Isn't there a way to prevent the "multiple presecriptions from different doctors?"

 

I get my prescriptions from Krogers or Walgreens and occasionally Wal-mart. I use Flonase for allergies and I had forgotten that I had recently refilled it at Krogers. I stopped by a Wal-Mart and thought "oh, I need to get a refill." They didn't refill it because they saw that I just refilled it.

 

How did they know that? I assume there is some sort of database that they all access.

 

Maybe so at the big chain pharmacys, but I'm not so sure about the mom and pops drug stores that most of this sort of thing occurs at. :idunno:

 

 

That and it's one prescription from one doctor, not multiple doctors.

A few years ago there was a doctor operating a practice in Garrison, KY (Lewis County). Dealt almost exclusively with "pain patients", and dealt exclusively in cash. For $75, you could get in the office and in less than 40 seconds after getting to an exam room (on average) walk out with a scrip.

 

Kentucky and Ohio (no mention of West Virginia) pharmacies filled in excess of 70,000 prescriptions for painkillers prescribed by this doctor in 101 days, according to the link below. That's 700 per day.

 

Link

This wouldn't be a problem if we would actually enforce our current drug laws. Most addicts aren't scared of a few days in the county jail and the casual drug user could care less about a small fine.

A few years ago there was a doctor operating a practice in Garrison, KY (Lewis County). Dealt almost exclusively with "pain patients", and dealt exclusively in cash. For $75, you could get in the office and in less than 40 seconds after getting to an exam room (on average) walk out with a scrip.

Kentucky and Ohio (no mention of West Virginia) pharmacies filled in excess of 70,000 prescriptions for painkillers prescribed by this doctor in 101 days, according to the link below. That's 700 per day.

 

Link

 

My UPS driver told me that traffic was backed up in both directions all day every day with people waiting to get on that guy's parking lot.

 

As to when it will become an epidemic, I would agree that it already is. Kentucky has taken good steps to curb it with their pharmacy computer system, but now the problem seems to be people driving out of state(Florida, for example) to get the supplies.

My UPS driver told me that traffic was backed up in both directions all day every day with people waiting to get on that guy's parking lot.

 

As to when it will become an epidemic, I would agree that it already is. Kentucky has taken good steps to curb it with their pharmacy computer system, but now the problem seems to be people driving out of state(Florida, for example) to get the supplies.

 

:thumb: Florida's pain clinics are a big part of the problem.

Isn't there a way to prevent the "multiple presecriptions from different doctors?"

 

I get my prescriptions from Krogers or Walgreens and occasionally Wal-mart. I use Flonase for allergies and I had forgotten that I had recently refilled it at Krogers. I stopped by a Wal-Mart and thought "oh, I need to get a refill." They didn't refill it because they saw that I just refilled it.

 

How did they know that? I assume there is some sort of database that they all access.

 

Yes, its called KASPAR, but the docs are only average at checking it.

Isn't there a way to prevent the "multiple presecriptions from different doctors?"

 

I get my prescriptions from Krogers or Walgreens and occasionally Wal-mart. I use Flonase for allergies and I had forgotten that I had recently refilled it at Krogers. I stopped by a Wal-Mart and thought "oh, I need to get a refill." They didn't refill it because they saw that I just refilled it.

 

How did they know that? I assume there is some sort of database that they all access.

The problem is, you go to a replicable doctor and a replicable pharmacy. What is happening is, you go to certain doctors and they write you a script for what you want, normally more quantity then most doctors will write a script for, for a fee. Then that doctor tells you what pharmacy to go to. You go to that pharmacy and they fill that script, for a fee, without question.

 

Not legalized drug dealing, but hard to track and prosecute.

The process that I described above has been going on for many years. I began working in healthcare 17 years ago, and it was happening when I began working in healthcare, it is not new. The only way doctors have gotten in trouble for it is when they get greedy. Some are smart enough to keep it to a minimum. The doctor that mcpapa described was doing it for over 20 years when he got arrested. He would still be doing it if he hadn't gotten greedy and began writing one script every minute in his practice.

 

I know of doctors now that do not have hospital privileges that all they do it see patients and write scripts, for mostly cash only. Everyone knows what they are doing, but unless they get careless, it is hard to prove, in court, what they are doing.