Reporting to the Board of Pharmacy - for withholding prescription

[apple212]

I work in an area where there are NO chain pharmacies, and the area consists of mostly independent pharmacies being on every corner, so there is a lot of competition! There is however one pharmacy in the area, where they refuse to backout the prescription, therefore my regular patient, cant get their prescriptions filled at my pharmacy. The 'other pharmacy' always requests to speak to the patient to verify that the patient is actually at my pharmacy... but then once they get the patient on the phone they tell the patient to just come to their pharmacy because their prescription is already filled, and therefore refuses to reverse the prescription . My patient refuse to drive across town, just to pick up a prescription (from a pharmacy that isnt their regular pharmacy) at the pharmacy.

This isnt the first time, but THIS pharmacy always gives me a hard time about reversing a prescription, so that I could fill it at my end of the pharmacy... Can I report this to the board, that the other pharmacy is withholding my patients prescriptions?

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[awval999]

Tell the patient to say the following to the pharmacy, "I am ordering you to reverse the prescription."

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

I work in an area where there are NO chain pharmacies, and the area consists of mostly independent pharmacies being on every corner, so there is a lot of competition! There is however one pharmacy in the area, where they refuse to backout the prescription, therefore my regular patient, cant get their prescriptions filled at my pharmacy. The 'other pharmacy' always requests to speak to the patient to verify that the patient is actually at my pharmacy... but then once they get the patient on the phone they tell the patient to just come to their pharmacy because their prescription is already filled, and therefore refuses to reverse the prescription . My patient refuse to drive across town, just to pick up a prescription (from a pharmacy that isnt their regular pharmacy) at the pharmacy.

This isnt the first time, but THIS pharmacy always gives me a hard time about reversing a prescription, so that I could fill it at my end of the pharmacy... Can I report this to the board, that the other pharmacy is withholding my patients prescriptions?

In Texas, this would be flat out illegal.
You should probably know already.

You should call your board's compliance department and find out.
Get to know them.
It's nice to have friends there.

 

[lord999]

I work in an area where there are NO chain pharmacies, and the area consists of mostly independent pharmacies being on every corner, so there is a lot of competition! There is however one pharmacy in the area, where they refuse to backout the prescription, therefore my regular patient, cant get their prescriptions filled at my pharmacy. The 'other pharmacy' always requests to speak to the patient to verify that the patient is actually at my pharmacy... but then once they get the patient on the phone they tell the patient to just come to their pharmacy because their prescription is already filled, and therefore refuses to reverse the prescription . My patient refuse to drive across town, just to pick up a prescription (from a pharmacy that isnt their regular pharmacy) at the pharmacy.

This isnt the first time, but THIS pharmacy always gives me a hard time about reversing a prescription, so that I could fill it at my end of the pharmacy... Can I report this to the board, that the other pharmacy is withholding my patients prescriptions?

Depends on the state. In AZ, actually yes. Costco used to do that as a corporate policy and ARS changed specifically due to them doing this and angering everyone. In ND, you should move somewhere else.

What you can do irrespective is that you can preemptively post a notice that you will not service any transfers from this pharmacy and then start a combined boycott from all the other pharmacies on that jerk. Quite legal to cartel for bad business practice, and that'll teach that business.

 

[Digsbe]

I think it would be a reportable offense if the patient asked the pharmacy to transfer a prescription and the pharmacy, against the patient's wishes, refuses to do a transfer. However, if you the pharmacist are asking for a transfer and the pharmacy has some policy of verifying with the patient due to HIPAA reasons or something they may have a ground for that. I've had a few pharmacies refuse to give transfers saying they need to check with the patient first. Some make it extremely hard to transfer from specialty pharmacies for specialty meds. However, I never had one after verifying with the patient refuse to give an RX transfer. I've always just given transfers. If another pharmacist knows the patient's info and drug there is a 99% chance the patient did indeed ask them to transfer the med. If you ask them and they say yes the patient did ask this I believe you are covered in good faith to give the transfer.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

I think it would be a reportable offense if the patient asked the pharmacy to transfer a prescription and the pharmacy, against the patient's wishes, refuses to do a transfer. However, if you the pharmacist are asking for a transfer and the pharmacy has some policy of verifying with the patient due to HIPAA reasons or something they may have a ground for that. I've had a few pharmacies refuse to give transfers saying they need to check with the patient first. Some make it extremely hard to transfer from specialty pharmacies for specialty meds. However, I never had one after verifying with the patient refuse to give an RX transfer. I've always just given transfers. If another pharmacist knows the patient's info and drug there is a 99% chance the patient did indeed ask them to transfer the med. If you ask them and they say yes the patient did ask this I believe you are covered in good faith to give the transfer.

The exception for me is non-insurance mail order.

There is a certain one with "physicians" in the name that is known to transfer shrouds'll scripts without ever asking the patients

 

[johnpharm01]

I work in an area where there are NO chain pharmacies, and the area consists of mostly independent pharmacies being on every corner, so there is a lot of competition! There is however one pharmacy in the area, where they refuse to backout the prescription, therefore my regular patient, cant get their prescriptions filled at my pharmacy. The 'other pharmacy' always requests to speak to the patient to verify that the patient is actually at my pharmacy... but then once they get the patient on the phone they tell the patient to just come to their pharmacy because their prescription is already filled, and therefore refuses to reverse the prescription . My patient refuse to drive across town, just to pick up a prescription (from a pharmacy that isnt their regular pharmacy) at the pharmacy.

This isnt the first time, but THIS pharmacy always gives me a hard time about reversing a prescription, so that I could fill it at my end of the pharmacy... Can I report this to the board, that the other pharmacy is withholding my patients prescriptions?

I would look it up first in your states board regs, try to figure it out yourself. I had a pharmacist call during evening rush hour, ask for multiple copies. When I offered to give the ones they needed right away and asked them to call back later, they filed a board complaint on me. I responded, did not get disciplined, but after that this rph was very nice to me. So if you a file a complaint, they will be looking at everyone's records.