FL Surgeon General Suspends New Requirements

[owlegrad]

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Any thoughts on this? Pretty exciting times in FL, no?

I didn't know the SG had that kind of authority to be honest. Does this sort of thing happen often?

EDIT: Link. It's pretty dry though. Basically FL recently passed a law requiring controlled medications to be written on prescription pads that are counterfeit resistant from a list of approved supplier. But prescribes were caught off guard and it was a big hassle here in FL. So our SG suspended the law for 60 days.

 

[Doctor M]

Any thoughts on this? Pretty exciting times in FL, no?

I didn't know the SG had that kind of authority to be honest. Does this sort of thing happen often?

EDIT: Link. It's pretty dry though. Basically

It should be suspended until all physicians are able to obtain the pads. Walgreens in our area were turning away scripts for legitimate controls from legit doctors. It's in the best interest of the patient to suspend this requirement until all physicians are able to obtain these pads.

 

[owlegrad]

It should be suspended until all physicians are able to obtain the pads. Walgreens in our area were turning away scripts for legitimate controls from legit doctors. It's in the best interest of the patient to suspend this requirement until all physicians are able to obtain these pads.

I agree with you DrM (big surprise). 😉

It basically came out of nowhere. We didn't turn anyone away though, we just called and asked prescribers for a verbal. The pads themselves...I am skeptical that much will come of it, but I guess anything that makes it harder to forge scripts is a good thing.

 

[Doctor M]

I agree with you DrM (big surprise). 😉

It basically came out of nowhere. We didn't turn anyone away though, we just called and asked prescribers for a verbal. The pads themselves...I am skeptical that much will come of it, but I guess anything that makes it harder to forge scripts is a good thing.

you can buy paper that seems to be counterfeit proof, but really isnt from a doctor. You just buy the paper and make the rx from home and cut it to make an rx. This part of the law is useless if you ask me. Should be like NYS where the pad is impossible to duplicate and all the pads look the same with an embossed sign showing its authenticity. If the problem is that great, dont give me this crap about not having money to pay for the system, such that rep. Schenk did not wanna use money from purdue. I say who gives a crap where the money comes from, let purdue pay. I found it appalling that these legislatures will take money from drug makers for their own gain, but when it comes to public interest, they turn a blind eye.

 

[Old Timer]

you can buy paper that seems to be counterfeit proof, but really isnt from a doctor. You just buy the paper and make the rx from home and cut it to make an rx. This part of the law is useless if you ask me. Should be like NYS where the pad is impossible to duplicate and all the pads look the same with an embossed sign showing its authenticity. If the problem is that great, dont give me this crap about not having money to pay for the system, such that rep. Schenk did not wanna use money from purdue. I say who gives a crap where the money comes from, let purdue pay. I found it appalling that these legislatures will take money from drug makers for their own gain, but when it comes to public interest, they turn a blind eye.

Listen to what Patton said,

Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man

I got a call from a DEA agent in NY. (I'm in PA), well it turns out somebody got the login to the state system for a doctors office. Logged in, changed the address & phone #, ordered a shot load of blanks and logged in again to change it back. They were filling these scripts in PA, NJ, CT, etc. When you called the office, you got the fake # they had printed on the state approved blanks. Nothing is fool proof....

 

[Doctor M]

Listen to what Patton said,


I got a call from a DEA agent in NY. (I'm in PA), well it turns out somebody got the login to the state system for a doctors office. Logged in, changed the address & phone #, ordered a shot load of blanks and logged in again to change it back. They were filling these scripts in PA, NJ, CT, etc. When you called the office, you got the fake # they had printed on the state approved blanks. Nothing is fool proof....

I never said anything was fool proof, but what we had in florida was garbage and still is.

 

[Praziquantel86]

I'm surprised more states haven't followed the NY example. It's not foolproof - nothing is - but it's certainly better than a piece of paper with a name printed on it. I'd imagine it's the startup cost of a central system that scares states away, but I think the program would more than pay for itself very shortly after implementation.

While I knew the federal laws before I moved out of state, I never realized just how much latitude was given to prescribers until that point. Is the ability to prescribe 10 months worth of Oxycontin at once really necessary?

 

[pfaction]

I live in NY, what is this you're talking about with controls?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Listen to what Patton said,


I got a call from a DEA agent in NY. (I'm in PA), well it turns out somebody got the login to the state system for a doctors office. Logged in, changed the address & phone #, ordered a shot load of blanks and logged in again to change it back. They were filling these scripts in PA, NJ, CT, etc. When you called the office, you got the fake # they had printed on the state approved blanks. Nothing is fool proof....

The resourcefulness of these people is scary. Imagine what they could do if they applied themselves to something legit rather than obtaining controlled substances illegally.

 

[Doctor M]

I'm surprised more states haven't followed the NY example. It's not foolproof - nothing is - but it's certainly better than a piece of paper with a name printed on it. I'd imagine it's the startup cost of a central system that scares states away, but I think the program would more than pay for itself very shortly after implementation.

While I knew the federal laws before I moved out of state, I never realized just how much latitude was given to prescribers until that point. Is the ability to prescribe 10 months worth of Oxycontin at once really necessary?

Yeah, i once got an rx for oxycodone 30 for #240 on a piece of paper that seemed like it was printed off of a computer. the edged were all crooked and the print was horrible. Turned out to be real. Ridiculous. In florida, before the law passed, prescriptions could be written on a piece of toilet paper if the physician desired, as long as all the pertinent information was on there.

 

[joetrisman]

In my state, controls have to be written on a "special" green pad. Copies say void all over them. Pretty neat but people just end up stealing entire rx pads from doctors and we subsequently are suppose to call to verify every narc from that Dr thereafter.

 

[SomeGuy]

The resourcefulness of these people is scary. Imagine what they could do if they applied themselves to something legit rather than obtaining controlled substances illegally.

This is a good example of security theatre: everyone thinks the NYS system is infallible and perfect, and it's probably marketed as such, so as soon as someone finds a hole, they can conduct 10x as much damage since everyone has so much faith in it.

The smartest people I know would make terrible 40-hour-per-week desk/store/blah employees.

They're more likely to come up with a ridiculously well thought-out idea and execute it successfully in a short period of time by delegating the day-to-day tasks to somebody else, which we see here.

They'd rather, and are good at, making $0 for a while developing/executing and then making $$$$$$$$$/hr for a few hours as the fruits of their labour rather than a consistent $$/hr for what seems like half of their waking lives. These are the people that are trading, running businesses, software development, consulting, researchers, etc.

In other words, judges love to say things like that, but which camp do you think they belong to almost universally?

 

[Ackj]

Yeah, i once got an rx for oxycodone 30 for #240 on a piece of paper that seemed like it was printed off of a computer. the edged were all crooked and the print was horrible. Turned out to be real. Ridiculous. In florida, before the law passed, prescriptions could be written on a piece of toilet paper if the physician desired, as long as all the pertinent information was on there.

NY really spoils us with our nice rx pads. We had somebody from one of the carolinas visiting family here, and had an rx (non control, thankfully) and it seriously looked like it was written on a napkin.

 

[APCPhT]

I never said anything was fool proof, but what we had in florida was garbage and still is.

Moving to FL to attend LECOM, Will be working for CVS. I've currently been working for CVS in NY for the last 5 years as a tech. I just, I can't. Someone came in with an Rx for Klon 0.5 like #90, refills, script was months old, on plain white paper. NY laws are strict, and I def could not fill it. (It was expired in NY, technically I could fill it and just take off the refills if it wasn't expired). So shady the FL RX's. It's going to be a big adjustment filling those pieces of paper. Anyone can just write something up that they want.

 

[owlegrad]

Moving to FL to attend LECOM, Will be working for CVS. I've currently been working for CVS in NY for the last 5 years as a tech. I just, I can't. Someone came in with an Rx for Klon 0.5 like #90, refills, script was months old, on plain white paper. NY laws are strict, and I def could not fill it. (It was expired in NY, technically I could fill it and just take off the refills if it wasn't expired). So shady the FL RX's. It's going to be a big adjustment filling those pieces of paper. Anyone can just write something up that they want.

Not according to the new laws...

But yes, FL will be a huge adjustment.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I agree with you DrM (big surprise). 😉

It basically came out of nowhere. We didn't turn anyone away though, we just called and asked prescribers for a verbal. The pads themselves...I am skeptical that much will come of it, but I guess anything that makes it harder to forge scripts is a good thing.

you can take verbals for CII meds? or you just call to verify the written one?

Not according to the new laws...

But yes, FL will be a huge adjustment.

i think i've filled more CII's in one week working in Florida than i have the entire 10 months i've been in Georgia... and i don't think people are in more pain down there 🙄

 

[owlegrad]

you can take verbals for CII meds? or you just call to verify the written one?



i think i've filled more CII's in one week working in Florida than i have the entire 10 months i've been in Georgia... and i don't think people are in more pain down there 🙄

No, but for CII's you can call the prescriber and ask if they are willing to mail you a "good" prescription and fill it in good faith. Well actually I don't know if legally we can do that or not, but that is how we have been handling it, until the most recent development of the SG.


Bare in mind that we do have legitimate hospice care, etc. where pain management is indeed needed. Of course it is no secret that we are the epicenter of this terrible problem.