Shortage of pain drugs (Full Version)

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peppermint -> Shortage of pain drugs (11/20/2010 10:35:54 PM)

I thought it was kind of strange when I went into Walgreens tonight and couldn't get a prescription for Oxycodone filled.  Gary just had 2 emergency surgeries in just 3 days and he's hurting badly.  The hospital where he was is nearly 200 miles from here and we just got home tonight after a 3 week hospital stay.  After the long drive he was hurting a lot.  Then the guy at the checkout counter told me there was a newspaper article about there being a shortage of the drug due to the government cracking down on overuse of pain meds. 

Thankfully I had surgery a few months ago and didn't need all my pain meds.   He is sleeping for the time being and his pain is eased.  What will I do tomorrow if I can't find a store that has the medication?  It scares me.  Okay...I can see some sort of checks and balances so that the pain drugs don't get to abusers.  However, what will people who NEED the drug do?  So tomorrow I will make the rounds of stores when I should be home making sure Gary is okay and hasn't fallen or anything. 

Guess this is a rant which I don't normally post.  I am afraid of what I will find in the morning.



soul2share -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/20/2010 11:07:07 PM)

Hun, you can actually CALL the pharmacies ahead of time and have them check to see if they have the drug in stock.  And they can also call around and check for you...at least that way, he's not home unattended, and you can cut down on your driving around town.  If you have a walmart aound, ty there....I've found Walgreens and CVS have been out of drugs of any kind in the past, where at least Wally World had the drug in stock.

Good luck!



peppermint -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/20/2010 11:39:01 PM)

Walmart is first on my list tomorrow.  We have 3 in this town.  They were closed tonight. 


What about other people getting out of the hospital at night?  Do they just get to suffer until someone can locate some relief for them?  If I hadn't had some pills in the medicine cabinet I would have had to take him to the local hospital, and the newspaper article says the hospital has it's own shortage of morphine and other drugs.  



soul2share -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/20/2010 11:48:11 PM)

Well, I never understood why the hospital will send someone home with nothing to tide the patient over until they can get the prescription filled.  Makes no sense to me either.....at least he has someone that can get to the store for him....try living alone and having to wait 45 minutes for a prescription to be filled.....I spent that long at Wal-mart this week after having dental surgery.  WHY does someone have to wait in line when they are right there versus the folks who just drop something off and will be returning to pick it up?????  Now that's the question I'd like an answer to!  Especially when someone looks like they are still under the influence of the drugs needed for the procedure.

I had to wait the same amount of time after getting out of the hospital from an appendectomy.....I couldn't stand up straight, and walking was almost not doable.  I even told the idjit pharmacist tech that I'd just been released from the hospital, and that I'm waiting for the drugs.  Good thing I wasn't in serious pain!



gungadin09 -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 2:52:50 AM)

i thought most hospitals had inhouse pharmacies?

pam



CynthiaWVirginia -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 4:59:22 AM)

I was sent home the same day I had surgery for shattering my lower leg.  I had metal plates and screws.
 
I had to DRIVE to the daggone pharmacy and wait in line in a go cart to get my pain meds, which seemed to do nearly nothing, so I added benadryl to make myself sleepy so I could prevent myself...barely...from screaming myself hoarse.
 
Btw, after getting chemo, and getting too doped up to even drive, I had to sit in my car for over an hour or two to be clear headed enough to drive home.  I couldn't make it to the pharmacy to pick up the rest of my chemo meds, prednisone, until almost a week later.  The first day I was barely able to drive, after that the nausea made it impossible to drive.  No, my oncologist, even after I explained the problem carefully, still refused to write the prednisone a day in advance so I could have it filled.  I lived in a town that had no deliveries by pharmacies, and we only had one oncologist...
 
Got to love medical logic.  :) 
 
Thanks to those who supplied info about phoning first.



barelynangel -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 5:08:00 AM)

You may also want to call his doctor's office or even the hospital and speak with the doctor who prescribed it -- most Dr's offices have on call during the weekend and explain what's going on if you can't find any.  They should be able to prescribe something else in the meantime.

angel



soul2share -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 5:16:13 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: gungadin09
i thought most hospitals had inhouse pharmacies?
pam


They do, but for some reason, they won't actually FILL a written prescription.  The in house pharmacy is strictly for supplying the meds to patients in the hospital.  Out of boredom one night, I asked one of the pharmacists at the hospital I worked at why they didn't fill them for patients being discharged, he gave me some stoopid reason involving their malpractice insurance.

At least while I was in the service, you could get the prescription filled prior to getting released, and if you were there for sick call, they'd still have the prescription to you within 10 minutes.  If you were in really bad shape, they'd go get the thing filled and bring it to you.



pahunkboy -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 5:19:35 AM)

involving their malpractice insurance./snip

that is pretty extreme.



peppermint -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 5:42:05 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: gungadin09

i thought most hospitals had inhouse pharmacies?

pam


The hospital we were at is building an inhouse pharmacy, however, it's still in the construction stage.  The hospital in the town we are now in does not have an inhouse pharmacy. 



peppermint -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 5:43:20 AM)

That is just not right, Cynthia.  What difference could one day make?  



peppermint -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 5:45:48 AM)

quote:

They should be able to prescribe something else in the meantime.


I'll be doing this if i can't get this script filled in the morning.  I "might" be able to get it filled in Mexico if all else fails.  Someone told me the Mexican pharmacies will honor a US script. 



wandersalone -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 7:27:46 AM)

ugh yet another reason that I am thankful to live in Australia. 

I am in hospital a couple of times a year generally and before being discharged I have to have someone that will drive me home (I once had a nurse stand on the road with me and watch me get into the taxi to ensure I was ok as the hospital wasn't happy that I didn't have anyone picking me up)

The hospital also supplies enough pain medication to last me generally for about a week or until my first review with the specialist who operated.

Peppermint this sounds like a frustrating and worrying situation and I hope that you can get the script filled tomorrow.  I am thinking of you both [:)]



DesFIP -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 7:44:13 AM)

Call the pharmacy, if none have this pain med, ask what they do have then call the doctor's office and have them call in a scrip for the pain med that is in stock. Then go to the pharmacy and when the scrip isn't immediately called in have them call the doctor's office. The nurse at the office will respond to the pharmacy calling in immediately whereas she won't call in your request till the end of the day



Hippiekinkster -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 7:46:56 AM)

I don't know of any current shortages (FDA keeps a list online) but some pharms might be low or out. I couldn't get a 15mg oxy #120 filled at Kroger Friday but had no problem with 40mg. oxycontin.



Musicmystery -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 7:51:59 AM)

quote:

They do, but for some reason, they won't actually FILL a written prescription. The in house pharmacy is strictly for supplying the meds to patients in the hospital. Out of boredom one night, I asked one of the pharmacists at the hospital I worked at why they didn't fill them for patients being discharged, he gave me some stoopid reason involving their malpractice insurance.


You're right, that's a stupid reason. The real reason is that stocking a pharmacy costs money. A lot of money.

Some hospitals do have a retail pharmacy operation as well. But it's not the norm.

Keep in mind that that typical retail pharmacy stores make their profit on a lot of things beyond pills.




pahunkboy -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 7:55:20 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hippiekinkster

I don't know of any current shortages (FDA keeps a list online) but some pharms might be low or out. I couldn't get a 15mg oxy #120 filled at Kroger Friday but had no problem with 40mg. oxycontin.



Man, I thought I took a risk by mentioning silver.     People with pills get robbed.

- just sayn-



peppermint -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 8:00:50 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hippiekinkster

I don't know of any current shortages (FDA keeps a list online) but some pharms might be low or out. I couldn't get a 15mg oxy #120 filled at Kroger Friday but had no problem with 40mg. oxycontin.


I researched our local newspaper and found this...."The shortage arose after the Drug Enforcement Administration in June suspended two distributors from selling narcotic medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and brand-names such as Percocet and Vicodin."  Apparently, according to the article, even the hospital has had to change to alternative drugs in some cases.  Of course the alternative usually costs many times what the usual drug costs. 



Hippiekinkster -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 8:33:07 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: peppermint

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hippiekinkster

I don't know of any current shortages (FDA keeps a list online) but some pharms might be low or out. I couldn't get a 15mg oxy #120 filled at Kroger Friday but had no problem with 40mg. oxycontin.


I researched our local newspaper and found this...."The shortage arose after the Drug Enforcement Administration in June suspended two distributors from selling narcotic medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and brand-names such as Percocet and Vicodin."  Apparently, according to the article, even the hospital has had to change to alternative drugs in some cases.  Of course the alternative usually costs many times what the usual drug costs. 

Yeah, the issues with those two manufacturers have been resolved. Here's the current list:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm050792.htm



camille65 -> RE: Shortage of pain drugs (11/21/2010 12:37:58 PM)

It was not uncommon for me to have difficulty refilling my oxycontin or Fentynal patches, I learned it helped to let the pharmacy know that it would be filled every month. Not every pharmacy carries every single medication that can be prescribed. Even with refills there have been times that I've been directed to the same chain but in a different neighborhood.

Annoying yes, but I really cannot expect them to carry every RX on the chance that someone will need them. They've limited shelf space.



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