Pharmacy refused prescription refill

[Brynmr]

Today a Walmart pharmacist refused to fill my doctor's prescription for gabapentin because the 90 days (it's a 90 day supply) wasn't up. I'm short by 11 days which btw is exactly what I have left. She was real snooty about it too. This has never happened before. Usually I get a refill a week or 2 before the 90 days are up. I don't have to wait until I'm out of the drug and hope they have the it in stock or my car doesn't break down or whatever. Anyway I contacted my doctor and he phoned it into a Walgreens Pharmacy which was promptly filled. I'm pretty ticked off about this.

[Rustsmith]

I have had that happen with opioid prescriptions, but not gabapentin. With the opioids, you can only get 30 days of pills and they often refuse to refill until 27 days after the last prescription. So, you have to be very careful not to drop one and lose it.

Many states are increasing regulations on gabapentin because it is being used in combination with other drugs and/or alcohol to increase the high.

But either way, the pharmacist's attitude was out of place and if something like that happened to me, it would be the last time that I went into that store.

[Polar Bear]

I live in the UK and have never had a dispensing pharmacist query my prescription.

However, recently some medical practices have been employing an in-house pharmacist who appears to be looking at the prescriptions after they have been written by the GP. The written prescriptions are passed directly from the medical practice to the local dispensing pharmacy.
On one occasion early this year and after joining a new practice, when picking up my Codeine from the dispensing pharmacy my Codeine was drastically reduced as per the prescription received by the dispensing pharmacy. I queried this with my GP who knew nothing about it and upon checking she discovered the reduction had been made by the medical practice's in-house pharmacist.
The GP put it right - but I wasn't pleased that it had been reduced by the IHP without a question to the GP or speaking with me.
We can request a repeat prescription from the GP up to 7 days early.. It takes 2 days for the prescription to be processed and go to the dispensing pharmacy.

[Brynmr]

I got the same tight leash info on refills from the Walgreens I went to afterwards. However the girl attending me was real sweet. So we're being punished yet again for lowlife druggies abusing drugs. Give them all the drugs they want and cull the herd.

[Brynmr]

OptumRX refills a 90 day prescription of gabapentin 2 weeks before it's finished. Then depending on the mail it could take a few days to get to your home - and of course it's possible to get lost.

[ViewsAskew]

I got the same tight leash info on refills from the Walgreens I went to afterwards. However the girl attending me was real sweet. So we're being punished yet again for lowlife druggies abusing drugs. Give them all the drugs they want and cull the herd.

Many people who abuse prescriptions and get addicted are people like you and me. Last I remember reading, about 7-9 percent of us get easily addicted - the rest of us do not. Guess it's more about what type of brain we have that takes us down that path. There are almost 50K US deaths related to overdoses per year (not sure in other countries) that drives policies here. And, the doctors prescribed many of those prescriptions. The rate of opioid abuse in rural areas where jobs are not prevalent is well-documented. Purdue Pharma has lost major lawsuits related to how they pushed these.

Seems a really complex issue with multiple facets. I just hope that they come to some middle ground consensus that keeps people as safe as we can from overprescribing, while doesn't prevent us from getting them!

[Brynmr]

Many people who abuse prescriptions and get addicted are people like you and me. Last I remember reading, about 7-9 percent of us get easily addicted - the rest of us do not. Guess it's more about what type of brain we have that takes us down that path. There are almost 50K US deaths related to overdoses per year (not sure in other countries) that drives policies here. And, the doctors prescribed many of those prescriptions. The rate of opioid abuse in rural areas where jobs are not prevalent is well-documented. Purdue Pharma has lost major lawsuits related to how they pushed these.

Seems a really complex issue with multiple facets. I just hope that they come to some middle ground consensus that keeps people as safe as we can from overprescribing, while doesn't prevent us from getting them!

I don't believe forcing the 91% to suffer is the answer.

[ViewsAskew]

Many people who abuse prescriptions and get addicted are people like you and me. Last I remember reading, about 7-9 percent of us get easily addicted - the rest of us do not. Guess it's more about what type of brain we have that takes us down that path. There are almost 50K US deaths related to overdoses per year (not sure in other countries) that drives policies here. And, the doctors prescribed many of those prescriptions. The rate of opioid abuse in rural areas where jobs are not prevalent is well-documented. Purdue Pharma has lost major lawsuits related to how they pushed these.

Seems a really complex issue with multiple facets. I just hope that they come to some middle ground consensus that keeps people as safe as we can from overprescribing, while doesn't prevent us from getting them!

I don't believe forcing the 91% to suffer is the answer.

Absolutely agreed. Also know that when things are complex, we usually look for easy solutions, rather than really solving the problem. And, that means things like restricting everyone else.

[Brynmr]

Absolutely agreed. Also know that when things are complex, we usually look for easy solutions, rather than really solving the problem. And, that means things like restricting everyone else.

But the issue isn't complex. It becomes complex when people are excused from taking responsibility for their actions. Restricting pain meds to people who need them isn't going to solve the problem of addiction. It never has. Remember "Just say no"?