Pharmacist refused to fill med

[F0nzie]

I tried refilling an eye drop med for my dad but when he went to pick it up the pharmacist refused to give it to him because I am a psychiatrist and it is out of my scope of practice. Has this happened to anybody before?


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[sunlioness]

How can that be legal?

I'm self prescribing metformin because I have a h/o insulin resistance and have gained a few lbs recently. Pharmacist didn't blink.


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[nexus73]

Go to a different pharmacy and leave some online reviews.

 

[PikminOC]

post in pharmacy thread

 

[Mad Jack]

Evidently that pharmacist doesn't understand what a medical license is, what the actual ****

 

[notdeadyet]

That's absolutely nuts. I'd make a call. S/he needs to be educated about scope of practice for prescription rights.

 

[wolfvgang22]

I have had a pharmacist tell me they have their own license to look out for first, so they can say no to whatever. I bet that this pharmacist just didn't want you writing a script for a family member and used the excuse of scope of practice.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

Ask the pharmacist who should prescribe metformin, a family doctor, endocrinologist, or cardiologist, a surgeon or urologist? Not possibly Ob/Gyn since they just deal with pregnancy right?

 

[nexus73]

Ask the pharmacist who should prescribe metformin, a family doctor, endocrinologist, or cardiologist, a surgeon or urologist? Not possibly Ob/Gyn since they just deal with pregnancy right?

And never a psychiatrist for patients on atypicals.

 

[whopper]

I wouldn't complain not because the pharmacist is right (he's wrong) it's cause if you really want to push it a doc arguably shouldn't prescribe for a family member. Yeah I know no harm but then again we're talking causing a stink, a stink where one can throw the mud back at you and there's ammo for it.

A pharmacist can refuse. I'm not saying it's right. Just cause a doctor writes a script a pharmacist can also refuse if he/she thinks something's rotten in Denmark.

 

[notdeadyet]

I wouldn't complain not because the pharmacist is right (he's wrong) it's cause if you really want to push it a doc arguably shouldn't prescribe for a family member.

Is there regional variation to this?

It's not against the law out my way and the AMA's stance is (or was) that prescribing to family was okay as long as it was not providing long-term care for a condition and was not a controlled substance.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I tried refilling an eye drop med for my dad but when he went to pick it up the pharmacist refused to give it to him because I am a psychiatrist and it is out of my scope of practice. Has this happened to anybody before?


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lol just go to a different pharmacy. Guess the pharmacist must not realize there's another pharmacy every half mile.

I agree, wouldn't push it this time because it's for a family member but if it were for an actual patient, I'd be calling the pharmacy manager to tell them to knock the pharmacist off his/her high horse. Pharmacists should be double checking things up to a point. You aren't prescribing immunosuppressants. If they give you any crap, I'd cordially remind the manager that you can easily start suggesting your patients use an alternative pharmacy chain...they'll know it's not worth the money just to make some kind of point.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Is there regional variation to this?

It's not against the law out my way and the AMA's stance is (or was) that prescribing to family was okay as long as it was not providing long-term care for a condition and was not a controlled substance.

My understanding is that it's generally disapproved of it not illegal. I know it's done all the time, but theoretically you should keep records and whatnot when you do prescribe for family members and also if you self prescribe. I personally wouldn't do it, but I can see where it's not the end of the world to write a refill or a time limited medication.

Perhaps the pharmacist had just read this -- http://pharmacistsletter.therapeuti...=4304&dd=250412&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

 

[J ROD]

As a pharmacist I would have filled it since it was for an eye drop. But I know many that would not since it appears out of their scope and for a family member.

I have refused to fill a MD rx before when I thought it was harmful to the patient in the hospital. I got cussed out by the md. But in the end I was right and was backed up by my director.

We are taught to be a check and balance and Pharm.Ds in general are more cautious.

Each of us has a license to what we think is right. So I can understand why they refused but I would only for controls to family or person. Something like that in retail.

 

[jettavr6]

For eye drops, anti-biotics, etc?? I agree with just going to a different pharmacy.

 

[birchswing]

If they give you any crap, I'd cordially remind the manager that you can easily start suggesting your patients use an alternative pharmacy chain

This is the point they ask you if you promise.

 

[Shikima]

Goes along the same lines for an ambitious pharmacist scaring patients in not taking a SSRI and an SNRI together out of the fear that they will develop serotonin syndrome. And now not only do I have extra work to do in managing the fear of side effects, the original symptoms are not under control.

 

[notdeadyet]

I have refused to fill a MD rx before when I thought it was harmful to the patient in the hospital. I got cussed out by the md. But in the end I was right and was backed up by my director.

Good for you.

I've gotten about four call-backs from hospital pharmacists for inpatient and PES work. One call-back caught something I missed and three others were caution calls that I'd considered in making the decision. All calls were appreciated. I love me my hospital pharmacists.

 

[michaelrack]

Is there regional variation to this?

It's not against the law out my way and the AMA's stance is (or was) that prescribing to family was okay as long as it was not providing long-term care for a condition and was not a controlled substance.

there is state to state variation- some state medical boards address this either formally or informally in their regulations

 

[zolof]

I tried refilling an eye drop med for my dad but when he went to pick it up the pharmacist refused to give it to him because I am a psychiatrist and it is out of my scope of practice. Has this happened to anybody before?


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No thats freaking ridiculous. I have never seen or heard of anything like that.

 

[NJWxMan]

I've recently had some problems with pharmacists, especially ones working in grocery store pharmacies. One refused to fill zoloft 200 mg daily. One frightened a patient about taking remeron with ssri. Another told a pt that he could not fill script as insurance would not fill it yet (it was an increased dose) and never told the patient that he could spend $5 to get the med instead.

 

[Shikima]

I've recently had some problems with pharmacists, especially ones working in grocery store pharmacies. One refused to fill zoloft 200 mg daily. One frightened a patient about taking remeron with ssri. Another told a pt that he could not fill script as insurance would not fill it yet (it was an increased dose) and never told the patient that he could spend $5 to get the med instead.

As a side note, I've noticed insurance companies will charge more for the copay than the cash value.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

there is state to state variation- some state medical boards address this either formally or informally in their regulations

Didn't know this. I always just assumed this was an ethically grey area where it more or less depended more on what you were prescribing rather than who.

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[DD214_DOC]

I'm pretty sure my, "scope of practice" is whatever I decide it is.

 

[keifernny2]

I'm pretty sure my, "scope of practice" is whatever I decide it is.

The pharmacist likely is thinking the same way.

 

[NickNaylor]

I haven't tried to self-prescribe/prescribe for others, but a few of my co-interns have and even with a training license they haven't had trouble with minor stuff (e.g., antibiotics). Seems pretty ridiculous if you ask me given how completely benign eye drops are. Seems like an odd sticking point but I can understand where the pharmacist is coming from... I guess.

 

[Mocaman]

I haven't tried to self-prescribe/prescribe for others, but a few of my co-interns have and even with a training license they haven't had trouble with minor stuff (e.g., antibiotics). Seems pretty ridiculous if you ask me given how completely benign eye drops are. Seems like an odd sticking point but I can understand where the pharmacist is coming from... I guess.

100% unaccectable.
Doctors orders....period.
pharmD...They dispense, they verify, end of story.

 

[Mocaman]

As a side note, I've noticed insurance companies will charge more for the copay than the cash value.

wow wow wow. A call to the pharm rd, instantly. This is becoming more and more common with pharmd D'. As a pharmD, don'thow dare you question our managment of pts. It is not in the scope of their job decscription.
Wouldnt fill zoloft 200 because remron...speechless,

 

[Shikima]

wow wow wow. A call to the pharm rd, instantly. This is becoming more and more common with pharmd D'. As a pharmD, don'thow dare you question our managment of pts. It is not in the scope of their job decscription.
Wouldnt fill zoloft 200 because remron...speechless,

Worse in the VA where you have to literally fight them for some prescriptions.