Brand vs. Generic Drugs

Many of us use generic drugs, in effort to save money.  The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) determines which generic drugs can be dispensed in place of brand name drugs.  But what happens when the brand is unavailable? What if no generic drug is available to replace the brand name drug that was prescribed?

Usually, pharmacists would call the prescribing physician and suggest alternatives; as a military pharmacy technician, I've had to do this on many occasions, in the past.  Well, in some states, pharmacists are legally permitted to change prescriptions to a completely different drug, but within the same drug category.  

As long as there is a justifiable, documented explanation for the change (including review of the patient's medical history), I don't see a problem with it.

Think about how this information makes you feel.  Meanwhile, always take advantage of the opportunity to speak with a pharmacist about your prescriptions.

Also, remember to come back to see me, soon.  Thanks for stopping by!!!

Doctor Office Issues

How do you feel about your doctor's staff? How do you feel about your doctor?

I'm hoping your responses are positive and happy, but I'm not naive enough to expect it. The truth is, either your doctor's staff and/or you doctor is/are likely to cause you negative feelings. (Sorry to be the bearer of bad news).

But, I love my doctor! What could possibly cause me to feel negatively about my doctor? Here are a few potential examples:

1) Difficulty communicating with staff;

2) Unable to reach a live person via their 24-hour on-call service;

3) Failure to follow your insurance plan's protocol, resulting in your inability to receive your prescriptions; 

4) Broken promises to call in your prescription to a pharmacy; or

5) Doctor's failure to answer your questions and/or provide you with the resources necessary to improve your medical condition; just to name a few.

Chances are you (or your child/loved one) are probably not feeling well. So, the last thing you need is for processes to run in inefficiently. So what are you going to do? Complaining is useless, unless you are willing to actually do something about it. Things you CAN DO:

1) Take advantage of your time and Express your concerns directly to your doctor;

2) If things don't change, write a letter to your insurance plan, explaining your concerns;

3) Shop around for another doctor/healthcare provider;

4) It doesn't matter if your health insurance plan is Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, Aetna, Cigna, etc.;

5) Always remember, IT'S YOUR DIME FOR THEIR TIME. Your doctor owes you appropriate service.

NOW, GO GET IT!!!
...and come back to see me, soon!

Prescription tampering

We all know that it's wrong to tamper with a doctor's prescription. Filling in a number for refills yourself is never a good idea, even if you're a physician writing a prescription for yourself. And in case you didn't know, tampering with your prescription CAN land you in a jail cell!

For your information, Class II Narcotics, such as Percocet, Morphine, and Ritalin, are not refillable. So guess who likes like a big fat liar when they approach the pharmacy counter with one or more refills written on their Class II Narcotic prescription? You got it! See why it pays to be honest ;-)

...oh, and try to get those Class II scripts filled within 7 days of the date it was written, or you may run into problems getting the medication.

Check with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for more details on FAQ's by clicking the title (Prescription tampering) above.