Prescriptions Not Available
 

:doh:I was discharged from Villages Regional Hospital on Thursday evening with a prescription for Morphine Liquid Solution 10mg/5ml #200 to use through the feeding port installed in my stomach.


Both Walgreens and Publix pharmacies stated they don't carry the medication. One pharmacist stated that I need to get it from the hospital. The hospital pharmacy says that since I have been discharged from the hospital they can’t fill it.


I’m in a real quandary- pain from the throat radiation is intense and, relief is no where in sight


Why would a physician prescribe a non-available medication?


Thanks
James Randall Cook

Why would a physician prescribe a non-available medication?


I'll state the obvious..............ask the doctor.

Seems like an unusual concentration. The most commonly prescribed liquid morphine is a concentrate---20 mg/ml. I would suggest calling the pharmacy and asking which concentrations of liquid morphine that they DO carry, and getting the hospital physician to change the RX. Be prepared for a run around, even to just locate the hospitalist. While whatever hospitalist is working is obligated to cover another hospitalist's in-patients, they are not required to replace a schedule 2 narcotic prescription for a discharged patient, so be nice to him/her. Do you have a primary care doctor here locally? If so, that would be another route to try. GOOD LUCK!!, your situation sucks especially with the weekend coming.

PS The physician really has no idea what local pharmacies do and do not stock. But I think the pharmacy could have been more helpful. I find it hard to believe that they do not stock ANY liquid morphine, especially given the age of the community, so they could have suggested a concentration that they do have.

They don't stock everything because of the cost factor keeping all meds used in stock.

True, but a community this size and age probably goes through a gallon or two of liquid morphine/week. Let's see---3785 ml/gallon, 5ml twice a day x 7 days = 70 ml, or about 1 gallon for every 54 patients on it (out of 130,000)---I think they can stock it

Take your prescription to a Compounding Pharmacy. I think there is one in Lady Lake.
Benzer Specialty Pharmacy

HUH???? What would be the advantage of a compounding pharmacy, unless they grow their own poppies.

BTW, I have sent the OP several PMs---I talked "turkey" with my pharmacist who checked for me, and told him which retail pharmacies has his RX in stock---the advantage of having a DEA number.

Like. No more than that. Proud to type on the same Forum. Thank you Doc. That was really kind.

Golfing Eagles you are a mensch -- that was so nice of you -- I'd say above and beyond. I hope the OP appreciates your efforts on his behalf. Thank you for doing this..

:bigbow:

Mensch--now there's a word I haven't heard since I lived in Brooklyn for 4 years. At least you didn't call me a schlimazel:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

For the benefit of those who aren't from or have never been to Brooklyn, I offer the following:


The Shlemiel knocks over the coffee cup. The coffee cup lands on the Shlemazel. The Nudnik asks if it was regular or decaf. The Mensch cleans it up.

Love it!:bigbow:

You know it great when fellow villagers go out of their way to help, that what makes this place so great!

Chit, three times in one week. :ohdear:






Seriously though...good for you. :cool:

Try your health insurance company. Some have medical staff for call ins or a person who helps with problems. They maybe able to give you some help. Maybe they have a specialty mail in pharmacy and could overnight the drugs.

Feast or famine:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Sounds like a Laverne and Shirley song.:clap2:

That was really poor discharge planning by the hospital. The discharge planner or your nurse should have checked first before sending you home with a prescription like that and knowing how much pain you were in. Shame on those nurses. I hope you are feeling a little better and good luck in your recovery. Hats off to golfing eagle for his help.

Actually, it was not poor discharge planning, it was standard discharge planning. I have never seen anyone try to verify the availability of a RX at the pharmacy upon discharge, although it sounds like a good idea on the surface. But there's another problem with that, however. The local pharmacies will NOT tell you over the phone if they have a narcotic in stock out of fear of a burglary. (although I can't imagine a drug seeking criminal not knowing there are drugs at a pharmacy). I was only able to help out because I was at the pharmacy in person, had ID AND a DEA number, and a very nice pharmacist as well. They would have been within their rights not to tell me either.

While the hospital pharmacy cannot fill a prescription, it is not unusual for them to send you home with 2 doses "for the road"; we don't know if that happened or not.

Starting to get a bit concerned---No word from the OP on this thread or to PMs. I hope he/she isn't sitting in the ER trying to get a new RX or worse yet got re-admitted for pain control.