how do they catch physicians who abuse their prescription privileges?

[chloroform2009]

---

Members do not see this ad.

How exactly does the DEA and the state licensing boards find and convict practitioners who prescribe the wrong meds or medications for non-medical reasons or for outside of their scope of practice?

Is this done mostly by pharmacists? Do pharmacists routinely report incorrect or non-medical prescriptions? And what usually happens to the physicians who write these scripts?

 

[PharmDstudent]

Pharmacists report them. The DEA or state boards investigate them.

From what I've learned, physicians usually lose their license to prescribe controlled substances, i.e. pain clinic docs.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

In many states, there are controlled drug lists. I.E., in West Virginia, you are required to report any dispensed CII - CIV drugs weekly. The state compiles all of these by patient, pharmacy, and prescriber on an online database that is searchable and sortable. So they can go in and see how many scripts a physician has written for a certain patient...or how many times a certain patient has gotten something filled. When I was doing retail, we used to catch people on a daily basis trying to get an opioid narcotic filled that was way too soon and from a second prescriber.

The look on their faces when we said, "You got 100 of these at CVS three days ago from Dr. Smith, I can't fill this. I'm going to hole onto it and inform the physician about the prior script."

 

[chloroform2009]

From what I've learned, physicians usually lose their license to prescribe controlled substances, i.e. pain clinic docs.

Is this forever? How many times must a physician do this before getting a DEA/license privilege revoked?

Also, how soon after the complaint does the DEA or state board start investigating?

 

[SHC1984]

In many states, there are controlled drug lists. I.E., in West Virginia, you are required to report any dispensed CII - CIV drugs weekly. The state compiles all of these by patient, pharmacy, and prescriber on an online database that is searchable and sortable. So they can go in and see how many scripts a physician has written for a certain patient...or how many times a certain patient has gotten something filled. When I was doing retail, we used to catch people on a daily basis trying to get an opioid narcotic filled that was way too soon and from a second prescriber.

The look on their faces when we said, "You got 100 of these at CVS three days ago from Dr. Smith, I can't fill this. I'm going to hole onto it and inform the physician about the prior script."

Cool, didn't know this. I thought you could easily get away with this if you just pay in cash. I thought only insurance companies catch early refills! LOL...But do you really have time to search the patient in the database before each fill? or does the computer do this automatically for you?

 

[rphello]

But do you really have time to search the patient in the database before each fill?

No, but it's obvious when you do need to check the database.

or does the computer do this automatically for you?

It only makes sense to link the pharmacy directly to the controlled substance database to provide instant queries. I don't know why this hasn't been implemented. Some red tape BS, I'm sure.

 

[SHC1984]

It only makes sense to link the pharmacy directly to the controlled substance database to provide instant queries. I don't know why this hasn't been implemented. Some red tape BS, I'm sure.

Yeah, thats why I have never heard of it. The only times I ever reject a fill is when the insurance company rejects it...I don't think I have ever rejected a cash filled scripted before. LOL...but then again I was a tech with no experience. 😳

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Cool, didn't know this. I thought you could easily get away with this if you just pay in cash. I thought only insurance companies catch early refills! LOL...But do you really have time to search the patient in the database before each fill? or does the computer do this automatically for you?

Type in name and birthday. Hit search. It used to take like 15 seconds.

 

[rphello]

Type in name and birthday. Hit search. It used to take like 15 seconds.

Well, that's still 15 seconds, so manual search is unnecessary. The database should be linked to all profiles. There's no reason not to do this.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Well, that's still 15 seconds, so manual search is unnecessary. The database should be linked to all profiles. There's no reason not to do this.

People have already inquired. It's a no-go. The state doesn't want a link between the retail computer systems and their web server. They don't want to to pay for the bandwidth to check every last person in the entire state. Even though many already make it policy to look up every controlled script. That was our policy, too.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Yeah, thats why I have never heard of it. The only times I ever reject a fill is when the insurance company rejects it...I don't think I have ever rejected a cash filled scripted before. LOL...but then again I was a tech with no experience. 😳

Does Georgia have a database? WV has had one since 2006 back when I was interning in retail. Back then we were the only state that did it. I know that several have followed the success. Diversion has decreased at a marked pace.

Dub-V Vanguard'n it.

 

[rphello]

They don't want to to pay for the bandwidth to check every last person in the entire state. Even though many already make it policy to look up every controlled script. That was our policy, too.

That's just stupid. Don't they realize how much money they would save in the law enforcement budget alone? The cost of bandwidth is pocket change. Typical bureaucratic short-sighted bs.

 

[SHC1984]

Does Georgia have a database? WV has had one since 2006 back when I was interning in retail. Back then we were the only state that did it. I know that several have followed the success. Diversion has decreased at a marked pace.

Dub-V Vanguard'n it.

Not sure if Georgia have a database or not, but I haven't seen it used or talked about...so my guess is no. Its a good idea to have one, thats pretty much the only way to catch cash paying patients with CII rx.

 

[johnep34]

In the UK, following Dr Shipman (murdered 200 pts) All private scripts for CDs have to be on official form and forwarded by the pharmacy to a central record.
johnep