Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order

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Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Rachel says:

I believe the DEA is overzealous and had no legitimate reason to suspend the license of Walgreen's distribution center for ALL controlled substances. I do not take pain meds, but I do take another controlled substance for a very legitimate reason, have a legitimate script, certainly am not an abuser, and have not been able to fill my VERY LEGAL prescription for over a week. This goes beyond Walgreens. It is making other companies paranoid about filling certain prescriptions that are not pain meds. This is ridiculous and in my case, dangerous to my health. I am considering taking legal action and will certainly file a grievance with the state of Florida.

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Friday, October 19, 2012
Crystal says:

Walgreens was very strict when filling my narcotics and always have been, Walgreens was taken down because they offered a less expensive service when all other pharmacies were glorified drug dealers charging- -5.00 to 8.00 a pill wlgreens never raised the price, no normal human being can afford that pill hike, they charge whatever they feel, refuse insurance on that medication, refuse medicade, and people are suffering. I would think that a cash only purchase at a hike like that would be illegal!!!!!! Walgreens has always been great, you are going after the wrong pharmacy!!!!

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, October 22, 2012
Jenny Potter says:

I agree with the comments above. I have been trying to get me legitimate prescription filled for over 3 weeks now. I have fibromyalgia and bulging disc just to name 2 of my issues. It is hard for me to get out of the car over and over and over again just to go into a grocery store or retail store and be told that they either don't carry my medication or that they only received one bottle (100ct) in their shipment. I work full time and cannot go out and chase down delivery trucks...(ie - walmart said to be there at 4pm when their shipment came in on Friday)...i work until 5:30 so the person that doesn't have a job was able to receive those medications. i can't get home delivery because I do not have insurance although my kids have medicaid. I do everything that I am suppose to do including giving walgreens a copy of my mri, I have stayed faithful to walgreens for many years just to maintain the records, even before the state of fl made the registry - so that there would never be a ques

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Daniel Sullivan says:

I think the DEA is on a crusade to stop any and everyone from selling pain medication and the do not care who the harm in the process. I also think that they are unable to keep illegal drugs off the street so they have become involved in the fight against pain management because they can actually do something about it, therefore making themselves appear useful. The situation in Florida has gone from one extreme to another. Now we have people who are really in need of these medications who are unable to get them and some pharmacies selling these meds for ten times what they would normally pay for them at a large chain.

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, December 3, 2012
Kimberly says:

I too have fought this battle for several years.I am not young and do hard labor work. My medication (that isn't abused)keeps me from going on SSI.I have legitimate MRI's. I have a backwards curve in my neck with every disc either herniated or bulging.I broke the first lumbar in my 30's which causes severe arthritis.The backwards curve in my neck is causing all the disc's in the lower back to go as well.I have 2 morton nueroma's in each foot which changed my gait causing further lumbar pain as well.I of course have stenosis,degenerative disc disease and that is to name only a couple. I am only 51.I feel that with the DEA moves you will see a huge rise in SSI applicants.The nuerologist that sent me to pain mngmt. said surgery would leave me little mobility and would require more surgery.I want to work.I am only replying as I wonder how many are in my situation.I do understand that there is a problem,but there are actually people who are suffering that aren't part of the problem.

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Fred says:

For God's sake will someone please represent the chronic pain sufferers! We are being denied our legal medication. The DEA is directly destroying the doctor/patient/pharmacy relationship and condemning innocent people to death. Many innocent people have already died trying to suppress their pain with illegal drugs because the pharmacy would not fill their legal prescription. What the hell is wrong with these people in the DEA! They are killing hard working Americans who need these pain pills to work, pay taxes and live as normal a life as they can. A class action law suit needs to be filed against the DEA to stop this madness!!

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, January 7, 2013
Nannette says:

I am so happy with what has been stated above and am in total agreement with what has been set in motion to get the courts and the DEA to get this hopefully settled. I am a pain patient that goes to reputable doctor in Ft Lauderdale. I am not one for suing but this must be done. No one person or agency in these United States should have the right to make doctors feel afraid to do the very job they studied and paid for. Nor should a pharmacist have to take on the role of a doctor for which they didn't pay for nor possess the training for. The worst feeling is going into a pharmacy and having people judge you. Making us legit pain patients feel worse than we already do. Shame on all who have made each professional feel that they must treat us this way. I can't even use my mail order company because I live in Florida so I'm banned from getting my medicine unless I pay almost full price even though I pay for two insurances. I now have to choose if I pay my bills, eat or pay for my medici

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Saturday, February 2, 2013
CD says:

I have been under a Doctors care for chronic pain I suffered as a result of an injury sustained as a police detective, ( I was retired due to a line of duty injury and totally disabled). For years I had been able to get my medication at Walgreens in south Florida. Over the last year I have been treated like a criminal at Walgreens. The staff treated me like a drug addict and finally I had enough and took my business elsewhere. I have had to go to a dozen pharmacies due to the fact none carry pain meds anymore. I have insurance. I have heard of pharmacists charging $ 9 a pill for pain meds cash only, ( makes you wonder who the criminals are?).I cannot believe how stupid the DEA is. The pill mills have been shut down.The DEA is using numbers from the pill mill days.There is a large population of elderly and legit disabled patients needing medication. If someone has cancer and is not in hospice-they are out of luck. It seems the DEA and pharmacist's have gone to medical school and practic

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, February 11, 2013
Carol says:

I too have had the most miserble,time consuming,being treated like dirt just to try and get legal prescriptions filled. I live in S Fl and its a joke. Having legitimate health issues and being treated by real honest to god drs then to be told by a pharmacist that "I dont feel comfortable". You what?? Going to the same Dr for many many years and using the same pharmacy Walgreens for years and years. Now to be treated like Im doing something wrong. What has happened here? Pharmacists are part of your treatment and if you have legal prescriptions,how in gods name can they refuse you. Its called discrimintion cause you go to a pain management office. I receive other treatments as well. They have took the name pain management and its now associated with any clinic,pill mill etc.... Its wrong. This will cause more crime as people will turn to the internet and go on the street for their meds. Is this what the DEA intended. They are slowly killing people whos quality of life is shortened trem

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Sherry says:

I for one do not live in Florida, however I live in Maryland and just started working again, but in NJ where I was born and raised. I have had chronic degenerative disc disease with multiple surgeries just to keep working. At almost 50 years old I live with chronic pain from that as well as MS. I was referred by my primary care physician to seek another pain management doctor as the one here in Maryland treats you like you are just a number on the pain scale. So I finally saw a pain management doctor in NJ where again I am employed with a physician. They listened to what I had to say and treated me like the human being, hard worker that I am. I also have worked in healthcare for 33 years now and know that medication is abused, but for those of us that need it, it has become near impossible to get the treatment that I and everyone listed above truly needs to work and pay taxes. So after seeing this fantastic physician, who as part of there policy does not prescribe opiods to anyone on

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Alan says:

If you are in legitimate pain, there are plenty of other medications to choose from. I find it amusing that ever since Purdue reformulated OxyContin to prevent crushing, snorting, inhaling, and injecting it, there has been a tremendous surge in the need for immediate release Oxycodone. Florida has long been a cesspool-- full of pain clinics and drug abusers of the worst kind. The state let these bottom feeding doctors continue their writing of drug cocktail prescriptions for years-- it took Federal DEA agents to come into Florida and make it stop. Now these idiot doctors are pushing their way into other states like Geogia to start the whole process over again. All I see in the previous posts are cry-babies. Pain has been around since the beginning of time, but only in the last 50 years has it suddenly become some sort of life threatening disease state! Trust me, I am no fan of the DEA either, as they constantly overstep their reach. They come up with regulations as if they ar

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Jo says:

I agree with the last post...... pain is not life threatening!!!!! There are dozens and dozens of other drug choices!! There is no reason for a mother, father, and son to all be on the same oxycodone 30mg prescription!!!!!!! I see this all the time in my practice........it's ridiculous. When I ask doctors "why do you always prescribe the same prescription to every patient" they answer "because that's what they ask me for". Are these doctors really that stupid?

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Friday, March 22, 2013
Ann says:

Walgreen's in New mexico , for people who have had long term meds were asked diagnosis..? and that two hrs for paper work needed ? when you go back they over ride docs orders and cut meds to less then half without contacting the Doc ?...same meds filled for 15 yrs by same patient... & not Oxy..or told to go to another drug store ? But soon all would be the same by law?...email/write congress & senate as we have a huge problem if drug stores & dea determine our meds they said any controlled meds, for nerves, ADHD..etc.. will be decided by them, how many you need....alter script !? and things were going to get worse This is out of hand !!!....let your voice be heard..!

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Friday, April 12, 2013
Susan says:

Hello. I am a 53 year old female who has been on long acting and short acting narcotics for chronic pain in my neck and knees. I live in Wisconsin and currently have been on a pain contract with my dr for over two years and use Walgreens for my medication. I have never abused my meds or asked for them early. My dr prescribes my meds every 31 days so on day 31 I am out of my meds and rely on Walgreens to fill them anytime after midnight. Recently the local store has been out of oxycodone and have had to search for it. Last month the pharmacist told us when we came to pick up meds (not the day before when we dropped off scripts) that they needed to contact my dr for my oxycodone prescription and that would be done after 8am. They had no problem giving me my long acting morphine though. I have been using this pharmacy and going to the same dr for the last 15 years. I did ask why they did not call my dr the day before and the pharmacist on duty stated I don't know... She did seem

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Friday, April 19, 2013
Daddy5 says:

I am 47 years old and underwent a "Failed Back Surgery" in 2008. My L5 nerve root was damaged and is now surrounded by scar tissue, causing me to have to live with constant acute pain and loss of mobility to my left leg. I have been through every treatment imaginable from physical therapy, spinal cord stimulation and steroid injections. I have also been through every medicine in the book: Lucynta, Cymbalta, Neurontin and countless others. I have now been diagnosed (2009) as having Chronic Acute Pain syndrome. I can say, without any hesitation, that the opioid Shedule II meds are the only thing that make life livable. Even with the meds I still have a high degree of pain, but I find it "amusing" when I hear someone say " you can find something else to take. The doctor has suggested that I could have a Morphine pump surgically installed, but I am a little reluctant to go through another surgery. I live in Florida and find the inaccessability to meds intolerable. We all need to band toget

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, April 22, 2013
Rita Mahaffey says:

seems stupid that everyone's concern is the Pharmacy filling the scripts seems once you arrest the offending doctors there could be no drug problem .its all regulated all involved know exactly where dr. a office is and if the dea feels he writes too many prescriptions then they should lean on that individual. not the dispenser and final user .so why not pressure the DEA to go after the real crooks?

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sherrie says:

I was going to a pain management clinic in Green Cove. Dr. really cared about my pain problem. He had accident and sold his clinic to Jacksonville Pain Specialist, GCS. Seen by Dr. Newton who cut my meds down and was pushing injections because they make more $$$$ doing injections. I refused injection. Second visit he gave me same medicine. Third visit Dr. Newton could not pass his test to get medical license so was seen by a premed dr and he could not believe I was on the meds prescribed by Dr. Newton, So he cut me down even more. Fourth visit seen by permed dr again who totally refused to write any prescription after I pass urine test and saliva test To see that my urine was mine and said no meds will be Given. We asked to see dr. Who wouldn't even talk to me or my husband. Pre med made statement dr would not write prescription For narcotic med he didn't want to lose his license. I gave that clinic $ 140.00 for nothing. Everyone who went to that clinic that day was

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Khug says:

Walgreens deserved what they got. They had me in tears after filling my scripts for at least a year one day they said they had none in stock only for the next guy behind me to come in from my Dr. office & filled his RX which was the se as mine but he paid cash. I never felt horrible. Now as far as the DEA GOES. THEY MEED TO FIX WHAT THEY BROKE. You can't punish everyone for the bad apples out there. I can only hope the very people who passed these new moronic laws have their own family members suffer the same as the rest of us to find their meds. Then go to the mirror & say to yourself. I did THIS!!! Fix it. We are suffering. I don't want oxy. I personally think this state gives it way too much. I take a different med now & now I can't find that. Have them cut back or switch but you've made a complete mess. There are no meds for anyone unless you pay cash. That should be illegal. Fix it. Walgreens added to this mess. Trust me. I was their victim in tears. Called corporate. Didn't ma

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, June 24, 2013
C. K. says:

This mess has resurfaced. Just last Friday a friend of mine was in South Miami pharmacy, a reputable Miami pharmacy, and someone was frantically yelling because apparently the DEA had intervened and halted ALL shipments to the store. An employee subsequently told me that the problem was again the Jupiter FL Distribution center for Walgreenss, which, unknown to me is a major supplier of class II meds for just about all of the tri-county area that comprises South Florida. This is an intolerable assault upon all genuine law-abiding chronic pain patients. What are we to do when sudden withdrawal results in possibly fatal convulsions, depression and possible suicides. Who sall bear the intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress or wrongful death actions? There certainly should be such actions and such liability. How can a government agency enter upon the scene like some sheriff of old, causing untold misery, without making some provisions for the huge number of aging p

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Health Law Firm says:

Thank you for the comment C.K. On June 11, 2013, the DEA announced Walgreens agreed to pay $80 million to end an investigation into whether it violated rules on the distribution of prescription painkillers in Florida and throughout the country. On top of the settlement, the Jupiter distribution center and the six stores are banned from dispensing Schedule II through Schedule V drugs until 2014. To read more see our updated blog: http://bit.ly/14AIWTJ.

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Chris Goodwin says:

I think it is despicable that the DEA is playing doctor and questioning the ethics of and interfering with AMA-approved treatment of patients by licensed physicians. I would say it because that their performance is so poor that the only people they are able to catch are honest, hard-working doctors on trumped up charges. They arrested 31,347 people in 2010 but only arrested 30,476 in 2012, so it appears their ability to catch the real bad guys has dropped and they now have to pick on licensed doctors to get even close to the number of arrest that they have had in previous years. Or is it because they are taking bribes from drug kingpins just like they took $80 million dollars from Walgreen's so Walgreen's could restart selling legally prescribed pain medications again. After all, they claimed Walgreen's was selling drug illegally but turned a blind-eye on Walgreen's "illegal" activities for an $80 million dollar bribe. So what's to say they aren't doing the same thing with the Mexican

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Monday, March 24, 2014
Sean says:

Hello i live in Ma,i dropped off prescriptions and right off bat,was told he can not fill,i said i never get early been on over 10 yrs,said u can call my doctor,he said he would try to fill but he did not.,he never contacted my doctor,he said it was rite aid saying couldn't fill.This is a lie cause he said rite aid rules but couldn't tell me why.He took my script Thursday,i called frieday ,he said call monday,i called monday and gave me script back ,i said why didn't u just say no when i came in,he didnt check with anyone cause there is no reason for this.He didnt even call my doctor to see,when he said he would ,he just waisted my time for 6 days. He couldn't tell me what rule of rite aid i was braking cause i wasn't braking any rules.So i had to go a week with out my pain medication,I will be contacting a lawyer just for waisting my time,if he just said no i would of gone else where,he said he would try and he did not try.He couldn't give me any answer,is this legal,This was Rite Aid

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Friday, June 27, 2014
Kat says:

It seems to me, at this time, that the finger pointing and issuing blame is a moot point. The DEA came into Florida and did their deed making people believe that all the "drug addicts" and their "dealers" had been arrested and put away. Fine! Now it's time for the DEA to get out of here (FL) and let the "real" doctors take care of their "real pain afflicted" patients! I happen to be one of those patients and I am appalled at the continuing misrepresentation of pain management doctors and their patients who suffer from chronic pain issues! I do not drive and therefore I have to pay for a taxi to drive me all around town to find 1 pharmacy who can fill my prescription... it cost me $50.00 one day, and I never even found a pharmacy that day! Pharmacy after pharmacy is discontinuing the disbursement of pain medication. When I listen to some of the patients in my doctor's office, it breaks my heart to hear that they are one of those people who has no option but to suffer horrible wit

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Glenn Edgar says:

My sister has a shattered ankle, which has been operated on 4 times, is awaiting ankle replacement surgery, and has resorted to her psychiatrist of 30 years, who is located in Jacksonville, where she grew up, to even prescribe Opiate pain medications which she desperately requires. She'll come off them when her pain problem is solved. She's finding it impossible to get an out of county narcotics prescription filled for a Hydrocodone based medication. First the doctor tried to give her 70mg/Hydrocodone per day, via take one 10/325 tablet, every 3 hours for pain, up to 7 maximum per day. Treatment plan is to continue treatment until ankle replacement surgery. But that is "too many pills", so even Jacksonville Pharmacies (SHE IS TO FIXED ON WALGREENS AND CVS, because they are everywhere, but every place she tried said, too many pills. So he now prescribed #60 30mg time released Hydrocodone, but the local (Melbourne, FL Walgreens that she now goes to will only fill #40, she lose

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Ashley Klink says:

I know this is an old post, but I felt the need to respond to what was written above by Alan. You are correct, pain is not usually life threatening, however; it is debliitating. Unfortunately, there is no way to differentiate between abusers and those who truly need their medication and this is something that needs to be rectified immediately. I know one can not feel empathy for those in pain if they have not been in excruciating pain themselves, but there is room for both compassion and sympathy. Putting everyone who takes pain medication into one box is simply ludacris. I have witnessed numerous people go through desperate, somewhat, moronic attempts to obtain their medication; I am not one of those people. I have metal in my left leg and hip, degenerative disc disease, Crohns, spinal stenosis and was also a cancer patient and never ever ran out of my medicine early. I also never let the doctor up my dosage as I did not want to become addicted and felt what I was receiving was enou

Response to: Walgreens Fights the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Immediate Suspension Order
Friday, March 18, 2016
Jerry says:

I've been on disability for 15 years and in the last five years they've been cutting me down down and down the DEA needs to be allow people that are really in pain should be able to receive the proper medication Maybe they should offer special permits for people that are really in pain and not allow the young kids that I see at pain clinics able to get the medication I am 68 years young and I don't want to live years of my life lying in bed or sitting on the sofa

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