Family Prescription lolz on a Saturday

[pharm B]

On an otherwise boring Saturday, I was alone in the pharmacy. We were all caught up, so I was actually a little excited to see a voicemail pop up. Turns out, it's a doctor calling in prescriptions for a family member (he didn't say this, but they had the same last name). One of the verbal orders was for Norco, which really made me laugh. The other was zolpidem.

Turns out the doc is retired and just writes these for his sibling every few years. When the relative showed up at the window a few days later, I provided a few reasons why I wouldn't be filling the medications. "He does this all the time. He's done it before." I provided him a page from the Oregon handbook for providers with the statement "Do not prescribe for friends or family without adequate documentation," highlighted.

The relative walked away rattled, but I haven't heard anything else in the weeks since I got the voicemail.

You guys ever have this happen?

One friend had a doc call stuff in for his son (high dose of zolpidem), then the doc said he was going to call the pharmacy board if he didn't fill it. So the friend called the medical board.

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[Corytrade]

We had a podiatrist prescribe prozac for his wife when I worked outpatient, pharmacist always filled it. They were buddies and it was a small town. Never saw controls.

 

[Momus]

I tell them you can't call in controlled meds for yourself or family member. Have your coworker call it in, I couldn't care less as long as it's not in your name. Most of the time I'll get a call from their MD friend an hour or two later.

 

[pharm B]

I tell them you can't call in controlled meds for yourself or family member. Have your coworker call it in, I couldn't care less as long as it's not in your name. Most of the time I'll get a call from their MD friend an hour or two later.

That's been my experience. One doc seemed hyper sensitive when I refused to fill his tramadol order for his wife. It was a really polite discussion at least.

He showed up the next day and just wanted to be sure the issue had ended there, and the board wasn't called.

 

[Lnsean]

I had an NP dropped off a hard copy script for valium for herself. I didn't realize it until I was data verifying, and I told her that I could not fill this script. It was not professional and there was a clear ethics issue. She looked at me baffled like I was lecturing her on this foreign topic of professional integrity that no one ever told her of before.

The sad part was that the pharmacist before me filled it for her on 2 occasions.

 

[BenJammin]

How do you know he didn't have adequate documentation?

 

[Tommy1234]

I had an NP dropped off a hard copy script for valium for herself. I didn't realize it until I was data verifying, and I told her that I could not fill this script. It was not professional and there was a clear ethics issue. She looked at me baffled like I was lecturing her on this foreign topic of professional integrity that no one ever told her of before.

The sad part was that the pharmacist before me filled it for her on 2 occasions.

Yikes, hope they don't get caught

 

[radio frequency]

We’ve had a few issues with this in the past; I usually just say “hey, who’s your PCP, let’s ask them to write for this instead.” Either they legit need it and are ok with asking, or we never see a script again.

My favorite “you can’t do that” moments have been a veterinarian trying to self-prescribe glaucoma drops (for himself) and the pediatrician trying to prescribe insulin for her neighbor’s cat. Both were not pleased when I brought up scope of practice limitations of their degrees...

 

[pharm B]

How do you know he didn't have adequate documentation?

The stipulation for adequate documentation IMO is to justify the special circumstances under which the prescription was written. This particular guy's fill history was nothing but Norco + zolpidem, about one fill every 2 years, written by his relative, going back about 8 years.

No other prescribers, no other meds. I think once could be explained away. This was a pattern.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

How do you know he didn't have adequate documentation?

Is it wise to operate under the assumption of "legit until proven otherwise"?

 

[Sine Cura]

1) Retired MD with no clinic was calling in Lunesta for years before I put a stop to it when I took over this pharmacy. It was suspicious because the phone number doesn't match any clinic (doc's own phone number). "Please provide a chart or summary of recent visit." Never got one
2) Some DPM writing Norco for his wife when the wife couldn't get an appointment with her regular prescriber (obvious by the same uncommon last name)

Though not for family, the best ones are the ones from UC Davis vet medicine professors because they get mega-butthurt when you point out they have no California vet license so they have no authority to write any prescripton under state regulation. Someone actually thought she could use her DEA number. (Again it's because most pharmacists do not check.) Last time I checked there is no exemption to getting a vet license just because you work for UC Davis. And it's not up to me to contact the vet board to prove you have prescribing privileges. Take your Rx back to UCD. I don't give a ****

As for threats of complaints to the board of pharmacy, I have either outrun complaints (left Arizona) or the BoP doesn't give a **** about complaints of rudeness

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

1) Retired MD with no clinic was calling in Lunesta for years before I put a stop to it when I took over this pharmacy. It was suspicious because the phone number doesn't match any clinic (doc's own phone number). "Please provide a chart or summary of recent visit." Never got one
2) Some DPM writing Norco for his wife when the wife couldn't get an appointment with her regular prescriber (obvious by the same uncommon last name)

Though not for family, the best ones are the ones from UC Davis vet medicine professors because they get mega-butthurt when you point out they have no California vet license so they have no authority to write any prescripton under state regulation. Someone actually thought she could use her DEA number. (Again it's because most pharmacists do not check.) Last time I checked there is no exemption to getting a vet license just because you work for UC Davis. And it's not up to me to contact the vet board to prove you have prescribing privileges. Take your Rx back to UCD. I don't give a ****

As for threats of complaints to the board of pharmacy, I have either outrun complaints (left Arizona) or the BoP doesn't give a **** about complaints of rudeness

There was an animal hospital in Waco where 4 or 5 veterinarians were all using 1 DEA number.

These Rxs were being filled at about 8 pharmacies for *years* before I caught it.

 

[Corytrade]

We’ve had a few issues with this in the past; I usually just say “hey, who’s your PCP, let’s ask them to write for this instead.” Either they legit need it and are ok with asking, or we never see a script again.

My favorite “you can’t do that” moments have been a veterinarian trying to self-prescribe glaucoma drops (for himself) and the pediatrician trying to prescribe insulin for her neighbor’s cat. Both were not pleased when I brought up scope of practice limitations of their degrees...

Lantus insulin? Otherwise that provider should know NPH is BTC (really though, most don't) and insurance wouldn't cover it because it's for an animal so that was a complete waste of everyone's time.

 

[PikminOC]

We’ve had a few issues with this in the past; I usually just say “hey, who’s your PCP, let’s ask them to write for this instead.” Either they legit need it and are ok with asking, or we never see a script again.

My favorite “you can’t do that” moments have been a veterinarian trying to self-prescribe glaucoma drops (for himself) and the pediatrician trying to prescribe insulin for her neighbor’s cat. Both were not pleased when I brought up scope of practice limitations of their degrees...

I have ordered my own glasses and contacts.

 

[radio frequency]

Lantus insulin? Otherwise that provider should know NPH is BTC (really though, most don't) and insurance wouldn't cover it because it's for an animal so that was a complete waste of everyone's time.

I have ordered my own glasses and contacts.

That’s probably fine. Your scope of practice is the human body...