ACTUALLY, its the pharmacists that help control the over prescribing of opiods, and the turning in of doctors that are prescription mills for controlled substances.
Legally a pharmacist cannot say "I filled this prescription because it was a legal rx written by a legal MD". Nope, in the law the pharmacist is obligated to use due diligence to determine the intent of the rx as well as the validity of the rx".
Since a large percentage of pharmacists work for someone else and dont own their own pharmacy(as the big chains have steamrolled them ), there is no incentive for pharmacists to fill Rxs that seem excessive. They get paid by the hour
In fact the technology now allows pharmacists to access a database ('cures") to see if someone is getting controlled substances from numerous chains and privately owned pharmacies. Its the pharmacist that has the ability to see a pattern and deny the filling, and or report the activity.
Both the FBI and DEA can request records from pharmacies. Records of purchase by pharmacies of large amounts of opiods are monitored externally, and a red flag appears at the DEA for such activity.
Yes there are incompetant or shady pharmacists that we read about that "let things go" because of laziness or for self profit reasons.
However just as pharmacists are the checks and balance system for finding drug interactions from drugs prescribed from multiple doctors or even from the same doctor, and noticing wrong directions and dosages that could hurt a patient...and having the MD change it behind the scenes....Pharmacists are also the gate keepers with alot of technology to help them protect their license in reacting to over use and over prescribing of opiods.
Being addicted to opiods is often unavoidable in people dying of cancer....who cares if they die addicted...as long as they are made comfortable in their living days. Also people with inoperable spinal pain....whats the alternative. Once everything is tried.....sometimes opiods are all thats left
But there are also doctor mills allowing people to buy a precription in essence.....and its usally a pharmacist that catches it and reports it. Over the last 5 years with the widespread use of the "Cures" database......someone in a DEA office can spot irregular prescribing.
However before the irregular prescribing becomes that noticeable....its usually the pharmacist that sees it at ground level....and reacts.
And with obamacare...where millions of new people were unleashed on the medical practices all at once, without first building up the infrastructure of the medical facilities......people are getting less and less personal care...less and less time of MDs to spend with patients....and its easier to write a prescription and send them on their way.
I was very happy to retire early because of the deleterious effects obamacare had on patients...that they have no idea was occurring.
The inferior care they were receiving, the mistakes that were being made. Not a clue. And I witnessed it..and removed myself from it.
So on a daily basis for almost 40 years I either saved lives, or made peoples lives better....I cant control the bad apple pharmacists, nor can I control the bad apple cops, or teachers. But I can say for a fact that I did help control the bad apple doctors that were writing illegal rxs. I met my first FBI agent up close and personal once from that type of occasion.
So go back to being the great "investment analyst " in sports betting that you devote your life to. And dont worry about me or the pharmacy profession. Most of us pharmacists sleep very well at night after contributing to society in a very meaningful and substantive way
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