Ok ex CVS pharmacist for 10 years and worked throught the pill mill epidemic in south florida.
I Am not defending this pharmacist but i can shed some insight into our C2 approval and denying. First thing first is that this pharmacist is 100% withing his rights to deny a script for any reason and does need justification.
So here is my process. 1 I only approve chronic pain meds from pain management MDs and only ones i work with in my area who i all know by name. I refuse to fill any type of chronic pain management meds from a GP unless i know the circumstances.
2 The MD or patient has to live within 5-10 miles of my pharmacy. I do not fill for MDs outside a 20 mile radius.
3 I wont fill a script fro a patient with an unussaly high dose/count without verifying appropriate titration.
4 I have to check the supply that i have and most of the time i cannot accept new chronic paint patients. I have to have enough norco/percocet to fill for my acute pain patients and cannot accept too many #120 count norcos every month since they eat my limited supply.
5 you have to know remember that pharmacys are ran by multiple pharmacists and each have a specific set of rules they follow. Many floaters will deny all chronic pain meds and tell them to come back when the staff or manager is there.
6 blame the DEA for this. They have started cracking down hard on us pharmacists and taking our licenses as well as our stores dea license.
7 you gotta understand that as a pharmacist we are under some of the highest stress in all of the medical community and many of us are burnt out in retail. We may act like assholes but you gotta understand that C2 denials are an everyday thing to us and we dont have time to handle them properly do to corporate timed metrics and lack of eating/ no breaks.
Without knowing more i cant say its the pharmacists fault. I dont blame him if your a GP and prescribing chronic pain meds or if he is outside of his miles limit. Something in the just dose not add up to me in my honest opinion.
Any question you have just ask and i would be glad to answer them.