Netflix documentary “The Pharmacist.” What’s your story?

[Coleorlo]

Incredibly interesting story regarding the start of the opioid crisis in America. As an aspiring pharmacist entering my first year of pharmacy school I feel as though the opioid epidemic is something I will surely have to face in the future.

I am wondering if any current Pharmacists have any stories they’d like to share with regards to dispensing opioids and/or other addictive medication and with dealing with the opioid epidemic.

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[Pharmacy is a Scam]

Incredibly interesting story regarding the start of the opioid crisis in America. As an aspiring pharmacist entering my first year of pharmacy school I feel as though the opioid epidemic is something I will surely have to face in the future.

I am wondering if any current Pharmacists have any stories they’d like to share with regards to prescribing opioids and/or other addictive medication and with dealing with the opioid epidemic.

Here's my story: pharmacists can't prescribe and they deal with the opioid epidemic only because corporate forces them to.

Keep in mind that you'll have more important issues to face in the future if you continue to pursue pharmacy such as being unemployed and in $200k debt...

 

[owlegrad]

It’s a multifactorial issue but do you blame alcoholism on the bartender? We like to blame prescribers on this board but they aren’t physic and if a patient tells them they are in pain what is the prescriber supposed to do, call them a lair and fire them as a patient? Yes pill mills exist but that applies to both prescribers and pharmacies.

Right now the national focus seems to be shifting to blaming the drug companies (for example if you watched the recent Democratic debate you got a taste of that with Warren). While there were certainly some bad actors in that group trying to blame any one group of people seems overly reductive to me. I suspect it is societal in nature.

 

[Sine Cura]

The surprising geography of opioid use around the world

Legal opioid use per capita in the US is more than 2,000 times higher than in India. This is probably bad for both counties.

qz.com

 

[projektreverb]

It’s a multifactorial issue but do you blame alcoholism on the bartender? We like to blame prescribers on this board but they aren’t physic and if a patient tells them they are in pain what is the prescriber supposed to do, call them a lair and fire them as a patient? Yes pill mills exist but that applies to both prescribers and pharmacies.

Right now the national focus seems to be shifting to blaming the drug companies (for example if you watched the recent Democratic debate you got a taste of that with Warren). While there were certainly some bad actors in that group trying to blame any one group of people seems overly reductive to me. I suspect it is societal in nature.

I agree. I think a huge part of the issue is societal. People can’t stand the thought of being in temporary pain and medicine as a whole has become too much of a customer service industry. Docs worry about patient reviews and complains just like we do. IE “That doc is terrible he didn’t give me my narco or my yellow xanies”

 

[Chrish]

Companies are responsible for false advertising. That’s what happened with Purdue and OxyContin. Their reps falsely advertised the drug with less abuse potential compared to Oxycodone and unfortunately many prescribers bought it. All this resulted in “OxyContin Express”. Purdue were rightfully penalized.

That’s why I find it cute when our president blames Mexico for drug problems. Mexican drug cartel should account for less than 5% of the issue. Real issue in this country is pill mill doctors and pharmacies who have sold themselves to devil.

 

[sfachine]

I agree. I think a huge part of the issue is societal. People can’t stand the thought of being in temporary pain and medicine as a whole has become too much of a customer service industry. Docs worry about patient reviews and complains just like we do. IE “That doc is terrible he didn’t give me my narco or my yellow xanies”

"People can't stand the thought of being in temporary pain".Are you kidding me?Who are you to decide that?Why should they when they don't have to be?
If anyone actually looks at the data only a tiny percentage of patients who take opioids get addicted Let alone overdose on them The rise in overdose deaths is due to addicts and chronic pain patients forced to getting drugs through the illicit drug market which has no quality on regulatory controls.It is also known that overdose patients have more than one narcotic in their body. Thats why as the volume of opiod rx have decreased overdose deaths have increased.
I believe that the"Pharmacist" is actually killing more patients by cutting off their supply and forcing them into the illicit market.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions,

 

[BenJammin]

I'm guessing that most of you haven't seen the series because these comments are ridiculous.

 

[projektreverb]

"People can't stand the thought of being in temporary pain".Are you kidding me?Who are you to decide that?Why should they when they don't have to be?
If anyone actually looks at the data only a tiny percentage of patients who take opioids get addicted Let alone overdose on them The rise in overdose deaths is due to addicts and chronic pain patients forced to getting drugs through the illicit drug market which has no quality on regulatory controls.It is also known that overdose patients have more than one narcotic in their body. Thats why as the volume of opiod rx have decreased overdose deaths have increased.
I believe that the"Pharmacist" is actually killing more patients by cutting off their supply and forcing them into the illicit market.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions,

Let’s be real, a vast majority of people don’t need opioids.

 

[RX CARE]

"People can't stand the thought of being in temporary pain".Are you kidding me?Who are you to decide that?Why should they when they don't have to be?
If anyone actually looks at the data only a tiny percentage of patients who take opioids get addicted Let alone overdose on them The rise in overdose deaths is due to addicts and chronic pain patients forced to getting drugs through the illicit drug market which has no quality on regulatory controls.It is also known that overdose patients have more than one narcotic in their body. Thats why as the volume of opiod rx have decreased overdose deaths have increased.
I believe that the"Pharmacist" is actually killing more patients by cutting off their supply and forcing them into the illicit market.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions,

LOL....right on. No wonder that Doc's office hours were at 2 am with line around the building seeing 70 patients a night. She must have been doing her part in diverting the populace from the active crack market instead, right? It's crazy to think there is nothing wrong with that picture.

 

[Bubba98]

I called the DEA on a pill mill in 05 ish and I felt like I spoke with the DMV. Absolutely clueless/worthless. Oh and remember the Oxycontin reps were smokin hot...and q 8 h was OK by them. And never forget Dr A Long. The OG.

 

[projektreverb]

LOL....right on. No wonder that Doc's office hours were at 2 am with line around the building seeing 70 patients a night. She must have been doing her part in diverting the populace from the active crack market instead, right? It's crazy to think there is nothing wrong with that picture.

Honestly, the more I read that persons post, the crazier it gets. It reads like an entitled patient which is part of what lead is here. You’re entitled to get quality care from a doctor, not a pushover who will give you OxyContin 80 q4h because you stubbed your toe.

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

Just floated in a new store the other day and happened to see a patient's profile who was consistently filling 750 oxycodone 30mg per month along with 100mcg fentanyl patches. Seemed to be constantly filled for the past few years.

There was a letter on file from the doctor stating something to the effect of the patient being inherited by that office already on that regimen and they were going to be tapering down but I can't understand how they even got to that point.

Sent from my HD1925 using SDN mobile

 

[Chrish]

Just floated in a new store the other day and happened to see a patient's profile who was consistently filling 750 oxycodone 30mg per month along with 100mcg fentanyl patches. Seemed to be constantly filled for the past few years.

There was a letter on file from the doctor stating something to the effect of the patient being inherited by that office already on that regimen and they were going to be tapering down but I can't understand how they even got to that point.

Sent from my HD1925 using SDN mobile

Have heard stories of people being on those crazy regimen for metastatic cancer. If for non-malignant pain, there is no way this guy isn’t diverting it..

 

[sakigt]

I agree. I think a huge part of the issue is societal. People can’t stand the thought of being in temporary pain and medicine as a whole has become too much of a customer service industry. Docs worry about patient reviews and complains just like we do. IE “That doc is terrible he didn’t give me my narco or my yellow xanies”

They don't have TIME to be in pain. They cant call out, they cant do temporary less labor intensive tasks, they cant afford to lose jobs they have.

 

[projektreverb]

They don't have TIME to be in pain. They cant call out, they cant do temporary less labor intensive tasks, they cant afford to lose jobs they have.

Gee wiz I wonder how people survived before Norco.

 

[ValeRx]

"People can't stand the thought of being in temporary pain".Are you kidding me?Who are you to decide that?Why should they when they don't have to be?
If anyone actually looks at the data only a tiny percentage of patients who take opioids get addicted Let alone overdose on them The rise in overdose deaths is due to addicts and chronic pain patients forced to getting drugs through the illicit drug market which has no quality on regulatory controls.It is also known that overdose patients have more than one narcotic in their body. Thats why as the volume of opiod rx have decreased overdose deaths have increased.
I believe that the"Pharmacist" is actually killing more patients by cutting off their supply and forcing them into the illicit market.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions,

LOL.. so I guess we should just dispense whatever to whomever because "they could go get it on the streets if I don't give it to them?" I guess that would go over very well with the Board of Pharmacy if your license ever came into question. Fun fact: Pain is inevitable. If you're injured, there WILL be at least a small amount of pain. If you think you should be in no pain at all even when using drugs, you've got something wrong. This is the problem with society today. You think that you should be in no pain whatsoever and just be able to function normally, feeling nothing and being able to function with no diminished mental acuity.

So when your Hydrocodone 5s still leave you with some achy pain, you go back to the MD to get a higher strength, or to take more per day. You start on Norco 10s. Hey doc... my injury is still hurting a little bit and I should be feeling NO pain, so I need something stronger. Next thing you know you're on hydromorphone 8s because that pesky little twinge in your back just won't go away.

 

[projektreverb]

LOL.. so I guess we should just dispense whatever to whomever because "they could go get it on the streets if I don't give it to them?" I guess that would go over very well with the Board of Pharmacy if your license ever came into question. Fun fact: Pain is inevitable. If you're injured, there WILL be at least a small amount of pain. If you think you should be in no pain at all even when using drugs, you've got something wrong. This is the problem with society today. You think that you should be in no pain whatsoever and just be able to function normally, feeling nothing and being able to function with no diminished mental acuity.

So when your Hydrocodone 5s still leave you with some achy pain, you go back to the MD to get a higher strength, or to take more per day. You start on Norco 10s. Hey doc... my injury is still hurting a little bit and I should be feeling NO pain, so I need something stronger. Next thing you know you're on hydromorphone 8s because that pesky little twinge in your back just won't go away.

Thank you.