Do We Have the Right to get Script Back From Pharmacy?

[Eva 14]

I'm asking this in the hope that the answer will help others who have problems with med shortages or uncooperative pharmacists. I'm sure pharmacist Steve knows the answer to this question. Others here probably know the answer, too.

I ask because I wasn't able to get my med shortage issues resolved UNTIL my pharmacist FINALLY handed me back my script, 3.5 WEEKS later.

As soon as I took my script to another pharmacy, I was told by a pharmacist with a brain that 1) My doctor had written out an incorrect and non-existant dosage for morphine injectable in his REVISED prescription. (I don't blame my doctor. He was in a hurry and I know we all make mistakes). I actually had looked up this revised dosage on the internet and saw that it didn't exist, but MY pharmacist kept PROMISING that they could and would get it "any day now". 2) The pharmacists at the other pharmacies weren't all aware of the morphine shortage. But after calling several pharmacies, I finally found a pharmacist who confirmed that there IS indeed a morphine shortage and NO ONE can get morphine.

I needed my script back for 2 reasons: 1) Going into a pharmacy with an actual script commands respect from the pharmacist, and 2) My pain doctor insisted that I bring in the "old" script so he could void it BEFORE writing me out a new script.

Do patients have the right to get their prescription back from the pharmacy at any time?

I ask because once in the past my pharmacy was taking over a week to get one of my pain meds and I asked for my script back. The pharmacist replied, "Once we've ordered the medication we can't give you your prescription back". Was that a TOTAL LIE?? I suspect that it was.

After my recent 3.5 WEEK wait for my morphine injectable, I had to go to my pharmacy in person and BEG with the pharmacist to get my script back. I told her I was in horrible pain and I wanted to try to get the med at another pharmacy.

My pharmacist acted like she really did NOT want to give me back my script! She had advised me to try a couple of grocery store pharmacies in the general vicinity, and while I was out, I wanted to just take the script and GO. First she said, "Call the other pharmacy, and IF they say they can order it, THEN I'll give you your prescription back". This sounded CRAZY to me! I was out of the house and ready to drive around to other pharmacies. I don't even have a cell phone, and you get better service by going to a pharmacy IN PERSON, script in hand.

I was feeling totally confused, saying, "I have to CALL first...?" FINALLY, my pharmacist just handed me my script back. Thank God for that!

I really AM curious to know what my LEGAL rights are. These pharmacists were trying to deprive me of my OWN prescription for meds that THEY can't get! If they EVER try that in the future, I'd like to know what law to cite to them, so I can be SURE of getting my script back.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Eva

[PMM]

Pharmacies are in the business of making money and if they give back your prescription they have lost a sales. So far as I know there is NO law that says a pharmacy can't return your script but that said individual pharmacies may have policies against it but the only reason I can see that there would be a problem is because it is cutting into their profits. The fact that it took your pharmacy 3.5 weeks to give the script back is ridiculous especially if the script was written wrong. That means it was ok with them that you were without pain relief for 3.5 weeks and that is unconscionable. If you have the choice of a different pharmacy, I would take my business elsewhere.

Pat