allieb
01-26-2008, 10:05 AM
I have been seeing the same pm for several years.I fill the same perscription every month.this month I am short 7 80mg of oxycontion....I called the pharmacy and they put me off till monday, to speak with the manager. my perscriptions are locked away so I dont think they were taken.any ideas on how I should deal with this any help would be appricated. thanks
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forginon
01-26-2008, 03:09 PM
This is a real tough one.
Back when I was using the Duragesic patch I was shorted 6 patches. I know because I always count my meds immediately after getting home. I was real worried as to what to do as I was new to this pharmacy and didn't want to start off on the wrong foot looking like a drug seeker. So I called and asked to speak with the pharmacist who filled the script. I asked him if there was a way for him to know if he was 6 patches over, and he said yes. So I told him my fears about how I'd be perceived for even making this call and he told me not to worry and he'd call me right back. Sure enough he was 6 over and apologised for the mistake and to come in any time and get them.
So, luckily it worked out well and kind of cemented our early relationship.
I don't know if it's law, but my pharmacy has two folks assure the count on all ached II scripts, so it was very unusual that the miscount even happened. I think you just need to be real humble, and willing to forget about it if it isn't easy to resolve, even though it'll cost you some discomfort.
If you've always used the same pharmacy for these several years then you have that in your favor. Of course, be certain of the shortage. In the future you might want to count your meds immediately upon getting home. It looks better for this to happen at the beginning of the month than at the end, when it can 'appear' as if you took too many and need more to avoid withdrawals.
I think your long relationship with them will work in your favor.
Best of luck and I'll be praying for a good outcome.
steve
Back when I was using the Duragesic patch I was shorted 6 patches. I know because I always count my meds immediately after getting home. I was real worried as to what to do as I was new to this pharmacy and didn't want to start off on the wrong foot looking like a drug seeker. So I called and asked to speak with the pharmacist who filled the script. I asked him if there was a way for him to know if he was 6 patches over, and he said yes. So I told him my fears about how I'd be perceived for even making this call and he told me not to worry and he'd call me right back. Sure enough he was 6 over and apologised for the mistake and to come in any time and get them.
So, luckily it worked out well and kind of cemented our early relationship.
I don't know if it's law, but my pharmacy has two folks assure the count on all ached II scripts, so it was very unusual that the miscount even happened. I think you just need to be real humble, and willing to forget about it if it isn't easy to resolve, even though it'll cost you some discomfort.
If you've always used the same pharmacy for these several years then you have that in your favor. Of course, be certain of the shortage. In the future you might want to count your meds immediately upon getting home. It looks better for this to happen at the beginning of the month than at the end, when it can 'appear' as if you took too many and need more to avoid withdrawals.
I think your long relationship with them will work in your favor.
Best of luck and I'll be praying for a good outcome.
steve
HappyFlower
01-26-2008, 03:42 PM
I was shorted once...only by 1 pill, but shorted none the less....I decided not to say anything because mistakes happen.
A couple of months later, I was off by 1 pill again...still said nothing.
Again...went to pick up the Rx and this time I was three off and I decided to at least mention it. I told the pharmacist I had been off by one two times, but didn't say anything because it really wasn't a big deal....but that it keeps happening and this time it was three. I didn't ask for him to give me the pills, because it was Lortab and they don't keep as strict a count of that as they do a SchII and I didn't want to go through the headache for 3 pills...however....
I used that pharamcy until a month or so ago and it NEVER happened again..as a matter of fact once I was one over....
So...My theory??? A pharmacist, tech, someone was taking the pills. Now, I am not a big one on conspiracy theories...but I find it strange that it happened three times in 4 or 5 months and then never again once it was known I was counting.....not telling how many people are shorted and never know because they don't count.
So, I would do as Steve did...not accuse, just ask. Oxycontin is pretty tightly regulated, so if the pills were just left out, there should be pills missing....and if not, at least they know you count your pills and maybe they'll pick another person to "swipe a few" from next time...best of luck!!
A couple of months later, I was off by 1 pill again...still said nothing.
Again...went to pick up the Rx and this time I was three off and I decided to at least mention it. I told the pharmacist I had been off by one two times, but didn't say anything because it really wasn't a big deal....but that it keeps happening and this time it was three. I didn't ask for him to give me the pills, because it was Lortab and they don't keep as strict a count of that as they do a SchII and I didn't want to go through the headache for 3 pills...however....
I used that pharamcy until a month or so ago and it NEVER happened again..as a matter of fact once I was one over....
So...My theory??? A pharmacist, tech, someone was taking the pills. Now, I am not a big one on conspiracy theories...but I find it strange that it happened three times in 4 or 5 months and then never again once it was known I was counting.....not telling how many people are shorted and never know because they don't count.
So, I would do as Steve did...not accuse, just ask. Oxycontin is pretty tightly regulated, so if the pills were just left out, there should be pills missing....and if not, at least they know you count your pills and maybe they'll pick another person to "swipe a few" from next time...best of luck!!
badoldback
01-26-2008, 04:13 PM
Hey allieb,
I have so far (knock on wood!) only been shorted 1 or 2 pills. I elected to not say anything for fear of looking like a drug seeker. Now, I always (usually) count when I get home from the pharmacy so I will know how to ration my supply if it is short. In your case (it was 8 Oxycontin I believe?) It is a significant enough shortage I would say something.
I have so far (knock on wood!) only been shorted 1 or 2 pills. I elected to not say anything for fear of looking like a drug seeker. Now, I always (usually) count when I get home from the pharmacy so I will know how to ration my supply if it is short. In your case (it was 8 Oxycontin I believe?) It is a significant enough shortage I would say something.
BrittleBones
01-26-2008, 10:56 PM
I think that a large number of folks who find themselves taking Schedule II or III meds for a long period of time are bound to come up short or over at least once in their pain med history. People do make mistakes even when they've checked and checked again. And, there are, unfortunately, people with drug addiction issues who work behind pharmacy counters and think they can get away with taking a pill from a customer's bottle every now and again. After all, not everyone counts their pills as soon as they get them home from a pharmacy (I do though!). I've been shorted as much as 20 pills in the past, but also came home twice over the years with a prescription for Oxycodone that had 60 (SIXTY) extra pills (YES, I said 60!) and one that had 22 extra!! K'Mac
feelbad
01-26-2008, 11:46 PM
i actually just had this happen yesterday only i was actually 26 short.the Rx was for 56 oxy IR and when i got it home,at first i noticed that on the bottle,whenever i have any class II filled there is ALWAYS a circle drawn around the quantity along with someones initials.that was not there.just seemed kind of odd since it is always there.the bottle itself didn't 'feel" right,lighter? and when i opened it up,i could actually see the very bottom of the bottle.i just freaked since i KNEW there was alot missing.well i dumped it out and immediately started counting to see how many were missing.i just about died when i discovered i only got 30 out of a 56 count Rx.being these were class IIs i immediately called my pharm.luckily the girl who had waitied on me and also knew from just being there all the flippin time,answered the phone.i told her we have a problem,then told her what happened.she put me on hold for about a minute then told me to hang on,they would call me back in a few minutes.thankfully their pill count came up with my missing 26 pills or i would have really been up a creek.
that scared the living crap outta me.i had noticed the pharmacist who was there yesterday was not someone i had ever seen before either.when i picked up my meds today(the ones they 'forgot"),i asked the pharm manager just what their protocal was for dispensing any class II meds and there are actually supposed to be three different people all checking and double checking every single class II med Rx,with the very last pharm to check it,circling the number of pills and then initialing it too.she first apologized profusely for what happend(got alot of apologies over the phone yesterday too when i called)and then said she was very sorry but the pharmacist that was in yesterday was new and not aware of what was supposed to be done,despite the signs she said are like all over the place right in front of where they do the fills,hellooo?she was obviously really angry with the pharm who screwed up.so somehow,this one Rx was completely not checked out by any of the peole(3?) who were supposed to actually do their job.the one huge thing the pharm told me tho was it was very very lucky for all of us,mostly me,that i found this put right away and actually called right away.the more time that passes between the pick up and you finding this out,the much harder it is for them to actually track it back to obbtain the proper pill count.i used to just take a glance when i got my meds and as soon as i saw that circle around the quantity,it was fine and i would put them in my safe til needed.now i am not too sure since this happened.i NEVER ever have been shorted even one pill before this.but man did i ever get hit this time.but since i was told the actual protocal now,i will immediately count every single pill in any bottle that does NOT have the amount in it actually circled.when this is there,according to what she told me,three people have checked it and double checked it.
that pharmacy should have done an immediate pill count for you.they need to check their count as soon as the discrepency is noticed by the customer,not put off til a manager is there(MONDAY??).all they have to do is check what their in stock amount is to see if they have too many in their supply that does not match what is supposed to be there.that is the only way they could possibly do this for you.my pharm was on it like,right now,immediately counting their pill supply of oxy IR(problem was resolved,no lie,in less than five minutes).like my pharm told me,the sooner they know the better it is for everyone since other customers are probably also getting what you are and that count will be much harder to just track back to the day yours was filled and you picked it up.THEY screwed up here not you.i honestly would have demanded they check their supply.i knew my pharm would be right on this tho.they know me very well and always do everything i need done when i need it.this very same pharm manager i spoke with actually went and added a DAW on my oxycontin Rx about two months ago when my stupid PMs nurse forgot to put it there and then also forgot to send it to my pharmacy like they were told to.she didn;t have to do that for me but did since i am like always there picking up one of our families 17 monthly Rxes.i am such a good customer.i was very lucky she even did that for me.
i really would go in your pharm tomorrow and just tell them you need this resolved as soon as possible.making you wait like this just really would make you wonder just why they simply didn't do a pill count as soon as those were found missing by you and you called them,honestly,walgreens had the pill count done in less than five minutes and were on the phone apologizing all over the place in minutes.it just is such an simple thing to do right then ya know?and also much easier to track than waiting DAYS?they just should have gotten right on it when it comes to class II meds not being right.too many other things can happen when it comes to these types of meds.if someone at your pharm actually took these or did something they were not supposed to do,all this waiting is just giving them time to try and cover their tracks,you know?i would be making them look into their stock,after all,if you are 100% certain that you had these completely totally safe the whole time they were with you,the short had to be on their end and it would have to show up in their supply as overstock.the only way it wouldn;t is if someone delibrately took them and tried to hide it.it does happen,but i like to think not really often.the first question i would ask the manager when you speak to him or her is why in the heck didn't someone just do a dang pill count immediately.it is just so freaking simple to do ya know?this is oxycontin not an antibiotic or someone blood pressure meds.i do wish you lots of luck with this and hope their pill count is off by enough so you do not end up being the one who has to pay for what somone else did.i would seriously consider changing pharmacies if this is how they respond to a customers class II narcotics possibly being shorted.the sooner they know the better for you so they can count,and they just did nothing to even try and find a class II narcotic for you.thats crazy.my walgreens was freaking out just like i was.you just deserve much better service and people who actually care about you as a customer when narcotics are shorted.they should have resolved this for you right away.i do hope things go well for you.please keep us posted.Marcia
that scared the living crap outta me.i had noticed the pharmacist who was there yesterday was not someone i had ever seen before either.when i picked up my meds today(the ones they 'forgot"),i asked the pharm manager just what their protocal was for dispensing any class II meds and there are actually supposed to be three different people all checking and double checking every single class II med Rx,with the very last pharm to check it,circling the number of pills and then initialing it too.she first apologized profusely for what happend(got alot of apologies over the phone yesterday too when i called)and then said she was very sorry but the pharmacist that was in yesterday was new and not aware of what was supposed to be done,despite the signs she said are like all over the place right in front of where they do the fills,hellooo?she was obviously really angry with the pharm who screwed up.so somehow,this one Rx was completely not checked out by any of the peole(3?) who were supposed to actually do their job.the one huge thing the pharm told me tho was it was very very lucky for all of us,mostly me,that i found this put right away and actually called right away.the more time that passes between the pick up and you finding this out,the much harder it is for them to actually track it back to obbtain the proper pill count.i used to just take a glance when i got my meds and as soon as i saw that circle around the quantity,it was fine and i would put them in my safe til needed.now i am not too sure since this happened.i NEVER ever have been shorted even one pill before this.but man did i ever get hit this time.but since i was told the actual protocal now,i will immediately count every single pill in any bottle that does NOT have the amount in it actually circled.when this is there,according to what she told me,three people have checked it and double checked it.
that pharmacy should have done an immediate pill count for you.they need to check their count as soon as the discrepency is noticed by the customer,not put off til a manager is there(MONDAY??).all they have to do is check what their in stock amount is to see if they have too many in their supply that does not match what is supposed to be there.that is the only way they could possibly do this for you.my pharm was on it like,right now,immediately counting their pill supply of oxy IR(problem was resolved,no lie,in less than five minutes).like my pharm told me,the sooner they know the better it is for everyone since other customers are probably also getting what you are and that count will be much harder to just track back to the day yours was filled and you picked it up.THEY screwed up here not you.i honestly would have demanded they check their supply.i knew my pharm would be right on this tho.they know me very well and always do everything i need done when i need it.this very same pharm manager i spoke with actually went and added a DAW on my oxycontin Rx about two months ago when my stupid PMs nurse forgot to put it there and then also forgot to send it to my pharmacy like they were told to.she didn;t have to do that for me but did since i am like always there picking up one of our families 17 monthly Rxes.i am such a good customer.i was very lucky she even did that for me.
i really would go in your pharm tomorrow and just tell them you need this resolved as soon as possible.making you wait like this just really would make you wonder just why they simply didn't do a pill count as soon as those were found missing by you and you called them,honestly,walgreens had the pill count done in less than five minutes and were on the phone apologizing all over the place in minutes.it just is such an simple thing to do right then ya know?and also much easier to track than waiting DAYS?they just should have gotten right on it when it comes to class II meds not being right.too many other things can happen when it comes to these types of meds.if someone at your pharm actually took these or did something they were not supposed to do,all this waiting is just giving them time to try and cover their tracks,you know?i would be making them look into their stock,after all,if you are 100% certain that you had these completely totally safe the whole time they were with you,the short had to be on their end and it would have to show up in their supply as overstock.the only way it wouldn;t is if someone delibrately took them and tried to hide it.it does happen,but i like to think not really often.the first question i would ask the manager when you speak to him or her is why in the heck didn't someone just do a dang pill count immediately.it is just so freaking simple to do ya know?this is oxycontin not an antibiotic or someone blood pressure meds.i do wish you lots of luck with this and hope their pill count is off by enough so you do not end up being the one who has to pay for what somone else did.i would seriously consider changing pharmacies if this is how they respond to a customers class II narcotics possibly being shorted.the sooner they know the better for you so they can count,and they just did nothing to even try and find a class II narcotic for you.thats crazy.my walgreens was freaking out just like i was.you just deserve much better service and people who actually care about you as a customer when narcotics are shorted.they should have resolved this for you right away.i do hope things go well for you.please keep us posted.Marcia
Executor
01-27-2008, 02:21 AM
This is known as "skimming" and is a very common tactic by pharmacy employees. Take a pill here, there, and over the course of a day or so, they've accumulated 50-60 pills. Most high volume pharmacies dispense narcotics all day long so it doesn't take long for them to skim a reasonable amount.
Just another reason to avoid the big "chains" where they have revolving pharmacists and techs. Please see my other posts on developing a relationship with an independent pharmacist in your area.
Quite frankly, your probably lucky you caught it....I can't imagine too many people count their pills.;)
Just another reason to avoid the big "chains" where they have revolving pharmacists and techs. Please see my other posts on developing a relationship with an independent pharmacist in your area.
Quite frankly, your probably lucky you caught it....I can't imagine too many people count their pills.;)
feelbad
01-27-2008, 12:23 PM
the thing is YP,if it didn't 'look' right or just feel not right,i wouldn't have bothered to count,but when i saw that the quantity was not actually circled,also looking into that bottle and actually seeing the bottom,well,i knew right then i was going to be off.this actually was the only time i ever actually counted my meds.never had a reason to before,but something wasn't right,and i just knew it.normally,i bring them home,open them up,glance inside(don;t know why) and then they go into my safe til the day before they are needed to fill my pill tray.
there are pros and cons with going with any of the pharmacy options out there.the main thing tho is having a pharmacy who cares about you as a customer and building that long term relationship.i have never had any problem that they didn;t fix for me right away or as soon as possible when it was needed.also finding out just what a pharmacys protocal normally is when they are dispensing your class II meds is also very helpful.for years i just "assumed" that the circle around the quantity was an indicator that this had at least been double counted,just didn;t know for certain til asked the manager yesterday.now i know that three seperate people are supposed to be checking my Rx before it is even placed in the bag.if i do not see that circle,you can bet i am going to be counting out my meds again.knowing that really helps me to avoid this situation again ya know?they got right on this for me and had it all resolved so quickly,and all it took was a phone call from me pointing out the problem.i just really am comfortable at my pharmacy and have never had a reason to want to change.i have been going to this walgreens since they first opened like ten years ago?it just comes down to how you are treated as a customer.it doesn't really matter whether it is a small pharm or a chain pharm,at least to me.
its unfortunate to the person here that this even happened,but for that pharm to not even bother to just do that pill count as soon as it was brought up to them,well,it just doesn't 'seem' right to me ya know?you would think,like most pharms that they would actually WANT to find out where the problem was and to just take five minutes to simply do a stock pill count right then and there.its just that the sooner this is found out,the sooner they can track it much more easily.why wouldn't any pharm just do that?i would not be going back to that pharm myself if this is how they handle something that important.these were class II meds for gods sake.if you do come up short on your meds,i really would mention it to any pharm i am going to.if someone IS taking meds a bit at a time,i would think other customers would be noticing they were also coming up short too?the more people speak up to any pharm about this happeneing over and over the more info the pharm has to try and find out who is taking meds.this is not a good thing for any pharmacy to have going on.once the word got out,who do you think would take their business there?but they wont know there is any problem if you don;t say anything,and we are the ones who pay in the end without having enough of our own meds to just manage our pain.not to mention the lovely WDs that would also come along for the ride.
if someone is actually having this occur repeatedly.i would start taking note of it on a piece of paper noting the dates and what was short,once you have this happen a few times,THEN i would bring it to the pharms attention.missing one or two pills in our meds can happen for other reasons too,but if this starts being a reoccuring event and you know that your meds are being safely handled at home,well,you can kind of figure where the problem is stemming from ya know?this just had never ever actually happened to me before this time.but there were other indications that this had not been properly filled either.hopefully this wont happen again.but if it does,i feel confident that my ongoing relationship with my pharm would be a huge help.i am just very grateful to have a pharm that actually cares about their customers.and that IS what is really all about ya know?Marcia
there are pros and cons with going with any of the pharmacy options out there.the main thing tho is having a pharmacy who cares about you as a customer and building that long term relationship.i have never had any problem that they didn;t fix for me right away or as soon as possible when it was needed.also finding out just what a pharmacys protocal normally is when they are dispensing your class II meds is also very helpful.for years i just "assumed" that the circle around the quantity was an indicator that this had at least been double counted,just didn;t know for certain til asked the manager yesterday.now i know that three seperate people are supposed to be checking my Rx before it is even placed in the bag.if i do not see that circle,you can bet i am going to be counting out my meds again.knowing that really helps me to avoid this situation again ya know?they got right on this for me and had it all resolved so quickly,and all it took was a phone call from me pointing out the problem.i just really am comfortable at my pharmacy and have never had a reason to want to change.i have been going to this walgreens since they first opened like ten years ago?it just comes down to how you are treated as a customer.it doesn't really matter whether it is a small pharm or a chain pharm,at least to me.
its unfortunate to the person here that this even happened,but for that pharm to not even bother to just do that pill count as soon as it was brought up to them,well,it just doesn't 'seem' right to me ya know?you would think,like most pharms that they would actually WANT to find out where the problem was and to just take five minutes to simply do a stock pill count right then and there.its just that the sooner this is found out,the sooner they can track it much more easily.why wouldn't any pharm just do that?i would not be going back to that pharm myself if this is how they handle something that important.these were class II meds for gods sake.if you do come up short on your meds,i really would mention it to any pharm i am going to.if someone IS taking meds a bit at a time,i would think other customers would be noticing they were also coming up short too?the more people speak up to any pharm about this happeneing over and over the more info the pharm has to try and find out who is taking meds.this is not a good thing for any pharmacy to have going on.once the word got out,who do you think would take their business there?but they wont know there is any problem if you don;t say anything,and we are the ones who pay in the end without having enough of our own meds to just manage our pain.not to mention the lovely WDs that would also come along for the ride.
if someone is actually having this occur repeatedly.i would start taking note of it on a piece of paper noting the dates and what was short,once you have this happen a few times,THEN i would bring it to the pharms attention.missing one or two pills in our meds can happen for other reasons too,but if this starts being a reoccuring event and you know that your meds are being safely handled at home,well,you can kind of figure where the problem is stemming from ya know?this just had never ever actually happened to me before this time.but there were other indications that this had not been properly filled either.hopefully this wont happen again.but if it does,i feel confident that my ongoing relationship with my pharm would be a huge help.i am just very grateful to have a pharm that actually cares about their customers.and that IS what is really all about ya know?Marcia
Executor
01-27-2008, 10:27 PM
feelbad- Kudos to you for being perceptive. Probably lucky for you that they got "greedy" and tried to take so many. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't have noticed. I don't think I would notice if just 1 or 2 were missing. I'd say you're also lucky that they replaced them. I could see where a patient would be short due to "skimming" and the unethical person in the pharmacy would deny it and try to put it back on the patient and say the patient is just trying to get more drugs. Overall, a very crappy situation no matter which way it turns out.
Thanks for sharing your story....Many can learn from it!
Thanks for sharing your story....Many can learn from it!
morgyporgy
01-27-2008, 11:37 PM
I am one who always counts my meds. I have been shorted twice at Publix pharmacy by 3 pills each time. Both times there were only 2 people there. The pharmacist and the pharmacy tech. Both times the prescription count on the bottle label were changed as well. Come to find out after the second time , the pharm tech was gone. I knew it was her because when i went back in both times she looked like she wanted to kill me for catching it. What is with these people thinking that eventually they won't get caught? God Bless ev1, morgyporgy
IZZY'SMOM
01-28-2008, 12:52 AM
I had this happen ONE time, and called the pharmacy and they called me back and it turned out I was WRONG! I had put some away frpom my script Id gotten that day for a trip, and thought they shorted me, and they called me 20 min after Id called them. And I had found the ones I packed, I was embarassed, BUT I count ALL of mine when i get in the car or at home right after. What Bullsh*T to make you wait until Monday? Give me a break...You should scare them to death. How pathetic of them. Dont back down.
xoxoxoxoxox,
IZZY'SMOM
xoxoxoxoxox,
IZZY'SMOM
allieb
01-28-2008, 10:24 AM
WOW I just got off the phone with the pharmacist he was very nice I was very upset but I was right they shorted. He said very nicely in over 20 years this has never happned to him (with this medication) I feel so good.Thank you all for not making me feel I was at fault.I think you all know what I mean.Dealing with this pain everyday is hard enough..you all helped me through this so thanks again...love you all, allie
forginon
01-28-2008, 11:44 AM
This is great news!
I am so happy it went this well for you. Like for me, I bet this will enhance your relationship with this pharmacy and all for the better.
steve
I am so happy it went this well for you. Like for me, I bet this will enhance your relationship with this pharmacy and all for the better.
steve
painaway
01-28-2008, 04:01 PM
Yea Allieb!!! So happy it all worked out perfectly! :)
Shoreline
01-28-2008, 05:08 PM
Hey Guys, They have a running talley of every single class 11 pill in their store. If your ever shorted, simply speak to the pharamcist manager or Pharamcist in charge. They can do a quick count and know. That count is extremely important and gets turned in weekly to corporate and monthly to the DEA. There are regs on qauntities of c-11 meds stored in each pharamcy. Unless it's the PIC with the problem, he should be more than happy to count whatever c-11 med you have been shorted. It's cgoing to come up at the next count anyway and being over is as big a deal as being short. A pharamcy is seen as being either acurate or not on these counts and a few pills is a big deal.
Glad things worked out and sorry you had to stress so much about it.
Dave
Glad things worked out and sorry you had to stress so much about it.
Dave
forginon
01-28-2008, 06:38 PM
WOW!
I have always been fearful about bringing to light "minor" shortages, not wanting to risk being perceived as a drug seeker. Even though I have an excellent relationship with my pharmacy I didn't want to take the chance. I just figured I'd have to tough it out. This gives me a whole new perspective and next time I will bring it up.
Thanks,
steve
I have always been fearful about bringing to light "minor" shortages, not wanting to risk being perceived as a drug seeker. Even though I have an excellent relationship with my pharmacy I didn't want to take the chance. I just figured I'd have to tough it out. This gives me a whole new perspective and next time I will bring it up.
Thanks,
steve
eyesworld
01-29-2008, 12:50 AM
Quite frankly, your probably lucky you caught it....I can't imagine too many people count their pills.;)
I get 84-30 mg oxycodone every 21 days and as soon as I get home, I put my pills into a daily container (with 7 days) and then I know I have the correct number until my next appointment. My pharm does a double count on the pills.
I get 84-30 mg oxycodone every 21 days and as soon as I get home, I put my pills into a daily container (with 7 days) and then I know I have the correct number until my next appointment. My pharm does a double count on the pills.
123dietdrpepper
01-29-2008, 02:48 AM
I will definitely count my pills from now on. Thank you for posting. This has been a real eye opener for me.
feelbad
01-29-2008, 12:44 PM
glad things worked out for you hon.really.but geez,they should have gotten on this ASAP.from what my pharm manager told me,the sooner we know the easier it is to track,which of course makes total sense.
hey YP? i just have to ask here.did you have some really horrid pharmacy experience occur at some point along the way with your class II meds?you just sound SO cynical when it comes to thinking that every pharmacy is out to steal peoples class II meds.when human beings are involved,in ANYTHING,there are just going to be errors from time to time,you know what i mean?things happen.it just sounds like anyone who mentioned being short once in a while that it is just automatically someone stealing something and not just a simple human error.this kind of stuff just happens when protocals are not properly followed or things just not double checked as they should be.i like to think that the majority of people are basically honest people just trying to make it thru life everyday,at least til PROVEN otherwise,ya know?you obviously must not be under a pain management contract where you are ONLY given a very set supply of meds every month that are all you can get or you would most definitely KNOW at least when it came to the end of the month,that you have been shorted.under most PM contracts,you would know without a doubt as to whether or not you have been shorted,believe me it does matter.you are just Rxed a very exacting amount ment to last a very specific amount of days.when even one pill is missing,it does make a difference for the patient who is relying on every pill just being there.thats how people KNOW when they have been shorted on a particular Rx.
i just think you need to give the people working in phrmacys a little more credit for their honestly and integrity thats all.most ARE pretty honest people.of course there are those who are not,but i like to think that they are really very few and far between vs the majority ya know?in this day and age,with all of the security measures they can have in place,espescially with security cameras actually behind that pharm counter,i would think it would be very difficult if not virtually impossible for an emplyeee to be able to even get away with stealing meds,at least without being caught very soon.there are just way too many checks and balances in place to try and prevent that.if you just look at your responses in this particular thread,you have kind of made every pharmacy worker out to be some sort of evil person,you know what i mean?stuff just happens sometimes,espescially when humans are involved,this is why there are supposed to be protocals in place,in my case,they were not followed at all and i got shorted 26 pills.i can't believe someone would have deliberately taken something that would have been noticed almost immediately,ya know?AND my oxycontin count was right on the money.i just think giving the folks who work in the pharms a bit more credit really is due.sometimes they are working in absolute chaos when five o clock rolls around ya know?i have seen tons of peole all waiting for Rxes standing at the counter with every employee running around trying to get everything done at times.things 'can" be missed.just letting your pharmacy know when something isn't right really helps them to stop and take note that things are not being done too well and they need to take proper action and get it right.like i said,i do like to think that in most cases,people are doing the best job they can but things can happen.i will always give a person the benefit of the doubt in all things til they prove me wrong.i guess thats just me.i have made many mistakes in my life and haven't always lived up to certain expectations,so i am willing to give most people credit for at least trying to do the best possible job at what ever they are doing.were only human,ya know?Marcia
hey YP? i just have to ask here.did you have some really horrid pharmacy experience occur at some point along the way with your class II meds?you just sound SO cynical when it comes to thinking that every pharmacy is out to steal peoples class II meds.when human beings are involved,in ANYTHING,there are just going to be errors from time to time,you know what i mean?things happen.it just sounds like anyone who mentioned being short once in a while that it is just automatically someone stealing something and not just a simple human error.this kind of stuff just happens when protocals are not properly followed or things just not double checked as they should be.i like to think that the majority of people are basically honest people just trying to make it thru life everyday,at least til PROVEN otherwise,ya know?you obviously must not be under a pain management contract where you are ONLY given a very set supply of meds every month that are all you can get or you would most definitely KNOW at least when it came to the end of the month,that you have been shorted.under most PM contracts,you would know without a doubt as to whether or not you have been shorted,believe me it does matter.you are just Rxed a very exacting amount ment to last a very specific amount of days.when even one pill is missing,it does make a difference for the patient who is relying on every pill just being there.thats how people KNOW when they have been shorted on a particular Rx.
i just think you need to give the people working in phrmacys a little more credit for their honestly and integrity thats all.most ARE pretty honest people.of course there are those who are not,but i like to think that they are really very few and far between vs the majority ya know?in this day and age,with all of the security measures they can have in place,espescially with security cameras actually behind that pharm counter,i would think it would be very difficult if not virtually impossible for an emplyeee to be able to even get away with stealing meds,at least without being caught very soon.there are just way too many checks and balances in place to try and prevent that.if you just look at your responses in this particular thread,you have kind of made every pharmacy worker out to be some sort of evil person,you know what i mean?stuff just happens sometimes,espescially when humans are involved,this is why there are supposed to be protocals in place,in my case,they were not followed at all and i got shorted 26 pills.i can't believe someone would have deliberately taken something that would have been noticed almost immediately,ya know?AND my oxycontin count was right on the money.i just think giving the folks who work in the pharms a bit more credit really is due.sometimes they are working in absolute chaos when five o clock rolls around ya know?i have seen tons of peole all waiting for Rxes standing at the counter with every employee running around trying to get everything done at times.things 'can" be missed.just letting your pharmacy know when something isn't right really helps them to stop and take note that things are not being done too well and they need to take proper action and get it right.like i said,i do like to think that in most cases,people are doing the best job they can but things can happen.i will always give a person the benefit of the doubt in all things til they prove me wrong.i guess thats just me.i have made many mistakes in my life and haven't always lived up to certain expectations,so i am willing to give most people credit for at least trying to do the best possible job at what ever they are doing.were only human,ya know?Marcia
ibake&pray
01-29-2008, 06:05 PM
I actually had Target call ME! They were doing a mid month count. They were over by 30 pills on their morphine. I take this particular one twice a day. Rather than starting with all the people who have had it filled during the month, she called me first because of my standing order with them. So I went and counted my morphine pills for her. Sure enough, I was short 30 pills for the month. They were all over me, appoligizing for the mistake. They had been short experienced staff and had not had the normal crew in.
They put the extra 30 aside for me. I was on my way over there anyway. Went and picked it up...they had attached a $10 gift coupon to the bag for me and appologized again for the mistake. Hey, it happpens. I was glad that they had figured it out. These folks have been so good to me that I accept that it happened. They corrected the mistake..and I don't think I'll have issues again...and I got $10 free..
They put the extra 30 aside for me. I was on my way over there anyway. Went and picked it up...they had attached a $10 gift coupon to the bag for me and appologized again for the mistake. Hey, it happpens. I was glad that they had figured it out. These folks have been so good to me that I accept that it happened. They corrected the mistake..and I don't think I'll have issues again...and I got $10 free..
conductor
01-29-2008, 09:21 PM
Naturally, I had this happen to me on the Duragesic patches. I get three boxes per month (a total of 15). They tape the boxes together, and the middle box did not have any patches in it. Of course, I completely lost it.
My pharmacist is always very good to me, but this happened when my regular pharmacist was on vacation. The pharmacist on duty skeptically asked me why I didn't notice this shortage when I picked up the patches--as if the patches were heavy enough to notice the shortage. (In his defense, he didn't know my history or the fact that my family alone pays the salary of several people in the pharmacy...kidding...just the salary of one person.) Nonetheless, this pharmacist called the Duragesic people, and they actually admitted that two or three lot numbers were distributed without patches included. I just happened to have one of those lot numbers on one of the boxes! So, the pharmacist handed over a new box to me and was told to return the box in question.
Believe it or not...I recently opened one of the pouches (or whatever they are called) from the box, and there was not a patch in it at all. But, I didn't feel like I could report that. As good as my pharmacist is to me, I just didn't feel like I could bring up another patch issue. So, I stretched out the days on a few patches to make up the difference.
**Per my request, my pharmacist opens each box before I leave to make sure the patches are there. He orders the Sandoz brand for me (all of the others use Mylan). I highly doubt this would ever happen to me again, but I appreciate my pharmacist's effort and precaution.
**The other thing to do is to return any excess medication. Yes, it is tempting to keep "extra" pills if the pharmacy counts incorrectly, but the pharmacy has to balance correctly, also. Years ago, when I was 28, I was given 28 Percocet instead of the 20 I was supposed to get. My age was printed on the Rx, which (I think) is why I got 28! I returned them.
That's my story. Take care.
Sincerely,
Jon (Conductor)
My pharmacist is always very good to me, but this happened when my regular pharmacist was on vacation. The pharmacist on duty skeptically asked me why I didn't notice this shortage when I picked up the patches--as if the patches were heavy enough to notice the shortage. (In his defense, he didn't know my history or the fact that my family alone pays the salary of several people in the pharmacy...kidding...just the salary of one person.) Nonetheless, this pharmacist called the Duragesic people, and they actually admitted that two or three lot numbers were distributed without patches included. I just happened to have one of those lot numbers on one of the boxes! So, the pharmacist handed over a new box to me and was told to return the box in question.
Believe it or not...I recently opened one of the pouches (or whatever they are called) from the box, and there was not a patch in it at all. But, I didn't feel like I could report that. As good as my pharmacist is to me, I just didn't feel like I could bring up another patch issue. So, I stretched out the days on a few patches to make up the difference.
**Per my request, my pharmacist opens each box before I leave to make sure the patches are there. He orders the Sandoz brand for me (all of the others use Mylan). I highly doubt this would ever happen to me again, but I appreciate my pharmacist's effort and precaution.
**The other thing to do is to return any excess medication. Yes, it is tempting to keep "extra" pills if the pharmacy counts incorrectly, but the pharmacy has to balance correctly, also. Years ago, when I was 28, I was given 28 Percocet instead of the 20 I was supposed to get. My age was printed on the Rx, which (I think) is why I got 28! I returned them.
That's my story. Take care.
Sincerely,
Jon (Conductor)
brianpain33
01-29-2008, 10:11 PM
Jon,
I would have completely flipped out if I opened up a box of patches and there were none in the box.:eek:
I will definitely make sure that I open every box now when I get my prescription filled. I also get 3 boxes per month. I learn something new everyday from you guys.
Thanks,
Brian:wave:
I would have completely flipped out if I opened up a box of patches and there were none in the box.:eek:
I will definitely make sure that I open every box now when I get my prescription filled. I also get 3 boxes per month. I learn something new everyday from you guys.
Thanks,
Brian:wave:
Executor
01-30-2008, 12:20 AM
Feel Bad- I haven't had any really bad experiences or shortages....Any that I know of. I've just heard too many stories about the "chains" and what goes on with narcotics....mainly the store hassling the patient or acting like the patient is some narcotic freak. I am just a big advocate of pain patients developing relationships with their pharmacists. Like conductor just outlined....Things happen and it's good to have a close trusting relationship with the pharmacist. With all that being said, I think it's very tough these days to have a close relationship with the chains due to their operating structure....revolving employees & etc. Personally, I have found that the independent pharmacies who are owned by the pharmacist, are the best in my area. Because they "own" the business and have a very vested interest in it, they strive to have excellent customer service. I've got enough problems fighting pain every day....I dont' need to fight my pharmacy. As I've posted a number of times, I think the pharmacist should be an extension of your pain doc.
Good luck to all and thanks for sharing your stories. I have to wonder how many patients have been shorted, call the pharmacy, and then the pharmacy denied it and the patient was SOL. I would think it would be nearly impossible to tell which patient the pharmacy screwed up on....Unless of course they knew what they did and when confronted, fixed the problem to make it go away. Just a crappy situation all the way around.
YP
Good luck to all and thanks for sharing your stories. I have to wonder how many patients have been shorted, call the pharmacy, and then the pharmacy denied it and the patient was SOL. I would think it would be nearly impossible to tell which patient the pharmacy screwed up on....Unless of course they knew what they did and when confronted, fixed the problem to make it go away. Just a crappy situation all the way around.
YP
imforty
01-30-2008, 06:30 PM
I had surgery in 2004 for an anuersym. I was taking vicodin post op and refilled a few times. Every single time I refilled there were 2 or 3 pills broken in half:confused:. I felt like I'd look like a drug seeker if I questioned it.
Now I take tylenol 3 for nerve pain. Funny these pills are never touched!
Now I take tylenol 3 for nerve pain. Funny these pills are never touched!