) Most people on here take the tablet form, because 90% of them are speaking of Subutex (buprenorphine only) rather than Suboxone (buprenorphine + naloxone). They are two different medications. With that said, I have taken Suboxone years ago as well, and I took the tablet form up until the films first became available in pharmacies, then I switched to those. The observations I made, as well as the compare/contrast of the two, are as follows:

-The tablet form was very chalky & had a strong, unpleasant taste while dissolving.
-The film was not as bad tasting
-The tablet took a while to COMPLETELY dissolve.
-The film didn't take nearly as long to dissolve (note: i also took a low dose) maybe 10-15 min. at most
-When I transitioned from the tablet form to the sublingual film, for the first maybe week or more I was falling asleep and it felt a lot stronger to me during the onset (and I was not taking any other medication, prescribed or otherwise). This was due to the fact that effect of the film kicks in A LOT faster.
-On the other hand, the effects of the tablets may last longer before you feel the need to take another dose. Just something I observed.
-I love the films because you can break (tear) the 8mg up into equal doses. With a tablet, you can try but there is a 99% chance the doses will never be exactly the same.
-Also, if you start to taper your dose, it's easier to take smaller doses (1-2mg) than it would be with the tablet. You may be able to break the tablet in half & take a 4mg dose, but that would be merely impossible with a 1mg dose.
-I was able to taper really quickly, and surprising smoothly. In the first, probably 4 months, I tapered down to 4mg per day. And shortly thereafter, to 2mg, and then to 1mg per day.
-I folded the film in half lengthwise, then folded each one of those halves in half (to make four equal sized quarters) & took one of those quarters each day. (2mg/ day)
-When I dropped to 1mg/ day I folded the film the same way I described above, and then after it was folded into 4 quarters, I folded it in half once WIDTHWISE, thus making 8 tiny squares, 1mg each.
-I find the effects of Suboxone to last SIGNIFICANTLY longer than that of Subutex, and MUCH easier to taper off of.

I hope you find this information to be helpful!
Good luck to you!

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That is a good idea, you're right they would benefit from the extra business immensely, so why not? Let us know how it goes. Looking forward to it.

In regards to your question, I am certainly considering the petition. I don't want to jump the gun and say it's already set in stone so to speak, because I have to admit, this would be my first time part-taking in something like this. So I do need to do a little more research to make sure I know how to do this the legitimate way.. and would need some extra hands on deck! I was thinking recently about how interesting it would be to actually go into virtually every pharmacy you pass, asking them if they would fill your prescription of buprenorphine, and keeping record of each pharmacy name & location, the pharmacist's name, and which excuse they gave (i.e. no new patients, no out of state residents, no out of TOWN residents, no out of state prescriber, no insurance accepted, no non-pregnant patient, no Rx filled for that doctor specifically, refusal to order, etc) this way when it reaches for example their corporate offices, or someone who can actually make a difference and get this fixed, they can see just how much we actually go through JUST to get our medicine, and I would bet anything they would be utterly SHOCKED to see the responses their employees are coming up with just to refuse us.

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kdmrXohio...Thank you for your answer!! I like the films but they NEVER take 10-15 min. to dissolve. I'm thinking that I loose some/alot of the medicine. I'm on it for SEVERE PAIN control & I notice that it seems to take quite a bit for 2-3 days before it really controls pain well therefore I'm going through more at first than Rx'd. Otherwise I like it.

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We went to 24 in one day trust me the excuses keep coming he had to go to boxes because NOBODY would fill them

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Thank you im Richie girlfriend HE had to change to bix because nobody would fill tjem he is lowering his to get off them he hates boxes his liver honestly kills him and the pharm said he had to basically be near death allergic but im still getting them and i want to know how it works so when you post i will have a good idea of which one is better plus my pharm is making me come down too thats the only way they would keep me but they wouldnt keep him crazy right thank you so much

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I'm very interested in this I know of 30+ in my area that will not fill then or don't carry them please get back to me I will gladly get all the info you need

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What would you like to know? If I can help I will. I think this is crazy.

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kdmrXohio,

I have written petitions before so I would be more than happy to help. I started writing a letter to congress about this a while back actually.

I think doing some research and documenting what each pharmacy tells you is an excellent idea. I would be more than happy to do this for the pharmacies in my general area (Preston County near Morgantown, WV) and in the area I travel to my doctor and pharmacy also (Bridgeville PA area). As long as I have the medication I need to pull me through so I have time to take my prescription in to the pharmacies around me and around my doctor and get all of the denial reasons collected and documented. That would be an absolute genius way of presenting exactly how wide spread the problem truly is and exactly how many pharmacies each patient actually has to go through before they find one that will actually fill their medication. I never thought about doing that. If you were able to document the denial reason or insurance excuse for a large majority of pharmacies in the areas most affected by this issue, it would definitely be a plus.

I do know of others that would be happy to help with this little project that travel to areas other than the areas I travel to also and they would definitely help document what they are told at the pharmacies and jump on board to sign the petition.

It seems that the main issue here is with patients on Subutex and not so much with the ones on Suboxone films? Personally, I am deathly allergic to Suboxone, Bunavail and Zubsolv so I have no choice but to continue getting Subutex. I nearly died FOUR times because of my former doctor basically experimenting with me and swapping Suboxone films for Suboxone tablets and Suboxone tablets for Bunavail films and the Bunavail for Zubsolv tablets. My throat swells shut, I can't breathe, my blood pressure and heart rate goes through the roof and I am covered in hives in less than 5 minutes after putting any of it in my mouth. If the case is the main issue is with getting the Subutex filled and not so much with getting the Suboxone (and other equivalents of Suboxone) filled, that's even further discrimination toward people. If a doctor prescribes Subutex to someone there is usually a reason why or at least here in WV, a doctor will NOT prescribe Subutex to a patient unless they have a documented life threatening allergy or are pregnant and it really shouldn't be up to a pharmacy to overrule a doctors decision on what medication to prescribe any specific patient. As far as I am aware, there is no law that requires that a Buprenorphine/Naloxone (Suboxone) combination product be prescribed instead of just plain Buprenorphine (Subutex), although it seems many doctors do prefer to prescribe the Suboxone after the first couple of days of treatment.

I have done a little research regarding the legality of legit prescription refusal and it seems that a pharmacy can really only refuse to fill a legitimate prescription for a controlled substance if it would cause HARM to the patient in situations like, the patient is allergic to the medication, it would interfere with patients other medications adversely or the dosage is above the recommended dosage guidelines and none of these reasons seem to be the reason for the pharmacies refusal to fill legit Buprenorphine prescriptions. It does appear that we can file complaints against these pharmacies that are refusing us for silly reasons as well and it IS IN FACT a violation of the patients civil rights under the ADA, so that is excellent news!

I will continue researching this topic because it appears the pharmacies are in fact violating our civil rights by refusing to fill our legit prescriptions!

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Guys I really need your help/ advice ASAP. I have my appointment coming up tomorrow morning. I recently lost my insurance and had to pay for my prescription beginning last month. The pharmacy I usually go to (and loved) charges higher than I've ever known anywhere else to charge for this medication - $15 per tablet, totaling $850 for a monthly prescription of 56 tablets! (Roxane-WestWard brand "54 411"). So unfortunately I had to go on the hunt again, and the new pharmacy I went to (which was lovely I might add, & the women were very kind) charges $5 per tablet, so $280/ 56 tablets. Yes, it is SIGNIFICANTLY less, and I am extremely grateful!

However, since that appointment, my fiancee has been laid off from his job. (We are a one-income household as we have a young child that I currently stay at home with). Now we are BOTH looking for new jobs, but in the meantime, we are stretching every dollar as far as we possibly can. Not only do I have to pay for my prescription tomorrow, but also appointment cost & counseling session as well. This brings my total to $510 per appointment (plus gas for 5 hours drive time)... This is the first time in a long time I will only be able to purchase a portion of my medication. And the pharmacy is 2.5 hours each way. So if I have to go back a second time to pay for the remainder of the prescription, that's 10 hours of drive time (and gas).

It would be so helpful if someone could give me info on Rx cards, which ones work for this medication or which ones do not. I don't know anything about them, where to get them, where to use them, nothing. Anything you can tell me to help me out with this would be appreciated! Thanks guys.

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@kdmrXohio,

I responded to your post in another related discussion thread here concerning an Rx coupon and just wanted to share my post here as well in case you didn't get a chance to see it yet. But MedsChat has a free pharmacy savings card that can be printed out from the following link: Rx Savings Card

It's reportedly good at over 60,000 pharmacies across the US and may help you save anywhere from 15-75% off the cost of your prescription.

I hope this helps!

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kdmrXohio,

Some bigger chain pharmacies can give discounts to people that are repeat customers. I know Rite Aids and Walmarts both participate in this. My nieces prescription went from way over $160 a week down to $60 per week when the pharmacist gave her some type of discount because she was having trouble affording it. The same thing with Walmart. If you explain your situation to them and ask if they have any type of discount that may help lower the cost, usually they have no problem doing it for you especially if you are a repeat customer! So maybe that will help you.

A pharmacy charging $15 for ONE tablet? That is insane and definitely price gouging. The maximum I have ever seen is $7 per tablet. If you found a pharmacy for $4 per tablet for the 54 411s, you are doing good. That seems to be a price on the lower end of the spectrum. I pay $6.50 per tablet for them. I also do have insurance that covers it but am struggling to find a pharmacy that will fill the medication and bill the insurance for it. It has been a true pain switching doctors but I will eventually find somewhere. Hopefully I will have more time to search for a pharmacy this time around.

I'm not trying to pry into your business but how much are you paying for your counseling each month? I know of a couple places online that have licensed therapists in every state where it may be cheaper for you, that is, if you're willing to switch and do your counseling online.

I'm trying to think of anything else I can that would help you save money on everything but I've racked my brain and can't think of anything else right now. If I do, I will follow up.

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I actually do my counseling online now. Reason being, it is a lot more convenient for me, as a parent... I don't use babysitters, nanny, daycare centers, family members etc at all for me to have any time alone, as I really don't believe in that sort of thing for MY family. No judgment to what works for anyone else! Therefore, literally, wherever I go, she goes. And in the instance that I absolutely can not take her I have to schedule it to a time that her father is not working, bc like I said I don't want her left under the care of anyone besides the two of us, which is hard to know when that will be because his schedule can be unpredictable.
So the doctor's office at which I am a patient of, has a partnership (or something to that nature) with an online counseling website called "counsel buddy". There is a licensed therapist who puts new lessons on the website periodically, and before each visit you must choose one from the list to purchase (i.e. "Meditation"; "Mindfulness"; "Drug Addiction & Your Body"; "Dealing with Anger"; etc) & at that time you pay $29.99 for the session. Then you read through the lesson, potentially watch a couple videos related to the topic at hand, & then once you have finished you are given a timed quiz to complete, based on the information you read/watched. You must score a 70% or higher in order to receive a certificate of completion. Then I e-mail the certificate to the doctor's office so that they have it on record that I completed it.

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I am wondering if anyone here knows of a pharmacy that will accept insurance and will fill a PA script for a WV resident? Since no one wants to share their pharmacy information without something in exchange, I will swap my pharmacy information for information on a pharmacy that will accept my insurance for my medication. My pharmacy will fill for anyone as long as the doctor is in PA but it is CASH ONLY and the medication is $6.50 per tablet for the Roxane-West Ward 54-411 tablets. They also allow you to get as many or as few as you want at a time and you don't have to wait a certain number of days before you can go back like some places make you do. So, anyone that is interested and knows of a pharmacy that accepts Medicare/United Healthcare prescription coverage for Subutex, please reply.

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PETITION UPDATE:

So I have realized that to cross the first "threshold" (be searchable on whitehouse.gov), 150 signatures are needed within 30 days.

In order to cross the second "threshold" (require a response), we must REACH 100,000 SIGNATURES WITHIN 30 DAYS. (according to what I have read; feel free to correct me if I am wrong).

There are SO many people in the Tri-State area (Ohio/West Virginia/Pennsylvania) that are affected by this issue daily. LET ALONE those in other states. I really do think a lot of people would be on board.

So this is the "agenda", sort of an outline of what is necessary to get a petition onto change.org:

+ Determine the mission of the petition.
+ Set a reasonable goal.
+ Identify the decision maker – a.k.a. the person in charge.
+ Write a compelling petition.
+ Get out the word - VERY IMPORTANT, OBVS!
+ Use multiple channels to encourage conversation.
+ Deliver the petitions.
+ Know your campaign tool options.

Can anyone tell me the names of your doctor's offices in which you would be able to reach others willing to participate? So we can get an idea and find a way to reach the patients at OTHER clinics?? You guys calm down no one wants your pharmacy info LOL it will have zero effect on you if people know the name of your office, so let's not be too paranoid! ;)

I will be able to reach out to those in at the WBK clinics (Pa.), both locations. I will also be able to go to Recovery Pathways in Washington, Pa. And I should be able to reach Tri-State Health in Washington as well.

If you guys go to any of these places that's completely fine, the more people on board the better. I'm just trying to use the process of elimination to make a list of clinics in the tri state area (OH, WV, PA) that none of you are familiar with, or are a patient of so we can remember to reach out to them!!!

{edited for privacy}

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kdmrXohio,

Very good checklist you have put together for the petition. I am very happy to see that you are strongly considering going the route of the petition. Having 30 days to collect 100,000 signatures is not a very long period of time. While I am certain it could happen because there are many, many people that it happens to daily, it will be a challenge to reach the full potential of the petition in just 30 days time. Of course, the signatures wouldn't necessarily all have to come from patients themselves, friends and family of patients that have witnessed the grief, anxiety, and problems this has caused and those that think how we are being treated is wrong could certainly sign the petition. I also know of a few professionals that would certainly get on board with this, counselors, doctors and yes, pharmacists themselves. I have read posts from people in WV, OH, KY, TN, MD and PA all post about this happening in their state but it does seem to be more common in the tri-state area for sure but of course the wider the area you select to target for this petition, the faster signatures can be collected and the faster the goal of 100,000 in 30 days can be reached.

With the treatment facilities you have mentioned, WBK Healthcare (the one I go to also), Recovery Pathways and Tri State Health, I know of others here in WV and PA and can reach out to the patients and staff of all of them. The ones I am aware of and know patients at include, A&R Solutions (very popular), Clarksburg Treatment Center in Clarksburg WV, MedMark Health Services (formerly Valley Alliance Treatment Center) in Morgantown WV and Chestnut Ridge Center in Morgantown WV (although they have a pharmacy dedicated to just patients at their facility so they may not have as much trouble getting theirs filled). I do have names of several other treatment centers and doctors in PA and WV but don't specifically know anyone that goes to them, however, I would be willing to attempt to reach out to them regarding the petition. Some staff members at these clinics will be happy to pass the information on to their patients so I could always try that route. If you would like, I will compose a list of the clinics I know of along with their contact information for you, just let me know.

Since it is getting late here in WV and I am totally exhausted, I will reach out to the members of the forums I am a member of and see roughly how many would be on board with a petition, the names of their clinics and their location to ensure no one is left out and I will also reach out to those I personally know as well.

I have also started contacting pharmacies near me and am getting their reply about filling Buprenorphine prescriptions. I have a small list of about 10 pharmacies that I have already reached out to with their response documented. If you don't have a prescription in hand, it is somewhat hard to get an honest response and know if that is exactly what they would say if you had a prescription in hand, but I am looking for a new pharmacy and I take in print outs of my past prescription fills, my medication bottle and a paper showing where I go to the doctor.

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I agree with you 100%. I've had some pharmacists tell me they aren't allowed to share information regarding this medication over the phone, being that it is a controlled substance. Others will just tell you they don't carry it or don't have it in stock, over the phone, and then you turn up and they actually have them! What is frustrating about that is, we usually have a long drive ahead of us to get to the pharmacy and it is the worst thing to drive all the way there just to walk right in and politely ask if you can get your medication filled, and be told straight up NO! That is thee most frustrating feeling ever, because it's not like you can argue or debate or something.... By the way, AVW I tried to give you the info you needed about three times in the last two days, and the website wouldn't post it so i give up! :(

Editor's note: Per our privacy policy we do not allow individuals to post personal contact information on our discussion threads.

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I wish I could help u with the info u need. I sure could use the info you have. I am trying to get my s*** together and better myself in any steps I can. I am starting with subutex. I can not find anyone to fill mine. Pa won't fill for WV resident. WV won't take prescriptions from PA or won't carry it at all. How can I try if no one will help me? I know I shouldn't have gotten my self in this mess. Some pharm info would be nice.

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To AWV304 I sure could use that information you have. But I am sorry to say I don't have any information for you.

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