Script Not Filled Under Doctor's Orders

I had an appointment with PM Thursday, June 7. I called my PM and had my appointment moved up to Wednesday, June 6. I've been taking care of my Dad in Arkansas. I live in Tennessee. So I asked my doctor if she would put on the script fill today which was Wednesday. The reason was my Dad had passed away and I needed to get back to Arkansas. It was a few days too early to be filled. I took my script to my local Walgreens cause it said to be filled today. They denied it to be filled that day no matter what the doctor wrote. It was the Lortab 10/325 Watson brand. Then I went to my local Wal-Mart and they filled it like the doctor ordered. These were the Mallinckrodt brand of Lortab. With the Watson brand I've had little pain. When I started taking the Mallinckrodt brand it barely touches the pain. Just because Walgreens denied filling my script according to doctor's orders I got to deal with the pain for a month. By the way, Wal-Mart does not accept RX coupons for pain meds!

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REPORT

Hello, Michael! I am sorry about the problem you had.

Most pharmacies will not accept coupons for controlled substances, anymore, there has been too much abuse, and diversion.

As to them refusing to fill it, even though your doctor authorized it, that is their option, Wal-Mart did not have to fill it then for you, either, but I am glad they did so. NDC code: 0406-0523

The FDA warns that this medication carries the risk of being habit forming, and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache, constipation, and dry mouth.

When will you be back to see if you can get the other brand, again?

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

I'm back now. My next appointment with the PM is July 5. I'll haft to deal with this pain until then!

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To be honest I'm surprised that Walmart filled your script. I was told by my dr that they will no longer fill pain management scripts. But since we are on the topic of walmart and meds that aren't effective. I went thru kinda a similar situation in June. My regular pharmacy refused to fill a day early (they are closed Sunday's and even though I been going for years and the dr office allows a day early if its sundays or holidays and everyone knows if you are on a steady schedule 1 day without meds is like HE double hockey sticks) all the sudden said I couldn't fill. So I went down the road to walmart. Now I take oxycodone 20 mg and they have always been tiny. They gave me the huge white pills with rp 20 (identified as rhodes pharmaceuticals) I hope and pray I never ever come across those again. I felt like i should have just waited that extra day because now I'm stuck with a month script of medicine that doesn't work, a whole prescription wasted. Walmart just sucks. Maybe that have a discounted supplier that uses a lot of fillers (I can see them looking at the bottom dollar and cutting corners.) I'd say if your walmart allows you to still fill where u are at to stay away at all cost even if it means going a day or 2 without out so you wont be screwed for the whole month. I'm sorry you are going thru this mess. I feel your pain and hope July comes quick. Hang in there!

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Hello, I have had the very same thing happen at Walgreens! I only went there one time, the pharmacist said" yes, we have it in stock, but it's our"policy" to hold all prescriptions like this for one day before filling it"?!?.. So I told them that it was my"policy" to go to a real pharmacy and get it filled on the day that it was written. I haven't been back since. Not sure what is going on with them, I had never heard of such a thing.. I even told them to call my Dr if they felt that they needed to, But again all they said was policy... What a joke!

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I refuse to go to Walgreens for prescriptions EVER AGAIN!!! They are horrible and flag you even if you've been sick and needed different cough meds. Example: I have horrible asthmatic bronchitis attacks. Was given robitussin with codeine by my regular doctor that didn't even touch it. Had to go to the emergency room where they gave me hycodan which has hydrocodone as the active ingredient. When I went to pick up the prescription they said we have to call the doctor because you're getting too many narcotics. SAY WHAT???? Never again will I go there.

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HOUSE (# 3) --

I went to Walgreen's for YEARS and never had a problem until moving across Country and took my prescription to the local Walgreen's. At first they told me that they "could not fill the prescription because we do not have the medicine on hand". They said it would be 3-4 business days. Miraculously, within 4 hours I got a text saying the prescription was filled and ready for pickup. I came to find out that they would say that they did not have the pills on hand to ward off robberies. I guess they believed that people would come to the drive through in the evening to find out if there was a certain medication available then they would go tell one of their "friends" that they have the medication so they could go in and rob the store. If they did not recognize you this is the story you got every time. Also, the local Walgreens carried the "Watson" name brand in the generic form but I was told by the local pharmacist at Walgreens that they would continue to dispense the "Watson" generics until they ran out and it would be replaced everywhere with the "Actavis" brand of generics. I found this out the hard way when I went to fill my prescription in January of 2018 and, without my knowledge, was dispensed the "Actavis" brand of pills and they were AWFUL. Completely ineffective for me at ANY dosage. I called and found out that there was nothing I could do but take them. There was no returning them to either the pharmacy or the Doctor. I have read that IN SOME STATES an ineffective brand can be returned, the pills counted, and a new prescription can be issued which can be taken to a different pharmacy that carries a different manufacturer. Finally, I was told by TWO different Pharmacists from two different major pharmacies to ask my Doctor to check off the box that says "NO Generic Substitutions" and get the name brand because, while they have had many complaints both locally and nationally on the generics they have had very few complaints on the efficacy of the name brand. The problem with this is that my insurance company will not approve the name brand and I have fought them every step of the way. I am awaiting a ruling from the Courts right now on my appeal and that is another story for another day. Good luck in finding the "Watson" brand generics at Walgreens. If I was told correctly, as soon as the Walgreens are out of the "Watson" brand that EVERY STORE will have no choice but dispense the "Actavis" brand as the "Watson" brand of generic opioids will no longer be manufactured. I have read that in some States there are reports of the "Watson" brand still being dispensed in the generic opioids but if my information is correct that will stop when that area finally runs out of the "Watson" brand of generic opioids then whichever pharmacy a person goes to will need to find a different supplier.

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Re: w john (# 6)

Thank you for that information, I'm 'filing' it away. Best wishes to you and yours John.

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Hi, I seen your message. I have to tell you to be careful of the manufacturer of your medicine. Most of them come from China. You do not know what is in them. Do the research and find one in the USA. Make sure the ingredients do not come from China. I hope this helps. Charlotte

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Re: Painsurvior (# 3)

You have to watch the manufacturer. Most ingredients come from China. Make sure the manufacturer is in the USA and the ingredients made here too. Hope this helps

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Re: Gia (# 5)

Unfortunately, ALL Pharmacies, with very few exceptions, are getting hard to deal with when it comes to any form of pain medications. Depending on the personnel of the Pharmacy, they feel they have been given the green light to treat any person presenting a prescription for any type of narcotic as badly and disrespectful as they want. It is like they do not want your business for any products in the store. They will treat you derisively if you bring in any narcotic prescription. Not all Walgreens have horrible and abusive people in the Pharmacy but way too many of them do and. "Corporate" allows it. If you complain all they will say is that the employee needs further "training" and it is not their "policy". Bulls***! They know it is going on and they condone it. I believe if a Walgreens employee was to physically assault a pain med person that they would just explain it away. To think I gave Walgreens all of my business for over a decade and to see how they are treating many people makes me sick. Btw, I have removed all of my business from Walgreens.

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Hello, Michael,
Something very similar happened to me. I was given a Mallinckrodt brand generic at Costco that caused me to go into withdrawal within 4 hours of taking them. I called my pain specialist who had me go to his office to pick up another script that specified "No Mallinckrodt brand". I took it to Walgreen's, who refused to fill it because I had had another prescription filled just a week before (with the crap generic). I took the Mallinckrodt brand to my local sheriff's office and turned in the prescription to a deputy there. The deputy counted the pills left and called Walgreen's with his badge number to confirm that the pills had been turned in. Walgreen's filled the new prescription and said they had noted the details of the transaction on their records. When I returned to get the prescription the following month, they refused to fill it. There were no notes anywhere, according to the pharmacist, and I had had two prescriptions filled the previous month. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have had the deputy write an information report so that I had proof of what had occurred. I will never go to Walgreen's again. Both times I tried to fill prescriptions, the employees were rude. I am now having prescriptions filled at Publix and have never had a problem with them.

When I left Florida last year to avoid Hurricane Irma, my doctor gave me a script a week early because of the emergency situation. We were in Georgia for two weeks and I had no problem filling it in Georgia. Walgreens should have been able to fill your script because you were going out of town. Shame on them!

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Re: Charlotte (# 9)

Hello, how can I find out though? I mean what of the pharmacy wont tell me ahead of time and can I request them to use a different one or would I have to go to another pharmacy to have it filled? I'm not sure if my questions make sense. If not just let me know and I'll try and clarify.

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Re: w john (# 10)

It is definitely ridiculous!! And I'm afraid my friend that it's only going to get worse. I was on Facebook today and some ignorant lady posted that people should get off these narcotics and try the combo of Tylenol/Aleve. People in general are so uninformed about certain syndromes which require strong pain control. It angers me both as a registered nurse and someone who watches her husband every day in significant pain even WITH narcotics. He never would even take Tylenol much less these drugs they've put him on because he has RSD from strokes he's had. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!!!

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Re: w john (# 10)

I have done the same thing, for much of the same reasons!.. Walgreens, at least in my book, is worthless...

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Re: Painsurvior (# 12)

Here is what I BELIEVE. If you go to a pharmacy and they fill your prescription with a pill that is manufactured some place out of the Country they will not tell you even if they know. Most pharmacies dispense what they are given to dispense unless they are an independent pharmacy. Requesting a certain manufacturer, at least at a chain company like Walgreens, will get you a very cursory "No". If you are even treated civilly it will be a miracle. These pharmacy employees have been trained to believe that anyone who inquires about any opioid based pill is a drug addict and you are just "shopping" pharmacies. This is the climate we now have to deal with. I did business at various Walgreens for more than 20 years in two States. I knew many of the pharmacy employees and they were at least cordial until the subject of the quality of the generic pain medication they were dispensing was broached. They then went very cold and unprofessional. Take it or leave it was their attitude. I left it and have never been back to Walgreen's since.

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NO EXCUSE!!! This has to somehow STOP! I want to know WHY we are going through this!!!??? This is torture! Inhumane!!!

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Re: Gia (# 13)

OMG!!! SHE NEEDS TO SHUT UP!!! The NSAIDS gave me kidney disease!!! The doctor told me I have it from NSAIDS!!!

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Re: Spirit (# 17)

Girl I know!!!!! People have NO IDEA what others go through!!! Not to even mention those who are on blood thinners and cannot take anti-inflammatories!!!!!! UGH!!!!

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I would suggest asking your dr to call that pharmacy bc they had no right to do that. Also, if you choose to no longer take your chances there & continue to try Walmart, before having them fill your script, ask them to look up the medication & see what manufacturers they work with as most pharmacies do use several manufacturers for the same medications. If they do happen to work with the specific one you prefer, ask them if they can attempt to order it from them. Most pharmacists will take the time to do this for you. They put in orders daily for medications so it won’t be more trouble for them to order another kind (as long as they receive the medication from the manufacturer you are requesting). Now, if they are unable to do it, then @ least you know from then on out that your Walmart can’t get your preferred brand. It also doesn’t hurt (if you can or are willing to take the time) to call your neighboring pharmacies & simply ask if they carry or can order the specified brand that you seek. I.e. done that a few times in the past with other meds & it’s more convenient than to drive to each & every pharmacy & waste time by going there if they don’t have it. I was a pharmacy tech for years & am an ex-addict so I know a lot on both sides & I hope I can help you with the advice I gave as I can’t stand to see anyone suffer, especially ppl either with legitimate pain issues or ppl who are in recovery trying to fight their addiction by doing the right thing. Lmk if there’s anything I can do as I will try to help you in any way I can. Take care!

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Re: Laura (# 19)

Thank you Laura, for taking the time to explain this... it's less complicated, informative, and helpful-at least to me. Thanks!

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Re: BL (# 26)

I guess it all depends on a person's experience and, to some degree, their age. I can tell by a Pharmacists demeanor and tone of voice if they are being judgemental. Unfortunately, many Pharmacists bring their own personal feelings and beliefs to their job and they take it out on their customers. If a Pharmacist buys into the so called "opioid" epidemic they will treat a customer with a pain medication prescription like they are part of the problem. Not a chronic pain patient.

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Re: BL (# 22)

While it is not ILLEGAL for a pharmacist to not fill a prescription, it IS absolutely wrong in MANY case's..

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This was copied off 'Peoples Pharmacy' website. Credit for the author and more about her is at the bottom of this post.

"Do you know where your medicines come from? It can actually be something of a challenge to find out, because unlike shirts or apples, drugs do not have to be labeled with country of origin. As it turns out, over the past two decades, the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has followed the same route as many other industries. Now, experts estimate that about four-fifths of the medications we take were made in China or India.

In the last 20 years, pharmaceutical manufacturing has shifted to other countries from the US. Find out what difference it could make if your medicine was made in China.

A high proportion of these are generic drugs that the FDA has approved as equivalent to the brand name product. But how good is the quality control? FDA has limited ability and personnel to inspect manufacturing facilities in China.

A recent recall underscores the potential hazards. On July 5, 2018, the European Medicines Agency recalled the blood pressure pill valsartan made by the Zhejiang HuaHai Pharmaceutical Company in Linhai, China. Apparently, the pills had been contaminated with a probable human carcinogen, NDMA. A week later, on July 13, 2018, the FDA followed suit and recalled valsartan alone or in combination with hydrochlorothiazide from Major Pharmaceuticals, Solco Healthcare and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

If Chinese companies suddenly stopped providing active pharmaceutical ingredients or finished pharmaceutical products to the US, the health care system would be in trouble within a short time. So many of our medicines are made in China that critical drug shortages would endanger lives.

What, if anything, should we health care consumers do to protect ourselves?

Rosemary Gibson is a senior advisor at the Hastings Center, a Health Care Ethics research institute, and is the author of numerous books investigating healthcare issues. Most recently she co-authored China RX: Exposing the Risks of America’s Dependence on China for Medicine, with Janardan Prasad Singh. Their book documents what has led to China’s increasing dominance in the manufacturing of medicine and the far-reaching consequences of this."

Source: "Was Your Medicine Made in China?". Peoplespharmacy.com. Web. August 4th, 2018.

There are a few websites that sell 'made in america' vitamins. some can be found at rite aid, walgreens, etc.

That almighty dollar is wreaking it's havoc now isn't it?

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Re: w john (# 25)

A patient believing a pharmacist is judging them. Does not mean the pharmacist is. This time of year there are a lot of pharmacist just out of school. They have the knowledge. But, they do not have the experience.

It is always best to deal with the same pharmacist. It requires time and effort to call and ask the pharmacist when they are working. But, it is well worth it. Your suggestion of going to another pharmacy is also good.

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Re: BL (# 24)

Most of your points are valid. Pharmacists do not have to fill a prescription if they choose not to. However, Pharmacists are NOT responsible for passing judgement on what has been properly prescribed and how much as long as it is legal. They are not medical doctors and have no right to second guess a medical doctor. They can, again, choose not to fill a prescription. Just go some place else if one does not like what they are told by any Pharmacist.

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Re: Livinginpain (# 23)

It is often more than a pharmacists personal opinion. Orders from corporate offices also play a part. If a pharmacist has reasons to believe a particular prescription(s) could be dangerous for a patient, They are not obligated to fill it. Pharmacists have a legal responsibility for each prescription they fill.

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Re: BL (# 22)

What's wrong is people are going without needed medication because the pharmacist personal beliefs opinions.

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Laura (# 19) -

Pharmacist have the right to refuse to fill a prescription. There is nothing illegal or wrong about it.

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Re: madashell (# 20)

Of course!! Need anything else or have any more questions, I will do what so can to help you find answers!??

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