madder than a wet crip!

Excuse me dear readers but here is where I am going to merely vent and rant and rage against judgmental people!!!!

As many of you know, I have been having problems with lots of pain, and it has been increasing lately. The last prescription my doc wrote, he wrote for less than I had been taking of the pain meds. So, I called and they said to take what I had been taking. So I did. Of course that meant that I ran out earlier, but my doc just wrote me another script to cover that.

This has happened before, and I have taken this script to the pharmacy I have been using for 10 years, and the kind pharmacist who owns the business always fills them. However, he has his fill-in pharmacist who is clearly prejudiced against those of us on narcotics. I have had trouble with him before, but today took the cake. I will also say, because I worked in a place where people with pain came, I have heard similar stories about this pharmacist....

So, today, my legs are hurting so badly, that I am using the dreaded cane, and even that is not helping much. So, when I went to pick up the prescription from my doc's office today, I asked for them to write an order for a walker, so when I go for my P.T. eval soon, they could fit me for a walker. This is way beyond my capacity for thinking that I am ok, or what may be called denial. I hate to think that this has progressed to the point that I need that much assistance walking, but it has. It sucks, and I don't like it at all. So, I was leaving my doc's office, with script in hand, already feeling yucky because I finally admitted to myself it has come to this point......but, relieved that I was going to get the meds that will help the pain some...and....

This pharmacist comes out from behind the counter, sits down next to me and says "when did your doctor say you could have more, because he wrote this for 3 a day", to which I said "what do you mean?" He just kept looking at me, with no further explanation. I said, "yesterday I guess." Since that is when the script was written. He said, "I can't fill this, you should have plenty left if you just were told yesterday that you could take 3 a day". I said, "no, he told me I could take them weeks ago, but he wrote the script yesterday as that is when I was going to run out." The meanie pharmacist then says..."oh sure, now you are changing your story, there is no way I am going to fill this." I got kind of upset and said that the regular pharmacist fills them with no problem, and he says "I doubt that". I said "call him". He once again said that he was not going to fill this, and it wasn't his problem. I got mad, but I thought was fairly well controlled, and said, "You know, I hate to say it, but you have a reputation for doing this, and when people are in chronic pain, it is hard to hear this and have to argue with you". He got mad and started telling me that he didn't have to listen to my opinions about anything and that I was out of line. It just got worse from there. I didn't know what to do, I asked him to call the doctor's office, but of course he would not do that. He said to go across the street to the other pharmacy. All I could think about at that point, is how much it was going to hurt to have to get back in my car, and walk to the very back of another pharmacy. I left, but realized that there was maybe a way he could see that I was telling the truth.

As I walked back in the store, he came walking out and met me with his arms crossed against his chest, and with a very stern look on his face. I said "if you look back in your records you will see that the prescription before this said take 3/day." he disagreed and said, "no, it says take 2/day"...I said go back one more, and you will see it says 3/day.

He told me that I had now changed my story yet again, and that now I was raising my voice. I told him that I would be calling the owner of the business and reporting him and letting him know that he had unfortunately lost a good customer because of this guy's attitude. He came back at me with he had already reported me as a drug seeker, and it was clear to him that was what I was, as if I was truly in pain, I would not be so upset. He kind of guided me toward the door!

I went across the street to the other pharmacy, where I did have to walk to the very back of the store, which by then I was almost in tears from the pain. The pharmacist asked me if he had checked the insurance and if that was who turned me down. I said I didn't think he had, as he really didn't have time to check. I also told her, I had issues like this with him before, and had come to this pharm and they filled them with no problem. As I expected, they filled it with no problem.

Ok, long story.....but, I just want to point out here...and I know that many of you who read this blog have pain issues, so it is like preaching to the choir, but it is bad enough to have to endure this kind of pain everyday. I don't think we should have to also put up with professional's attitudes and personal prejudice. Because of his attitude, I am in more pain than I was, so now the pain killers that I got will not work as well. Not to mention that emotionally, I am very upset, so that does not help my condition at all. why oh why do we have to be treated this way? (I think that is a lyric).

I am writing a letter to the business owner, and CCing it to my doctor. I will explain why he has lost my business, and that I think anyone who has chronic pain should not go to this pharmacy. It is sad, because the man who owns this business is sweet and kind and the techs that work there are also very kind. It is just this one judgmental man, who claims if he would fill that script they would take his license away. I told him that didn't make sense, as my doctor wrote it....to which he says....oh doctors write all sorts of things they shouldn't. (yes, I will put that in my letter). Huh? they have license too! And, I know for a fact, that if it was written in a way that was not allowable, my insurance company would have refused it. And way beyond any of that, and what is what this all comes down to....is my integrity! I know I have not abused this med. I know that it was taken as prescribed...or at least as my doc knew I was taking it.

One thing about me that I know, is I hate to be falsely accused of anything. It makes my blood boil when that happens. I am sure my voice did raise a little, but it was not because i was a drug seeking addict who was lying and changing my stories to try to get drugs I was not supposed to have......it was because I am a person in non-relenting, retractable pain, who could see that I was going to have to take even more painful steps to get a medicine that I need, and was rightfully prescribed. In one fell swoop, this jerk (sorry I was going to try to be above board in the blogging of this event) not only called me a liar, but also my doctor. I bet, this guy has a God complex. Well, in my world God is loving and kind. This guy is a prejudicial, biggoted, judgmental jerk! So there!