 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / Pharmacy / December 2003Illegal, unethical, or trivial?
So, I'm working; it's slow and late in the evening, and I'm mostly trying to do a CE between the occasional patient. A colleague wanders over from another section, he's fumbling around back in the shelves, then he comes up to me, and he's writing with a marker on a blank label wrapped around a small vial. He says, "I'm going to buy a tablet of minoxidil." "Huh?" "I'm going to buy a tablet of minoxidil." "Uh, what are you talking about? Why?" He say something about making his own Rogaine, or beefing up the Rogaine he already has. "I _can_ buy the Rogaine, right?" he says, "So, I'm going to buy one tablet of minoxidil." What do you do? Answer now: you don't have time to weigh the situation. What do you do? (If anyone responds, I'll let you know what I did.) : So, I'm working; it's slow and late in the evening, and I'm mostly : trying to do a CE between the occasional patient. A colleague wanders [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] : What do you do? Answer now: you don't have time to weigh the situation. : What do you do? Because the tablet is in oral form I wouldn't sell it because only topical use is non rx. On other hand I would sell some powder... how is that for splitting hairs! Lois Richmond B.C. Canada : (If anyone responds, I'll let you know what I did.) First of all I would kick his butt out of my pharmacy. Change the locks or the combination. What if he decides that he wants to try lorazepam before he gets a rx for it? Pharmacy is not a self service department... there's a reason why it is closed off. Obviously this employee has no respect for the laws regulating your department and should not be allowed back there EVER Secondly... show Mr Know-it-all the nice little legend notice on the bottle. Tell him that the minoxidil in its oral form is not approved for over the counter use and it would be illegal for him to obtain it without a prescription. If he wants to doctor the shampoo up then tell him to get a rx. PS what did you do? Absolutely not. It requires a prescription. Period. If I need to explain the reason behind different rules for different forms, I would. Most stores I work in don't have it in stock anyway. Bryan > So, I'm working; it's slow and late in the evening, and I'm mostly > trying to do a CE between the occasional patient. A colleague wanders [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > (If anyone responds, I'll let you know what I did.) Trivial but also illegal. Keep an eye on him/her. >So, I'm working; it's slow and late in the evening, and I'm mostly >trying to do a CE between the occasional patient. A colleague wanders [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >What do you do? Answer now: you don't have time to weigh the situation. >What do you do? If the colleague was a pharmacist, I'd remind him or her what formal action and license suspension is all about. If it was some jerk from the hardware or shoe department, I'd show that person the door. The anticipation is killing me. What did you do?? On another topic, many years ago I was presented what was obviously a forged rx, so I phoned the doctor's office. What do you imagine the doctor's response was? >(If anyone responds, I'll let you know what I did.) Doc said... "go ahead and fill it?" BTW I have to go to court Thursday because somebody was stupid enought to give me an altered rx which was also a photocopy for a C-2 I lowered my voice a bit, so there would not be a scene. "You can't do that, you can't buy that without a prescription." "Sure, but you can buy Rogaine. I'm just going to buy one pill." "You can't do that. It isn't right." Fortunately, he abandoned his efforts, and (I presume) returned the pill to stock. That was the end of it. I didn't see any point in lecturing a man who has been a pharmacist for probably five times longer than me. We play fast and loose with the rules where I work, but I did not want any part of these shenanigans. Thanks to all for the feedback. "That was the end of it. I didn't see any point in lecturing a man who has been a pharmacist for probably five times longer than me." Since the guy was a pharmacist (or had he lost his license) that would be like lecturing a policeman for getting free donuts. You mean as a Pharmacist you have never taken a tablet out of a bottle without having a prescription for it? I am a Pharmacists and I have purchased drugs like Neosporin Ophthalmic Ointment from another pharmacist and used it to treat the eyes of sick newborn cats. The guy should have asked your permission to get a tablet since you were in charge of the Rx department. As a courtesy from one pharmacists to another I would probably have let the guy get a tablet. *Since the guy was a pharmacist (or had he lost his license) that would be *like lecturing a policeman for getting free donuts. You mean as a Pharmacist *you have never taken a tablet out of a bottle without having a prescription *for it? I am a Pharmacists and I have purchased drugs like Neosporin *Ophthalmic Ointment from another pharmacist and used it to treat the eyes of *sick newborn cats. * *The guy should have asked your permission to get a tablet since you were in *charge of the Rx department. As a courtesy from one pharmacists to another *I would probably have let the guy get a tablet. Is that legal, to take a pill out of a bottle like that w/o an Rx??  Signaturehillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net info@hillary.net "uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est." not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :) "Is that legal, to take a pill out of a bottle like that w/o an Rx?? > hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net info@hillary.net > "uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est." > not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :) Not with the intent to sale or give it to someone who is going to take it without a prescription. Since Pharmacists can repackage drugs for sale before actually having a Rx to sell them, it must be legal to take a tablet out of a bottle w/o a Rx. It is illegal to actually ingest the tablet unless you have a personal Rx for it but OK to destroy it (like when it is dropped on the floor) .I usually drive on a two lane highway (no choice yet) with a 55 MPH speed limit. Even the police don't bother you if you are going 5 MPH over the speed limit. I believe I am the only person on the highway that usually goes that slow. Just an example of a law that even the police don't even bother to enforce. I doubt the State Board would get you for minoxidil abuse. I hope they are more interested in oxycodeine, morphine, and methamphetamine abuse than in busting a RPh. who might be trying to grow more hair on his head. The only guy I ever knew who took minoxidil orally was truly hairy. He was a big black guy with long hair all over his arms. He called himself "Bear" because he said he was hairy like a bear. *"Is that legal, to take a pill out of a bottle like that w/o an Rx?? * *> hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net info@hillary.net *> "uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est." *> not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :) * *Not with the intent to sale or give it to someone who is going to take it *without a prescription. * *Since Pharmacists can repackage drugs for sale before actually having a Rx *to sell them, it must be legal to take a tablet out of a bottle w/o a Rx. Well, sure, ok, I knew THAT :) Let me rephrase: is it legal to take the pill out of the bottle like that with intent to use it for compounding purposes and then use the compounded formula on yourself, when you don't have a prescription for that use? *It is illegal to actually ingest the tablet unless you have a personal Rx *for it but OK to destroy it (like when it is dropped on the floor) .I Makes sense. -h. Signaturehillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net info@hillary.net "uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est." not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :) >Doc said... "go ahead and fill it?" You're close. This happened back in the 80's, so I don't recall his exact words, but he said something to the effect that if I reported the person, he'd claim he actually wrote the rx. >BTW I have to go to court Thursday because somebody was stupid enought to >give me an altered rx which was also a photocopy for a C-2 The last time I was in a similar situation, I sat outside the courtroom for nearly seven hours. Finally, someone came out and told me to go home--the guy had pled guilty.. *On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 02:19:23 GMT, "rxempress" <rxempress@mchsi.com> *wrote: * *>Doc said... "go ahead and fill it?" * *You're close. This happened back in the 80's, so I don't recall his *exact words, but he said something to the effect that if I reported *the person, he'd claim he actually wrote the rx. I gather this is a common situation, based on rxempress' response... So, enlighten me, please, because I am certainly quite confused now. Why would the physician request that you go ahead and fill a forged Rx?? I mean, what's in it for him? If he was selling Rxs or something they wouldn't have been clearly forged, so I'm assuming that's not what was going on, and I just don't get this. I'm also curious - if you get a forged Rx, and you call the doctor and the doctor says "if you report this forgery, I will claim to have written the Rx," can't you report THAT?? Or at least keep a file of the questionable Rxs, and a log of the phone calls, and when you have accumulated enough evidence, report it? Would that simply be too much trouble, or not work for some reason? Inquiring minds want to know. The only "prescription forgery" type of situation I've been involved in is a few clients with pets taking benzodiazepines who would "mysteriously" lose half of the pills and come in two weeks early for more. That certainly didn't fly! h. Signaturehillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net info@hillary.net "uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est." not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :) My husband received an altered rx from a psychiatrist for percocet (don't ask me why the psych would write the drug in the first place). The script was originally for #12 and the patient added a convenient 0 to the end making it #120. The patient's insurance would only pay for a 30 day supply or #100 and the directions were one tid prn. My husband had filled the rx over the weekend. Hubbie made a courtesy call to MD to tell him he could only fill 100 so that the patient would not receive 120. Doctor questioned why hubbie gave 100 when rx was written for #12. They then realized rx had been altered. MD begged my husband not to call the police ... patient was having some real problems etc. My husband being a nice guy said if he got all the pills back by the end of his shift he would not call the cops. The doctor called and told the patient to return all 100 of the tablets. He showed up almost right away with 100 percocet. (yah... my husband counted them. Guy must have had a stash. My husband ripped up the rx and told the patient never to come back to the store. And to answer your other question.... it is illegal for a pharmacist to take a pill without a rx. I've got a good relationship with my doctor and if I think I need something I call the office and get them to call in a rx. >>And to answer your other question.... it is illegal for a pharmacist to take >>a pill without a rx. I've got a good relationship with my doctor and if I >>think I need something I call the office and get them to call in a rx. My bro is an MD so that REALLY helps me when I need something :) > The last time I was in a similar situation, I sat outside the > courtroom for nearly seven hours. Finally, someone came out and told > me to go home--the guy had pled guilty.. This is the reason that lots of my pharmacist friends will not prosecute and the reason some stores have to deal with it all the time. I'm in a situation where the local police respond in a couple of minutes to a call from me (usually). The prosecutor keeps me informed, so I've not had to show up to court, wait, and then be told that there was a plea bargain (or change of plea). But then the word is out on me and I can't remember when the last time someone tried to pass me a forged RX was. Same with relief R.Ph. because my techs help look out for them. Lynn That's exactly why I turn them in. I don't want them in my store. I don't need the aggravation. Funny I had two in the same week in August. Turned them both in and haven't had one since. BTW I was depositioned... it took 45 minutes... just relayed the story to the defense attorney and showed him the alteration and how we could tell it was photocopied. The doctor provided a copy of the original ... she writes on carbon paper. The prosecuting attorney asked me if I would fill a prescription in August which stated do not fill until after 9-13-03... and I said " no" It was painless. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.