My humiliating suboxone storyMy humiliating suboxone story
Author: dromano1166
Posted: 03/17 03:17 PM
I'm so happy to have found a place to share! I've been on sub for 6 months now and finally feel in control...no more spending my days driving all over the state to score. I have had several pharmacy run ins with filling my sub. I used to live right across the street from the rite-aid in my town I had never had any issues UNTIL I met a pharmacist/GOD/doctor named Rafael. I brought my script in to fill my dose for the month as always and gave the script to the tech on duty. I see her smirk then brings the script to Rafael who comes out from behind the counter and in front of everyone waiting say to me "why are you taking these"? REALLY? So I calmly explain that my doctor prescribed me this medication then he said "this medication is very strong and you shouldn't be taking it" I told him I know what the meds are and I have my doctor to advise me...please just fill the script. So he tells me to come back in an hour...fine. I come back 1 hour later and he sees me waiting comes out from his lair again to adress me in front of the other patients saying "this medication is replacing your addiction with another addiction" I stayed calm and told him that my doctor knows whats best. Then he goes to check me out and see's that I'm on the state insurance and say...no lie.."if you didn't have this insurance there's no way you'd ever be able to afford this" I was stunned! Then he proceeds to tell me that there are so many other medications and treatment available that will work so much better....I was doing everything in my power not to scream or cry in front of at least 6 ppl. I told him that you are NOT a doctor your only job is to fill my prescription....that was the last time I filled anything there. I was so happy to learn that upon telling my doctor about the incident he called rite aid and gave it good to Rafael. I now live in a different town and use walmart pharmacy and I LOVE them they know me by name are always courteous and because I now have no insurance will let me pay for a few at a time...LOVE THEM! I filed a formal complaint to rite aid and also write bad reviews whenever I can. :DThank you for letting me rant and best of luck to you all!
Re: My humiliating suboxone story REPLY FROM SLIPPER...
Author: slipper
Posted: 03/17 03:35 PM
| dromano1166 wrote: |
| I'm so happy to have found a place to share! I've been on sub for 6 months now and finally feel in control...no more spending my days driving all over the state to score. I have had several pharmacy run ins with filling my sub. I used to live right across the street from the rite-aid in my town I had never had any issues UNTIL I met a pharmacist/GOD/doctor named Rafael. I brought my script in to fill my dose for the month as always and gave the script to the tech on duty. I see her smirk then brings the script to Rafael who comes out from behind the counter and in front of everyone waiting say to me "why are you taking these"? REALLY? So I calmly explain that my doctor prescribed me this medication then he said "this medication is very strong and you shouldn't be taking it" I told him I know what the meds are and I have my doctor to advise me...please just fill the script. So he tells me to come back in an hour...fine. I come back 1 hour later and he sees me waiting comes out from his lair again to adress me in front of the other patients saying "this medication is replacing your addiction with another addiction" I stayed calm and told him that my doctor knows whats best. Then he goes to check me out and see's that I'm on the state insurance and say...no lie.."if you didn't have this insurance there's no way you'd ever be able to afford this" I was stunned! Then he proceeds to tell me that there are so many other medications and treatment available that will work so much better....I was doing everything in my power not to scream or cry in front of at least 6 ppl. I told him that you are NOT a doctor your only job is to fill my prescription....that was the last time I filled anything there. I was so happy to learn that upon telling my doctor about the incident he called rite aid and gave it good to Rafael. I now live in a different town and use walmart pharmacy and I LOVE them they know me by name are always courteous and because I now have no insurance will let me pay for a few at a time...LOVE THEM! I filed a formal complaint to rite aid and also write bad reviews whenever I can. :DThank you for letting me rant and best of luck to you all! |
I cannot believe this man treated you this way! Of course we all think of things we should have said after the fact...but what about the famous HIPPA LAWS?? He was telling everyone within hearing range your private business...for that, he could have been sued! You should have told him you know more about the drug than he ever would and I am so glad you finally told him to just fill the script! I have heard others here on this forum complain about Rite-Aid...??
Well,anyway I am glad you moved, and you do not have to put up with that anymore.
Good luck to you on your sub. I have been on it for about19 mosl and feel great...like you said...no more chasing pills and money!
Let us know how you are doing. And welcome to the forum.
Slipper
Author: hatmaker510
Posted: 03/18 10:18 AM
Slipper's right, it is a HIPAA* violation. I must give you kudos for advocating for yourself as well as standing up for yourself to that bastard (in front of people) and for filing a complaint. I don't think enough people do that, but rather cower in the face of "perceived" authority. The fact that you did that will hopefully act as an example to witnesses and encourage them to be assertive on their own behalf, too. GOOD FOR YOU!!!
*HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which is a Federal law.
Author: amber4.14.11
Posted: 03/18 11:17 AM
Im so sorry you had someone treat you that way!!!!
its terible. I loved how you said he came out from his 'lair' thats HALARIOUS
Anyways, the important part is you found a pharmacy that DOES work with you now. the funny thing is, the rite aid in my town, is the ONE that was NICE to me!! lol
and they too, would let me buy 1,2,4, or 5 at time (whatever I had the $ for) and never gave me a headache about it. I had to do that the first few months I started sub treatment.
WELCOME
and congrats on changing your life!!
Author: pugmommy
Posted: 03/18 06:18 PM
i am in the same boat as amber, riteaid is nice to me. but in my case, walmart was rude! where i live, its a small walmart. when i would go there just to shop, i would have to walk by the pharmacy since it is right in the middle of the store. the pharmacists would catch a glimpse of me and look at each other and smirk. i thought it was my imagination at first, but months went by and the same thing would happen each time. i dont step foot in there anymore for anything.
Author: qhorsegal
Posted: 03/26 08:16 AM
I also live in a small town and use WalMart pharmacy for all of my medicine. But I would never consider taking my Suboxone prescription there. I have it filled at a pharmacy near my Dr.'s office which he told me fills for alot of his patients. I have only had one script filled so far but it was a good experience and I thanked the pharmacist before I left for being so cool about it. One of the things that I was the most worried about when I started Suboxone treatment was the stigma attatched to being in treatment. I went with my Mom a little over a year ago to her induction appointment. She had to go in to the appt. and then after the initial consultation leave and go pick up one pill from the pharmacy and return to the office with the pill for observation. We took it into the pharmacy at Kroger near the Dr. Office. When my mom handed the pharmacist the prescription he was smiling and then looked down at the script and said "whoa...I don't even know if we CARRY this medication!" with this really surprised look on his face. It was horrible for my Mom. She was so ashamed, nervous and embarassed already and he made it much worse with that reaction. We waited for it to be ready and when she went up to get the medicine she told the pharmacist, in a very calm and pleasant tone, that he needed to think about the way he reacts to someone bringing in this medicine in the future. She said, "you don't know how hard it was for me to do this today, what you said really hurt my feelings and embarrased me. You really shouldn't react that way to people in the future." He apologized...but it was very awkward to say the least. I am so happy that I didn't have to deal with that. My Dr. is about 35 miles away from where I live and as I said I fill my meds at a pharmacy there, I would be scared to death to fill it anywhere in the town I live because it would definately be talked about!
Author: MES999
Posted: 05/17 10:31 PM
SHOULDA SUED THE FUCK FOR HIPPA VIOLATION. HE NWOULD OF BEEN FIRED AND YOU'D BE RICH!!!! $$$$
Author: hatmaker510
Posted: 05/18 03:56 AM
For clarification purposes it's HIPAA , and it stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Author: r.tide2014
Posted: 05/31 07:36 PM
Ok this pharmacist needs to fired and have his license suppended/revoked! This is horrible and I would call Rite-Aide and have him fired! What about HIPPA? Does that not mean anything anymore. How can he advise you on your medicaiton he is a pharmacist, not your docotor. Also as he discussd your insurance, what does that mean to him? Nothing! He does not need to be in the medical profession! In medicine we are taught to be objective not subjective. He obiviously has had some bad experience with opiods! Not acceptable by no means! He is a pharmist he has no bussiness practicing medicine, which he was trying to do that day.
Author: invisiblemovement
Posted: 07/05 08:07 PM
Wow, I feel so sorry for you and the others that have posted their terrible stories. This reminds me of a commercial I saw for Rite-Aid. It was about how Rite-Aid has special pharmacists that will be very helpful and monitor all of your medication and ask personal questions about you so they know what medicine is right for your to be taking. This surprised me, but at the time in a good way, because I never thought of pharmacists as having the same influencing capabilities as a doctor. This made me feel safe about Rite-Aid. Although, now hearing your story, it makes me realize that that can turn into a total disaster. The pharmacists know so little about you compared to your doctor. It is one thing to say "Hey you are on birth control, you can't take this certain anti-biotic or you will throw up" because you got the antibiotics from your school nurse who knows nothing about your birth control. But telling you that you are replacing an addiction with another addiction is advice gone wrong. With all the different methods out there, it is your choice to choose what is right for you, and your doctor will help with that decision. That right there is not pharmacy advice - it's pharmacy opinion. I think Rite-Aid's little marketing scheme has backfired.... From suboxforum.com