Example of pharmacy getting fined for improper OTC insulin sales

[Sine Cura]

https://azbop.igovsolution.net/docs/AZBOPDOCS/2018/8/e651f263e69443af940a0bef3d706d408162018.pdf

How many times have you discussed U40 vs U100 insulin/syringes with cat owners? Do you ever document that ****? LMAO

None of these pharmacies in Mohave County AFAIK got hit with discipline over the last 10-20 years for helping to fuel white American drug-addled angst but this one got hit for some sales associate giving out wrong OTC insulin/syringes. (see previous(1) posts(2) on volume opioid prescribing rivaling Appalachia)

On or about April 15, 2016, consumer/complainant D.L. entered Respondent's pharmacy with a prescription for Pro-Zinc insulin written for her cat by a veterinarian. D.L. requested the Pro-Zinc insulin as well as U40 insulin syringes to dose the insulin.

A clerk provided the consumer/complainant with Novolin insulin and U100 syringes, assuring the consumer/complainant that they were the equivalent to the Pro-Zinc insulin and U40 syringes.

The consumer/complainant asked to speak with the pharmacist to verify that the items were correct. She left before the pharmacist could provide the verification/counseling.

The consumer/complainant's cat received 2 to 3 injections of the new insulin when he began to suffer seizures due to severe hypoglycemia. The cat was eventually euthanized.

...

"Respondent shall train pharmacy employees on the proper handling of over the counter prescription items prior to dispensing."

FYI Walmart SOP is to show the OTC insulin product (not syringes) to the pharmacist and also show the OTC insulin product to the customer to verify the "right" one is being sold. There is no requirement to counsel on OTC insulin. But get ****ed if the customer doesn't want to wait.

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[Pronounce Doxazosin]

Interesting case
I wonder, if the customer did not come in with a prescription and simply asked to purchase OTC insulin, would this case be handled differently?

As for the pharmacist, $500 fine sounds like a slap on the wrist, considering this type of error could easily kill a human too

 

[Sine Cura]

I guarantee you far more people have died due to excessive opioid prescribing in Mohave County over the past decade than from improper OTC insulin sales but it apparently is not seen as an issue by the boards of medicine or pharmacy. At least not enough to do anything aside from target like 2 doctors

Nation’s opioid addiction crisis touches Havasu

More than two people die every day from opioid overdoses in Arizona. If that statistic from the Arizona Department of Health Services sounds like two people too many, the story in Mohave...

apnews.com

This Arizona county had more opioid prescriptions than people

CDC data shows that while Arizona's opioid prescription rate has fallen in the last decade, it has risen in Mohave County and other rural counties.

www.azcentral.com

 

[confettiflyer]

I guarantee you far more people have died due to excessive opioid prescribing in Mohave County over the past decade than from improper OTC insulin sales but it apparently is not seen as an issue by the boards of medicine or pharmacy. At least not enough to do anything aside from target like 2 doctors

Nation’s opioid addiction crisis touches Havasu

More than two people die every day from opioid overdoses in Arizona. If that statistic from the Arizona Department of Health Services sounds like two people too many, the story in Mohave...

apnews.com

This Arizona county had more opioid prescriptions than people

CDC data shows that while Arizona's opioid prescription rate has fallen in the last decade, it has risen in Mohave County and other rural counties.

www.azcentral.com

Yeah they need to go after prescribers. Does AZ not have a central opioid dispense repository that providers and pharmacists check?

I think the board had to do something here since it was a customer who complained. Squeaky wheel kinda thing, cat owner was probably out for blood.

 

[Sine Cura]

I probably have spent more time researching aftermarket windshield wipers for my car than the complainant spent looking up how to convert insulin.

Meanwhile PCPs writing Dilaudid 8 mg #180/30ds for "migraines." I am one of "those" pharmacists who reports prescribers for that kinda garbage but never heard squat ever happening to AZ licensees or CA licensees (yet)

At least the PIC didn't get fined directly. Hearing from some of my former co-workers, some AZ board decisions are hella dumb (and also consumer-complaint related). The pharmacies I took over in California also had 3+ disciplinary actions apiece (filling fake scripts and diversion) but nothing that I know of since I started

 

[confettiflyer]

I probably have spent more time researching aftermarket windshield wipers for my car than the complainant spent looking up how to convert insulin.

So what brand should I get?

 

[zelman]

If they got U100 insulin and syringes there was no reason they would overdose if they used both. It’s their fault for using U40 syringes with U100 insulin.

 

[Sine Cura]

So what brand should I get?

I got "Aero" blades (which are supposed to be refillable) since I couldn't find OEM refills. New bosch product lines don't have easily refillable blades.

If they got U100 insulin and syringes there was no reason they would overdose if they used both. It’s their fault for using U40 syringes with U100 insulin.

Do you think the BoP asked the complainant to prove the cat died or the actual no of units of insulin administered?

 

[ldiot]

Why is the pharmacist getting fined for the customer's stupidity? They used U-100 insulin with leftover U-40 syringes despite the fact that the pharmacy gave the U-100 syringes to go with the U-100 insulin, and to top it off the customer wouldn't wait 5 minutes to be counseled and just left?