Got shorted at pharmacy Any input?

[dag_FL]

I filled my rx last fri. and noticed tonight that the bottle was almost half gone..or at least it did'nt look like I had what should be there, so I did a count and I'm 20 pills short, so I called the pharmacy to see if they could check the records, after a minute I hold I was told by the pharmacist they don't make mistakes.
I remembered when I picked it up it was filled litterally to the top and can see that the amount prescribed won't even fit in this rx container..no way. It's a scheduled medicine (II) . I'm thinking to see manager at store and show him that the number of meds prescribed won't fit in the container and hope that shows its not just my word against his. Any input?
let me add in here that I would'nt even think to complain since its been a week but its a big amount and the amount prescribed won't even fit in the bottle they filled, it was full to the top...and I was getting 90 a month and now 110 ... I thought they might have messed up while looking at the computer or something as I'd been on the same dose for a while. realize 110 won't fit in that bottle, since 90 was right to the top. think they could realize the extra 20 won't fit and see I might have a point?

[oh_snap]

Unfortunately, your count, and complaint should have occurred on the day that you picked up your script. If it is a scheduled med, you more than likely will not be believed. Very sorry about that.

I am almost afraid that you will be causing yourself more trouble, if they feel you are making up the complaint in order to get more meds out of them.

I remember seeing one doc message board, and there were many posts regarding patients and the stories they made up to get more meds. Your situation was covered in one of their threads, along with "dropped them and the dog ate them" among others.

I think timeliness is the key. You may want to lodge a complaint, but don't expect to get more meds.

I am certain that others will chime in here. I am not questioning the truth to your allegation, btw.

[lobelsteve]

If you are short meds it is your fault.
If you do not know your pharmacist by first name- count the pills at the counter with the pharmacist. Otherwise- it becomes your problem. I just went to a meeting with a lengthy lecture on diversion. Several million dosage units (pills) go missing every year. Many are by healthcare personnel in the pharmacy, hospital, and nursing home.

[Pharmacist.steve]

I filled my rx last fri. and noticed tonight that the bottle was almost half gone..or at least it did'nt look like I had what should be there, so I did a count and I'm 20 pills short, so I called the pharmacy to see if they could check the records, after a minute I hold I was told by the pharmacist they don't make mistakes.
I remembered when I picked it up it was filled litterally to the top and can see that the amount prescribed won't even fit in this rx container..no way. It's a scheduled medicine (II) . I'm thinking to see manager at store and show him that the number of meds prescribed won't fit in the container and hope that shows its not just my word against his. Any input?

Don't bother talking to the store manager ... they are non-pharmacist and have NO AUTHORITY over the pharmacy.. One of the Pharmacists on staff should be the PIC (Pharmacist in Charge) that it the one Pharmacist who the state board of pharmacy recognizes as where the "buck stops" at this particular pharmacy.

Unless the pharmacy keeps a perpetutal inventory( not all do) or uses a pill counter ....like Kirby Lester ....that is interfaced with the computer system .. it is just your word against theirs...

Those little Kirby Lester jewels are $10,000-$12,000 and a community pharmacist friend of mine got one about a year ago and said it is the best money he has ever spent .. everything is scanned barcoded ( med & Rx) when it is filled and it is recorded.. the Kirby Lester claims a 99.997% accuracy. He told me that when someone questions the count .. he just pulls up the computer records with Rx No., tablet/cap count , time & date and who did the counting -by finger scan to activiate the counter. argument over!

[dag_FL]

let me add in here that I would'nt even think to complain since its been a week but its a big amount and the amount prescribed won't even fit in the bottle they filled, it was full to the top...and I was getting 90 a month for a very long time and now 110 ... I thought they might have messed up while looking at the computer or something as I'd been on the same dose for a while. realize I don't think 110 won't fit in that bottle, since 90 was right to the top. think they could realize the extra 20 won't fit and see I might have a point?
I hope its something there, I live alone and keep my rx in a safe place. I figured if someone could have taken them they would have taken them all.

[GardeniaGirl]

Do you know any of the pharmacists?

If you do, I think your explanation that your dose recently increased 20 and they possibly looked at your old script by mistake makes sense. As well as the issue of the size of the bottle.

I have only had this happen once, with Ambien, which isn't a schedule med, but I still was worried.

Luckily the pharmacy manager knew me and he was willing to give me the ones that were missing.

I guess for future fills, will you ask to have them counted in front of you before leaving? That is a hassle, but at least then you won't have to go through this again.

I am going to pick up my Avinza tonight- i will ask to check it at the counter.

I hope you can get the problem fixed....

[Gimpy]

222222222222222222

[Pharmacist.steve]

it was full to the top...and I was getting 90 a month and now 110 ...

What does the label say - quantity/directions.. if you have a drug card and the dose was 3xd the insurance computer would have kicked back a excessive days supply reject and the pharmacy would have cut it back to a 30 days supply and - if they followed the law - made a note on the paper Rx as to why the difference between what is written and what was dispensed..
You may not have been "shorted" but give a 30 days supply as per the directions on the Rx... as per the limitation of your insurance...

[BrokenBladder]

Very good point Steve!! As a matter of fact that happened to me one time, but the pharmacist told me so that I wouldn't worry about it later.
Dag FL~~~I would go to the pharmacy for sure and at least talk to them. Hopefully this turns out to be what Steve suggested and your problem is solved!!

[mrsdoubtfyre]

http://health.msn.com/general/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100148089

I will add that I know a vet who was diverting Hycodan. He was writing Rxs for fictitious dogs and picking them up himself (I turned him in). He confessed during his hearing, and left the state to practice in another, with no sanctions.

Then there was the dentist in my area who gave his patients Rxs for liquid Nembutal
for premedication. He'd administer one 5cc dose, when the patient was
"out" he'd confiscate the rest (keep it). He was arrested for molesting
women who were unconscious...and he did NOT escape punishment.

I know two physicians who diverted to call girls for sexual favors.
(one was caught and lost his license for a while, the other was "retired" and
I don't know if he ever was caught.

Nursing homes are hugely problematic. I have personal experience with this
situation. But then so are hospitals, where patients never receive some doses, while the staff uses them.
We keep Clozaril in the control area, because it requires restrictions on dispensing (and it goes out to the homes as a "control" with special colors labeled on it etc). A nurse called me up on midnights once wanting to know what it was. When I told her it could "kill" you--aplastic anemia--- she went nuts...
obviously she was taking it or giving to a "friend" and thinking it was something more desirable.

[suede]

dag_fl,
I had this happen also, the amount of pills rx'ed would not have fit in the bottle, so I took the bottle back to the pharmacy and asked them to please fit the 120 pills in the bottle that should have been in it.
At first they tried to tell me that it may have been a different brand and on and on, I told them I knew it was the regular brand that they carried and long story short I ended up getting the rest of my pills.
I had several problems with this pharmacy and did end up changing but not before I found out a few things.
The pills I had missing at that time was vicodin but I also had Oxycontin come up missing from them and it wasn't every month but what I found out they had a problem with was that this person was hitting up customers every month but he did it on a rotating basis so he got by with it for sometime.
Linda

[dag_FL]

Thanks for the input, I'm going this AM. to talk to them. the bottle had 110 printed on it and I had looked at the script carefully before I gave it to them so I don't know if ins. would have done something like that. It kind of sucks to have this happen, I've had arthritis for most of my adult life and been on meds from pain management for about 10 years now and I guess it can be frustrating when dealing with the drug store, they sometimes look at you as though you are a criminal or drug addict.....like I need more grief when some days are a struggle just to get by and try to remain as functual as possible. thanks!!

[Jo6]

I always scan every script at home before I take it to the Pharmacy. I have had about every thing happen at one time or other. I never take extra meds., never run out unless I have been shorted and I didn't check the count the day I got the script.

Mind you, I am not perfect and I have had a few missing but let it go. The next month I told them about the missing pills and that was why I started counting them before I left the Pharmacy.

I posted this aleady in this forum but I'll post again since we are on this subject.
Hubby went to get meds. , they were schedule 2. When he got home I new the count wasn't right before I opened the bag. I took the bottle out, it was overflowing. The script was for 120 but hubby and I both counted them and the count was 520.
Even though the count on the bottle said 120, they gave me 500 extra. I don't know what they would have done if we had not taken them back. They didn't know they were missing.

Hubby had Pharm. count them while he was standing there. He was shocked to say the least. He counted out 120 and gave me the correct # of pills. He "thought" who ever filled the script counted out 20 and had to open a new bottle of pills to get the 100. Instead they just poured the entire bottle out and gave it all to me.

Had we not taken them back I don't know what they would have done. Every thing on the bottle was correct, saying I recieved 120 pills.

Well, it was their problem but it could have been a problem for me. I didn't think they were supposed to give pills to anybody after they left the store and brought back. What are the rules on that?

[dag_FL]

went to pharmicist and explained that my count was off on my med, I asked if we could check as the amount had been changed and I wanted to know for sure if I have a security problem, could she fill the same size bottle with the 110 pills? to make a long story short they would not, she said I could have changed bottles and lables ect. (B.S.)
I do plan on checking this myself upon my next refill and if in fact it was underfilled I will file a complaint with the state board, I doubt it will do anything but if others have the same experiance there will be a record. It does bother me that they seem to not really want to check this out. I will get a count from now on!!!

[Pharmacist.steve]

went to pharmicist and explained that my count was off on my med, I asked if we could check as the amount had been changed and I wanted to know for sure if I have a security problem, could she fill the same size bottle with the 110 pills? to make a long story short they would not, she said I could have changed bottles and lables ect. (B.S.)
I do plan on checking this myself upon my next refill and if in fact it was underfilled I will file a complaint with the state board, I doubt it will do anything but if others have the same experiance there will be a record. It does bother me that they seem to not really want to check this out. I will get a count from now on!!!

If this was a chain store .. I would contact their corporate dept for internal loss.. this Pharmacist could be the point of diversion from the store.. it would not be the first time a pharmacist or pharmacy staff was involved in diversion... those labels don't come off easily and cannot be reapplied smoothly - like new first time -

Just talk to that dept and tell them the facts... you may or may not get the additional tablets .. but if more than one customer has complained .. they may have to take some sort of action... they don't want the Pharmacy Board and/or the DEA looking over their shoulder and investigating. If they discover the problem first .. all it will involve is filing some paperwork.. but it may force them to do a complete C-II audit .. to see if/how much is not accounted for.

All other things not withstanding .. I would hate for one of the pharmacy staff taking opiates on the job - without medical justification - and run the risk of Rxs being mis-filled and someone being harmed.

[lobelsteve]

http://health.msn.com/general/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100148089

I will add that I know a vet who was diverting Hycodan. He was writing Rxs for fictitious dogs and picking them up himself (I turned him in). He confessed during his hearing, and left the state to practice in another, with no sanctions.

Then there was the dentist in my area who gave his patients Rxs for liquid Nembutal
for premedication. He'd administer one 5cc dose, when the patient was
"out" he'd confiscate the rest (keep it). He was arrested for molesting
women who were unconscious...and he did NOT escape punishment.

I know two physicians who diverted to call girls for sexual favors.
(one was caught and lost his license for a while, the other was "retired" and
I don't know if he ever was caught.

Nursing homes are hugely problematic. I have personal experience with this
situation. But then so are hospitals, where patients never receive some doses, while the staff uses them.
We keep Clozaril in the control area, because it requires restrictions on dispensing (and it goes out to the homes as a "control" with special colors labeled on it etc). A nurse called me up on midnights once wanting to know what it was. When I told her it could "kill" you--aplastic anemia--- she went nuts...
obviously she was taking it or giving to a "friend" and thinking it was something more desirable.


All very valid and timely. I just went to an Alpharma sponsored meeting on Abuse/Diversion and there are 7.65 million dosage units stolen every year and about 30% are from healthcare workers. THey need to lose their license in all states and get a new job.

[Gimpy]

outta here.....

[mrsdoubtfyre]

Every dispensing error reported to the licensing board is followed up in
person by an agent.

In this case, since you are getting no solution at the pharmacy level, I would not bother with corporate. Some chains "bury" problems, etc. I know pharmacists who work in chains who report potential theft, and are ignored by management. One even called the police! So don't trust management at a chain to fix much for you.

To fix a suspected real diversion, you save your bottle, and make a formal
complaint to the board. They will then go out and audit the place.
They most likely will need your bottle, as proof.
On the bottom is the size in drams, so note that down and photocopy the label for your own information. Write out your experience in detail and your shortage of count and their unwillingness to fix.

In reality, your pharmacist is licensed by the State, not the store. So he/she is ultimately responsible for following laws. The store does not enforce this as a rule (it might but not always)...but the State will want to know who is diverting controls. For example in my state, one DUI ticket results in suspension of the pharmacy license. Most states are very strict like this.
Take advantage of that.

There will be other numbers on the bottom of the vial...so write them all down.
Every box of Owens vials has a code on each vial... plus the dram size.

You know, this shorted by pharmacy type thread is becoming more common here everyday. All members here and those reading should be proactive with their controls and count them before leaving the store. And you should carefully READ your RX before leaving the doctor's..Make sure it is properly dated (important for mail away and controls), and has the correct amount on it and correct drug. It is a good idea to photocopy all the rx's you get for your own records, before you have them filled. That way you know what you should be getting. Many oversights and errors occur at the doctor's office as well. So with all the trouble controls are experiencing today, diversion and the like, each patient should be very proactive with his/her own drug orders.

[suede]

dag_fl,
I'm sorry that they would not even be considerate enough to comply with your request to try and fill the bottle, it sounds to me like they are cooping just a little to much attitude, ya know what I mean?
I agree with the others I would not let this go, I know it seems like a hassle but it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
I wish you the best of luck,
Oh yea I would go in next month and ask them to do a count of your pills with you right then before you even leave, I'd let them know you don't have anything to hide..
Linda

[Gimpy]

outta here........

[dag_FL]

I plan to call walgreens corperate today, I do want them to know what happend and I plan on asking them to send me something in writing stating they will at least look into it. I have set the bottle aside to show it wasn't tamperd with as well. I will also report this to the state board, I'm not sure which one at this point but I'd like the powers that be to have a record of what happend. I'm not really worried about getting my medicine replaced at this point or a better descrpition would be I know I won't get my medicine but I feel violated and at the very least I'd like to think that I may be able to save someone the same problem in the future.

[Pharmacist.steve]

Dag_FL
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/enforcement/enforce_howto.htm

Here is the complaint section of FL Board of Pharmacy

I would suggest that you follow up with a letter or email to the person at Walgreens.. outlining the problem... keep copies of both and give copies to your doc..

Typically a "drug seeker" would not go to this much trouble and call this much attention to themselves. Gives your complaint some added creditable..