PETITION: Stop Florida pharmacies from denying pain patients vital medicines

L

Leaping Gnome

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
112
Location
Florida
Pharmacys in Florida are refusing to fill legal pain med prescriptions in Florida. Please check out the petition at Change.org. If you feel they are doing wrong, please sign it.

http://www.change.org/petitions/flo...utm_source=supporter_message&utm_medium=email

Thanks,
Leaping Gnome

Floridians living with pain are finding it increasingly difficult to get their legal and legitimate pain medication prescriptions filled. The story of Sue, a nurse who worked with newborn babies in the intensive care unit, represents what countless Floridians face. Twelve years ago, Sue was rear-ended on her way home from work by a distracted driver and has spent every day since with disabling back pain. She had to give up nursing because of the pain and she still struggles every day to get out of bed to work as a self-employed legal consultant. Because of Florida’s well-intentioned but poorly executed efforts to crackdown on “pill mills” – criminal enterprises that masquerade as legitimate pain clinics – she is now forced to drive 2½ hours to find a doctor who will treat her because many doctors are unwilling to prescribe these drugs for fear of being labeled as a pill mill. As if that’s not bad enough, last month, she had to drive more than 100 miles to find a pharmacy to fill her legitimate prescriptions for pain medications! Recently, CVS pharmacies even started refusing to fill prescriptions from specific doctors as an official company policy.


For people who struggle to live with their pain, including some who must use wheelchairs, the hours they have to spend in their cars and work to get in and out of a car--just to find a pharmacy to fill their prescriptions--all only makes their pain worse. Floridians and all other Americans who live with debilitating chronic pain should never face more challenges to getting the care they need to live their lives.

Petition Letter:

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Florida Pharmacies and State Board of Pharmacy.

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Stop Florida pharmacies from denying pain patients vital medicines

I am writing to urge pharmacies in Florida to ensure that their pharmacists fill legal and legitimate prescriptions for pain medicines, and that they stock these medicines at appropriate levels. I am also asking the Florida Board of Pharmacy to join this effort to help resolve the current crisis of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for strong pain medications by issuing new guidelines.

As a result of efforts to crack down on “pill mills,” legitimate pain management clinics are closing, good doctors are afraid to prescribe pain medications, and pharmacists are seeing all prescriptions for certain medications with suspicion. Floridians living with pain are finding it increasingly difficult to get their legal and legitimate pain medication prescriptions filled – a story that is becoming far too common across Florida.

It’s not uncommon to hear about pharmacists giving false reasons for their unwillingness to fill prescriptions, even claiming that a doctor is not qualified to write a prescription, is under investigation, or that there is a national shortage of a medication. Some people with pain have found their long-time pharmacist unwilling to fill their prescriptions with no reasons given, despite the fact that they have filled identical prescriptions every month for years. Because the pharmacists’ explanations often are inadequate or inaccurate, these people with pain feel stigmatized, as if the pharmacist suspects them of abusing their medicines despite no evidence that this is true. In fact, all people with pain want is to use the medications their doctors prescribe for them, to get as much relief from their pain as they can.
In 2011, the Institute of Medicine reported that 116 million American adults live with chronic pain, costing our economy about $600 billion per year. This is easily our #1 public health issue, affecting more people and costing more money than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. On the other hand, government surveys show that only 1/10 as many people, about 12 million, abuse or use prescription pain medicines for pain relief without a prescription each year. Florida has had an issue with prescription pain medicine abuse, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that its large number of older adults also means it has more than its share of people with chronic pain. It is unethical for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to coldly turn their backs on these people instead of helping them find relief from their pain.

I call upon the Board of Pharmacy to work with other licensing boards and professional organizations to develop a set of guidelines emphasizing the pharmacist’s obligation to provide that relief by filling legal and legitimate prescriptions for strong pain medication. I also demand that pharmacies help relieve the burden of people with pain by promoting their pharmacists’ ability to fill all legal and legitimate prescriptions for pain medicines from an adequate inventory in each store.

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Sincerely,


[Your name]
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That's messed up.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if countless Floridian patients with legitimate chronic pain have already switched to buying off the street.

Over the past couple of years, I've read so many of these articles and I shake my head at how utterly ignorant the Canadian and American governments can be. They enact these draconian laws regarding the dispensing (e.g. - the situation in Florida) and coverage of pain medications (e.g. - the situation in Ontario with ODB coverage of OxyContin) and then they scratch their heads after articles in the newspapers or online surface about more and more people turning to painkillers bought on the black market or heroin as if they didn't see it coming (for the umpteenth time). My God - the arrogance and sheer idiocy these moron policy makers show (and will undoubtedly continue to show) in of themselves over and over again as this antiquated cycle of cause and effect in relation to a very stupid drug policy continues.
 
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Making it harder for dope fiends to get their opiates should solve the narcotic addiction problem down there. Surely all these people will just kick and won't turn to smack or anything.
Anyway I signed it.
 
ro4eva said:
That's messed up.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if countless Floridian patients with legitimate chronic pain have already switched to buying off the street.

Over the past couple of years, I've read so many of these articles and I shake my head at how utterly ignorant the Canadian and American governments can be. They enact these draconian laws regarding the dispensing (e.g. - the situation in Florida) and coverage of pain medications (e.g. - the situation in Ontario with ODB coverage of OxyContin) and then they scratch their heads after articles in the newspapers or online surface about more and more people turning to painkillers bought on the black market or heroin as if they didn't see it coming (for the umpteenth time). My God - the arrogance and sheer idiocy these moron policy makers show (and will undoubtedly continue to show) in of themselves over and over again as this antiquated cycle of cause and effect in relation to a very stupid drug policy continues.
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qft
 
wiggi said:
Those pharmacies aren't doing anything legally wrong.
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That may be, but (I have no clue pertaining to the following question) wouldn't what they're doing (turning away patients with legitimate chronic pain problems, some suffering from cancer related pain, etc.) be considered unethical?

My sincere sympathies go out to every Floridian whose quality of life has been severely and negatively impacted due to not being able to fill their Rx.
 
Is a petition a published news item? Hardly. On the other hand, no other forum on BL will house such threads.

In any case, whenever you start a thread in this forum, include the text in the OP.

This is a poor petition because it has no real citations. It's impossible to determine the scope or nature of the problem from the (lack of) data presented in the letter.
 
23536 said:
Is a petition a published news item? Hardly. On the other hand, no other forum on BL will house such threads.

In any case, whenever you start a thread in this forum, include the text in the OP.

This is a poor petition because it has no real citations. It's impossible to determine the scope or nature of the problem from the (lack of) data presented in the letter.
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This in no way effects my life, I rarely take opiates -- Just for my position.

Just so fed up with the ignorance of higher authorities. If anything at least it will help spread awareness, only helping this and many similar situations down the road.
 
23536 said:
Is a petition a published news item? Hardly. On the other hand, no other forum on BL will house such threads.

In any case, whenever you start a thread in this forum, include the text in the OP.
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The petition may not be news, but what goes along with it is the rally that was on the news and the You Tube before the rally from ch7.

Here is the email I got below from Donna which is handleing the petition and the rally together.
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The date for the rally at the Florida Capitol has now been scheduled for September 12.

Also, please see the following YouTube piece from a Florida ABC News affiliate, talking about the rally:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsWwYQI4tyY&list=UUK0UUsCjtMRNtS3BPh1Yc4w&index=2&feature=plpp_video

For more information, please contact Donna Ratliff at goldenmain 517 @ gmail.com,
or find her on Facebook page -" Fight For Pain Care Action Network".
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Leaping Gnome
 
I was talking to some crackhead at the clinic the other day and he told me that when he and his wife lived in florida a few years ago they each were going to like 3 different pain clinics and gettling close to 500 30mg IR oxy pills a month, plus a ton of 2mg xanax. no wonder pharmacies are weary about filling rxs for strong pain meds. its completely fucked up how assholes like that ruin things for legitimate pain patients who probably get viewed the same way as any other addict in need of medicine. Florida is the retirement mecca, there is a reason there is so many pain clinics, both legitimate and pill mills.
 
'medicine cabinet' said:
I was talking to some crackhead at the clinic the other day and he told me that when he and his wife lived in florida a few years ago they each were going to like 3 different pain clinics and gettling close to 500 30mg IR oxy pills a month, plus a ton of 2mg xanax. no wonder pharmacies are weary about filling rxs for strong pain meds. its completely fucked up how assholes like that ruin things for legitimate pain patients who probably get viewed the same way as any other addict in need of medicine. Florida is the retirement mecca, there is a reason there is so many pain clinics, both legitimate and pill mills.
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Yeppers - a few (well, maybe more than a few) peeps ruining it for everyone else.
 
'medicine cabinet' said:
...its completely fucked up how assholes like that ruin things for legitimate pain patients who probably get viewed the same way as any other addict in need of medicine. Florida is the retirement mecca, there is a reason there is so many pain clinics, both legitimate and pill mills.
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It is completely fucked up that they don't have a SIMPLE SYSTEM in place to track such abuse, and then abuse their own power by crippling these poor people and, now just are a cause of street/drug trade and VIOLENCE increasing.

Un. Fucking. Believable.
 
Florida has a very bad situation with prescription narcotics, stimulants, and benzodiazepines (especially Xanax, Klonopin and Ativan).
 
'medicine cabinet' said:
I was talking to some crackhead at the clinic the other day and he told me that when he and his wife lived in florida a few years ago they each were going to like 3 different pain clinics and gettling close to 500 30mg IR oxy pills a month, plus a ton of 2mg xanax. no wonder pharmacies are weary about filling rxs for strong pain meds. its completely fucked up how assholes like that ruin things for legitimate pain patients who probably get viewed the same way as any other addict in need of medicine. Florida is the retirement mecca, there is a reason there is so many pain clinics, both legitimate and pill mills.
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In California after working 35 years, with 26 of them a Teamster, I had to retire on disability. (Back, neck, headaches, 2 shoulder surgeries, 2 elbow surgeries and a bicep tendon reattachment.) I did/do chiropractic, portable TENS unit, inversion table and pain meds to keep working and to avoid surgery on my neck and back.

After retiring in 2006 I moved to Florida. I couldn't find a real doctor to write anything for pain. I then see an ad in the news paper about a pain clinic that treats with meds. This is what I need to keep from surgeries on my back/neck and the rest of my chronic pains.

I go there with "REAL" MRI's, X-Ray's and a library of documentation. I see 2 armed guards and kids passed out on the lawn waiting for their buddies to return with a script. One guy had to be SHOOK to wake him up to go into his appointment...reason, he worked all night. I could tell that most of the people were there just to get drugs! BTW, I didn't get half prescribed what the passed out patents got.

After 3 months I find a GP doctor for my high blood pressure. He was an old doctor that used to do house calls back in the day.

With all of my documentation he didn't have a problem treating me for pain. Thank God I didn't have to go back to the pill mill!!!

Then 1/1/2012 Florida laws change that it has to be a pain management doctor to prescribe pain meds. I go to pain management and go through all of the lab rat crap for 6 months. Last month I ended up admitted to the hospital with BP 240/140 with a heart rate POUNDING at 118 and EKG showing a heart attack. It was from the Imitrex they prescribed. (Warnings, do not take with high blood pressure, male over 40, or a smoker. I fall under all of those.) That was the second time my BP got that high from one of their lab rat drugs on me.

My GP doctor is now certified in pain management. He was tired of sending his patients to pain management and hearing the same stories as mine. When my last script is done I will be going back to him.

BTW, the new laws didn't affect the pill mill I first went to, what they were supposed to do, because it is still going!!!

"Again, if you feel it wrong, please sign the petition."

Leaping Gnome
 
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Here’s a very sad story my GP doctor told me about the new law and one of his patients.

He has an 80 year old woman that had chronic diarrhea. She had surgery for something. They prescribed her Percosets. The side effect was stopping her chronic diarrhea. Just as soon as she went off the Percosets her diarrhea returned. Doctor put her on a 5mg Oxycodone a day and it stopped once again. He pulled her off and it returned. He tried other diarrhea drugs and no results. For the last 10 years he’s had her on one 5mg Oxycodone a day.

With the new law on 1/1/2012 he was no longer to prescribe this drug. The only way she can get it is to go to pain management. Pain management will not prescribe it for diarrhea, so now the 80 year old woman is back in a dipper and shitting all over herself. My doctor said he had to hold back the tears as she cried and wanting God to just take her.

Other states in the US can control pain meds being prescribed. Why can’t Florida without tying doctor’s hands, or pharmacies not filling prescriptions.

Leaping Gnome
 
Gnome, those are some fucked up stories!

I can't find anything about Immitrex (sumatriptan) causing an increase in blood pressure. It was tested here with no significant change. Then again, it is a serotonergic, and since you described yourself as a "lab rat" I'm guessing they had you on a ton of meds, one of which may have potentiated the serotonergic effect.

Fuck Florida!
 
Leaping Gnome said:
Here’s a very sad story my GP doctor told me about the new law and one of his patients.

He has an 80 year old woman that had chronic diarrhea. She had surgery for something. They prescribed her Percosets. The side effect was stopping her chronic diarrhea. Just as soon as she went off the Percosets her diarrhea returned. Doctor put her on a 5mg Oxycodone a day and it stopped once again. He pulled her off and it returned. He tried other diarrhea drugs and no results. For the last 10 years he’s had her on one 5mg Oxycodone a day.

With the new law on 1/1/2012 he was no longer to prescribe this drug. The only way she can get it is to go to pain management. Pain management will not prescribe it for diarrhea, so now the 80 year old woman is back in a dipper and shitting all over herself. My doctor said he had to hold back the tears as she cried and wanting God to just take her.

Other states in the US can control pain meds being prescribed. Why can’t Florida without tying doctor’s hands, or pharmacies not filling prescriptions.

Leaping Gnome
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Wow - poor old woman. Can't believe the laws on dispensing narcotics in Florida are so strict now that an 80 year old woman cannot receive an Rx for ONE Percocet a day. Besides the diarrhea returning, she must have gone into a moderately intense opiate withdrawal as well. I know 5mg of Oxycodone may be peanuts to pretty much every opiate using BLer, but still.

Thanks for sharing that story Gnome.

Edit - Just read your other post about your situation. I'm sorry you have you to put up with so much shit (some of it, possibly life-threatening) to get a prescription for a narcotic. If I knew you personally, I'd try to help you sue whatever doctor put you on Imitrex for (perhaps I'm going too far but...) endangering your life. Maybe we'd end up on Judge Judy.
 
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http://www.pdrhealth.com/drugs/imitrex

Who should not take Imitrex?
Do not begin treatment with Imitrex if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.

Also, do not take this medication if you have severe liver problems, uncontrolled high blood pressure, have had a stroke, or you are taking any other medications with ergotamine or within 2 weeks of taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, or MAOI, a class of drugs used to treat depression, psychiatric and emotional disorders, and Parkinson's disease.

Imitrex should not be used in people who have heart problems, such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Also, do not take this drug if you have symptoms or risk factors for CAD such as diabetes, high cholesterol, if you smoke, are overweight or obese, are menopausal, or a male>40 years old.
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I have high BP, smoke, male over 40 and about 30lb overweight. The pharmacy had real concerns asking if the doctor knew about my high BP prescribing Imitrex. I contacted the doctor a couple of times and never heard back. After about a week and a half my head was POUNDING so badly I gave up and took one. That's when I ended up in the hospital for 2 days. Cardiologist said NO drugs like Imitrex with high blood pressure should ever be prescribed!!! I then had to come back to have more tests run.

Lab rat, first Suboxone as my new pain med...followed by 2 steroid injection procedures...followed by 2 RF procedures (Radio Frequency to kill nerves)...change Suboxone to 4 10/325 Percosets a day...plus other drugs to try like Topamax. As far as the drugs from PM at the time of hospital, it was only the Percosets and Imitrex.

The first time I ended up in the ER was from the Suboxone. Most people it will bring down BP, but me it threw it out of control. Doctor didn't believe me. The Suboxone rep told him it has never caused high BP. I went to the Suboxone site and I found in their testing that in fact it did cause high BP in some people. He was pissed and reported it. He then told me others were having the same reactions and pulled them off of it. Pretty bad when a retired truck driver has to do the research for a doctor!!!

Now they want to do Botox injections all over my head. My cardiologist said no! They are still pushing it to make money, even though they are told no from a cardiologist. My GP doctor also does Botox injections manly for cosmetic. He told me with the pinched nerves in my neck it will do nothing for my headaches. This type of crap is why he went ahead and got pain management certified.

This is just one story of many since the new laws in Florida. People have to go to pain management doctors if they need meds. Then you have to jump through all of their money making hoops like I did. It's got to stop!!!

Leaping Gnome
 
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