Pharmacy Refuses To Stock Qualitest, Which Is The Only Kind That Works For Me (Page 3)
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I have two medications that are made by Qualitest (which I understand both have been moved to other Pharmaceutical Co.) 1. Hydrocodone 10/325 cannot find locally in Qualitest brand so I have been prescribed Mallinckrodt. They cause my ears to ring at an extremely high level that I can't think or do anything. I am extremely nauseous constantly. This ringing in my ears is driving me crazy. No pharmacy will get the Qualitest brand. 2. Phentermine (also the same situation), no pharmacy will carry Qualitiest brand. If the drug works for said person, is still being made and the said person has legal prescription, why isn't there a way to force the pharmacy to get it? Why are we forced to purchase drugs we know won't work for us? Are there any lawyers out there that can find a way to make them get these medications for us? I have Fibromyalgia and there is very little that works for me and my system. Please help me. I am close to beating my head against the wall to stop this ringing in my ears.

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Re: Roro (# 30)

If you're in Fort Worth, Texas go to Country Day Pharmacy near Harris Southwest hospital in City View. This is where I go and have been for 20+ years and they'll order any generic you want as long as it's available from their supplier. Sometimes the most sought after generics aren't available because of the DEA and DOJ limiting the number of pills said manufacturers can make or bring into the country these days... This pharmacy is where you won't be treated like a drug seeker, but be treated like a human being! They know that all generics don't work the same on all people and will work with you! Anyone who uses a chain pharmacy these days is pretty much guaranteed to get the crappiest generic available and get treated poorly like you're a drug seeker!

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Ok lets just get real for a minute....... YES your local pharmacy COULD get ANY brand they wanted to get. I also need Qualitest for effective treatment (and quit dealing with several retail outlets for this reason) but lets be honest....... if the pharmacist wanted to they could special order your request and have it the next day, 2 at most (i had a couple places that would do this in past)....but this is a lil more WORK (the real issue). As for cost... if you have insurance it should cost you the same if still ordering a generic. When i first moved to texas the local heb was great, they ordered Qualitest for me, got it next day for 6 months (+/-) then the pharmacy manager either got a bug up his butt or got involved (first time i actual dealt with gerald... he was rude and treated me like an addict and refused to fill my script at all (never went to fill any script for the same med from more than one clinic nor did i try to fill early & my insurance ok'ed payment). I asked why he was giving me the attitude and he said (he felt) i was getting too much medication.

I told him he is not my doctor & does not know the details of the case & is not even a doctor in the first place. He proceeded to tell me he was a dr... i said well do you have prescription writing privileges (it just declined from there)...... needless to say i dont go to heb anymore (FOR ANYTHING). I complained to the store manger to no avail and they actually defended the jerk... these similar circumstances have also taken place (other than them saying they are a dr) at a couple other pharmacies in the state i moved from. My GUESS is special order cost a lil more up front in cost & in labor cost in paperwork & manager bonuses are profit driven (& be honest most people would fold and accept the treatment NOT ME) fortunately for me a new store opened & they have been great & get a lot of business & deliver if you are so inclined.....

Point being, a cent or to seems like a trivial amount, but 2 cents per pill adds up fast for the big chains that order 1000s of pills a week for 100s of stores... yes it is $$$$. It's almost always $$$$ (& of course laziness). Anyway, as has been stated many times basically it's UP 2 YOU TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET WHAT WORKS. A couple phone calls aint nothin. I have spent many hours on the phone with both many pharmaceutical retailers & my prescription insurance company.... & believe me its not easy with a debilitating medical condition but who else is gonna do it...... bottom line IT'S UP TO YOU..... start your calling.... including state & federal representatives. Nothing will change if you just sit back & do nothing but suffer. IT'S UP 2 YOU. Do nothing and keep suffering, or help work on the solution.

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Re: Justhuman (# 14)

Fact Tylenol causes ringing in the ears if you slightly have it take tylenol it will make the ear ringing much worse .may have to stop all tylenol products .I did and ringing isn't near as bad .

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Re: Comments (# 2)

I dont take hydrocodone, i take a different medication with the same type of problem. The generic versions of the drug vary greatly. Some make my medical condition worse.

I called the FDA and they told me they don't inspect or evaluate medication at the factory!! FDA relies on reports from factories diagnostics to analyze drugs! I think that's why we encounter these types of issues.

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Call around to some independent places..... Mine helped me

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Re: Rootsgal (# 21)

I have never heard of clonzepam running out. I get 90 1mg pills for a 3 month supply for $23 with no insurance. Walmart also always has this med.

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Re: Rootsgal (# 21)

Or....just STOP going to CVS!!!! Why are you bothering your doctor because ONE pharmacy is out? Say ok thanks, and go across the street!

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If u r set on this pain med, then try promethazine 25 mg tabs with it. Its the best nausea med, and helps with the side effects u mentioned. I went off the pain med u r on. I switched to morphine 30 MG's er, 3x's a day. It works so much better for me. Good luck, and I am sorry u r having a difficult time.

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Re: Comments (# 2)

Will your insurance cover a brand? Your doctor will have to write on your prescriptions Brand Name Medically Indicated or Brand Name Medically Necessary. He or she will also have to check the No Substitution Allowed. Even then, some insurance companies will not pay for brand.

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Re: Justhuman (# 14)

Takes humble bow :) It’s hard enough nowadays just to get them to fill ANY script for pain, much less one particular type that you prefer!

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Re: Kevin (# 1)


I went to CVS to get my Clonazepam refilled. They said they "ran out and have no idea when it will be in stock again." I called my primary care doctor and he thought of a chewable version that comes in tin bubble packs. They all had a dent in them and when I pulled back the tin foil, every single pill was powder. There was zero potency. They also shorted me 10 pills and made me pay a co-pay for this garbage. I called CVS who told me to bring them to a police pill bin, that they cannot take them back." They made me call my doctor again, and by this time, they had the normal pills in stock. They also tried charging me $77.00 for Synthroid. I stood there saying nope. Look back at what I paid in the past. I have been taking Synthroid for 2 decades. "You paid zero, but we do not know why YOUR insurance is charging." I called my insurance in front of them and they said, "there still is no co-pay for a 90 day supply." CVS refused to take my phone but called them back 5 hours later, and made me make another trip back. This is outrageous. Something is going on, because others in front of me went through the same mess. My insurance did not "do something to make the price higher." CVS is the one trying to "rope-a-dope" us into a higher price tag. DO NOT FALL into step with stupid. QUESTION everything and write it down so you can report them to your state Consumer Protection or Public Health.

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Re: Kevin (# 6)

I've been with Independent Pharmacies. If the Drug Wholesaler is now not buying the drug you were on, the Independent Pharmacy can no longer get it for you. Trust me, this happened to me on 2 different drugs. The Pharma is still making it, the drug wholesalers are no longer buying because they can get something else cheaper.

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Re: Karen (# 18)

I picked up my latest refill from Walgreens last week. I noticed the Watson pills are smaller, they dont work on the pain. They only make me tired. Dammit!! What is going on!!?? Its obvious they have changed the pain medicine even more to make it less effective!! This newer pill makes me tired, dizzy, stomach feels like its on fire. My pain is not relieved. What the hell is going on!!??

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Re: Michael (# 11)

glad the pills you get from Walgreen's helps you I get mine from walgreen's also and they are like taking nothing the pill says Watson on but Watson is no longer Actavis took it over and the pills are horrible they don't work but if they work for you good luck to you

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I do not think any lawyer would touch this in our life time the drug industry is BIG business BIG money and no lawyer would could afford to do it. I looked up Aurobindo pharmaceuticals ans found many pages of where they were fined for cutting the actives in the med I was taking. I did this after a few days of taking that med because it was not working. Since it was a controlled drug I could do nothing but suffer untill refill time. I went to my doctor with 10 pages of where Aurobindo was cutting the actives. He didn't even bother to he he simply said they are "allowed" to short by 20% Thats a whole lot of cutting. No wonder they are made in India.

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Sorry to hear about your experience. Chain pharmacies usually can't control what brands they get, and lawyers aren't interested unless an injury or life-threatening side effect occurs. The FDA encourages people to report side effects so that substandard drugs can be identified.

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Re: Comments (# 2)

You are so right! Are there test kits we can get to test the efficacy of the generics that are being forced on us? Can we find an attorney that will take on this corrupt system? The medicine these days is crap!!

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Re: Master Plumber (# 3)

I love that you have said what a lot of people think but won't say. You nailed it. The more i read through this site the more i get the seeker image though not everyone sounds like it.

People fail to see that getting medication is a privilege not a right. No doctor or pharmacist has to give you anything. Be grateful your doctor isn't one that has cut you off completely with no warning or weaning like a big majority has and aren't suffering like the millions are or have. I feel like there are other underlying issues to some besides just a medication generic/brand switch. Our bodies change so our needs and wants change.

Google ringing in the ears. Google anything really and you'd be surprised.

I don't mean to sound like im attacking anyone. Just my opinion and everyone has one. That said, dig deeper and be surprised at the similarities and differences when it comes to medications, coincidences and side effects.
EXAMPLE: I just started a medication that i took 5 yrs ago. I haven't needed it. Recently needed it again. When i took it my cheek and jaw swelled up. First thought was i was allergic and it was the medication. Then i thought but I've taken it before with no problem for 7 yrs prior to the 5 without. There wasn't no other report of that happening to anyone else. Well it turns out it was coincidence because i had a wisdom tooth grow into my jaw bone over night. That hair of growth caused the swelling and pain. Point is that i thought it was the medication and it wasn't.

But you do have the option to report that side effect to the manufacturer so it is on record just in case it isn't just coincidence. Not all side effects are reported and patients just switch medications. So ringing in the ears may be have happened to others and they just didnt say so there's no record. Plus a lot of our side effects or reactions are mind fed. Just in our heads. Hard to believe but true. EXAMPLE: You read headache as a side effect and boom you have headache. You read insomnia is a side effect and boom you cant sleep. Point is a lot of things are in our head so they happen physically. Not saying all are though so please don't think i am saying yours is.
With that said, I hope you find your answers soon and that you find relief in your symptoms asap!?

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I am so sorry. I know! Ive been through it too!! We all need to get together and get an attorney to help us!! These drugs we are getting from chain pharmacies are pure garbage!! I HATE GENERICS!! What ingredients are we being poisoned with!? There is a war on chronic pain patients because of those people that think its ok to "party" with them!! My meds that have worked the same for years are now INEFFECTIVE!!! WHY!!!??? Its NOT because of tolerance like they are trying to get us to believe. It's BECAUSE THE MEDICINE NOW IS S***!!!
They are taking out more of the pain relieving ingredient, antianxiety and antidepressants and replacing it with s***!! I'm so sick of this!!!

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What are the codes stamped on the pill you need? Insurance companies are hindering many meds being carried by wholesalers, Express Scripts is causing many problems. Many insurance companies have made deals with pharmacies and no matter what pharmacies you use they charge the same price. I stop telling pharmacies i have insurance and asked for the best cash price and found i could get my meds far cheaper than the copay i was paying. The system is rigged. If you live close to the Canadian border i found i could get my meds legally for pennies on the dollar compared to the US. People in the US are getting ripped off by big business.

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