Physicians Assistant Took My Prescription .....

I have been under the care of a pac for the past year (and stuck with her until next month). I brought her all of my previous records for adhd med.  She changed the medicine to adderall XR which has not worked but she wouldnt change it.  Four different times over the past year she has written the rx wrong so I was only able to get tablets instead of extended release which I can't do.  When I brought it to her attention (it was after the rx was filled and paid for) she made me bring it to her office.  She kept the filled medicine each time.  She refused to give the correct rx unless she kept the other pills.  I didnt think this was legal but couldnt really do much about it.  Yesterday, she was a couple of days late writing it.  Once again, I saw it was the incorrect meds once I brought it home.  My wife and I, left our car in the driveway all night but I dont think that's what happened.  My wife took the bottle into her office, waited one hour and was told it was "vitamins" not the medicine.  The police called this evening demanding to speak with both of us.  We were accused of fraud and I was told if I didnt return the right pills to the dr. (she would give me the other rx) I could be arrested tomorrow!  It would be a class c felony of fraud.  How would it be a felony considering I paid for it and it was written to me?  I thought it was illegal for a physician to take/keep a patient's rx, anyway.  Could someone, let me know the laws on this?

You shouldn't have twice the prescribed dose, that's why they need to be returned. And unless she charges you extra when she fills the corrected prescription, I do not see the issue.

I see an issue on why you can't figure out the prescription isn't the right one BEFORE you leave the office.  You do not have to see the PA-C; you can make the schedule to see the physician only.

In any case, most pharmacies will accommadate a request to adjust the pill type as long as it doesn't change the dose.  They can also call the physician's office to get any clarificaiton before dispensing the meds if needed.

have the office clerk place a note on the face of your chart illustrating what your meds are and specify each with as much detail as possible to assist the PA-C and physician.  The pharmacy can also make a note in the computer on your preferences.

This is as much your problem as theirs.

Laymans  guess:

BULL--If you paid for them they are your pills---and to have controlled substances in her possesion for which she has no prescription and no authorized use is perhaps several criminal acts!

Tell her you want each and every pill back by 5pm tonight ! You paid for them and they were prescribed--I think either she returns each and every pill by 5 pm today or you are on phone with cops and next to her state license authority!

Now if the prescription was wrong the safe solution might be for YOU to destroy wrong pills!

Either she or Dr is way out to lunch and on a professional level if Drs office wrote 4 wrong Rx's to one person in a year they need to go out of business! !

Don't wimp out!

.

Hi -

I just wanted to add a comment. You as the patient need to also take ownership for the incorrect prescribing of the drug in question. BEFORE you leave the office with the script, ensure that it was written correctly per your request (and agreement with the PA-C or the doctor overseeing her work). I could potentially see her destroying the medication since it is a schedule II controlled substance and could be abused (I'm most definitely not saying that you are abusing this but that some patients can and do abuse this medication). But, the office should have been documenting that they received the incorrect medication and how they disposed of it and have it signed by the person doing the destruction (and a witness since it's a controlled substance would be ideal) as well as the doctor.

I do have a question though. You state that "She changed the medicine to Adderall XR which has not worked but she wouldn't change it" and then in the next sentence you say that you were being dispensed tablets and instead of extended release. XR mean extended release so I was wondering if you could clarify this.

As Drew mentioned above, the confiscation of a medication by a prescriber is a very touchy issue. The prescriber could have had you take the incorrect medication back to the dispensing pharmacy and once verified by the pharmacist it was indeed the wrong drug, then dispense you the correct medication. Some state laws prohibit the pharmacies from accepting returned medication for a refund so I think you're out of luck on that. Since it was supposedly the PA-C's error, you could ask the physician if he/she would reimburse you for this.

When I receive a controlled substance at the pharmacy, I open the bag and look at the bottle prior to leaving the counter to ensure I have the correct drug and quantity as that is the only time you really have any option insofar as returning for refund.

As far as the police stating that they would arrest you, I would strongly consider speaking with an attorney as soon as possible and explain the situation. This whole situation sounds very odd and since you no longer have the pills in your possession, it's impossible to tell what has happened to them once the PA-C has them in her possession. I gather from your post that since you left the car in the driveway (presumably with the medication inside of the car - you know that was a bad idea, right? :) ) your supposition is that the pills were switched?

You also need to ensure the doctor is made aware ASAP of the situation. Does this person even know the PA-C was making you return medication to her?

Good luck!

Matt

If it happened once (her prescribing the wrong med), fine, but you say this happened multiple times, you knew it was wrong, yet you blame her?  How many times has this occured???   Sorry. My son takes adderall and I never leave the physicians office without checking the prescription myself BEFORE I walk out of the office.   You are as much to blame for not only leaving with the wrong rx but filling it.  Then the meds that were returned to the office weren't the correct meds you were given but were something else?? 

You don't have to see a physician assistant. You have every right to see the physician.  If you don't like the PA and are refused the doctor, then you have the option of finding another healthcare provider.  You will probably have to anyway with this last episode, I would anticipate receiving a letter asking you to find another physician.

Hi -

Regarding the Adderall XR and the Adderall tablets - That is where the PA-C has gone wrong four times.  She had written for just the tablets on each occassion.  Then, I had to take the filled meds back to her (at that point I don't know what she did with them) before she would replace it with the correct prescription (Adderall XR). And yes, I should have looked at the bottle prior to leaving the pharmacy. My wife had filled it and I should have done it myself.  What I am wondering is whether or not a PA-C can take a filled prescription and keep it.  What if she is an addict? If she has my bottle of meds with my name on it that doesnt sound right.

That's what I think, too.  It seems to me that she could have called the police to get the attention off of her.  I don't understand how I could be arrested for giving her a rx I paid for.  She was the last person with the meds (for an hour).  I realize I should have noticed it wasn't written for the XR and also, after leaving the pharmacy.It was in a stapled bag and I just didn't take the time to look.  I guess I put to much trust in my healthcare provider!  I honestly, expect them to do their jobs!  Anyway, how can I find the laws on something like this?  I won't be a wimp!  Also, you mentioned making a complaint against her which I will do.  Would this be to the state medical board?

Something isn't adding up about this scenario.  If she wrote the wrong prescription then her recourse is to say "take this one for this time but due to it being a controlled substance we cannot issue another RX until a refill is due."  No physician's office I know of confiscates a patient's medication.  My gut is telling me that it is entirely possible she is writing the incorrect scripts on purpose to obtain the medication for her own use.  Either she is self treating/medicating or she has a drug addiction.  At the very first error you should have made a complaint to the physician overseeing her scripts.  More than one error should have never occurred.  

You need to contact the state medical board ASAP.  File a complaint about her taking medication from you that was prescribed for you and you paid for.  Second:  have the pharmacist FLAG the file to indicate exactly what version of Adderall should be filled and to triple check new scripts or called in refills for the correct dosage and amounts. 

That's exactly what I think.  Is there a law that a physician can't take a patient's filled and paid for meds?  I would think there is but don't know where to look to find it.  I will make a complaint. In fact, right now!

"Is there a law that a physician can't take a patient's filled and paid for meds?"

I don't know of a specific law that states a physician cannot take a patient's medication from them.  However, if she truly is converting the medication for her own use then what she did was commit fraud along with illegal use of an unprescribed controlled substance.  (everything I am about to say presumes there is something fishy going on)  If she is up to no good then what she did was lie to you about "office policy" and deliberately wrote the wrong script so that she could enforce the "policy" and thereby get access to the meds.  In fact given that the cops called you I would also question whether it was actually the police.  For all you know she got her addict boyfriend to call posing as the cops to get you to turn over the meds.  

This is where I do not understand why you did not contact the physician who owns/runs the practice when she confiscated them the first time.  ANY time a medical person demands you turn over your meds ask to see a policy and make them sign for it.  (that does NOT apply to law enforcement)  Be especially concerned if after you make the complaint that she suddenly claims she NEVER took them from you.

Keep in mind that even if she made a legitimate error in writing the script the usual policy is to not write another script until the incorrect one expires since it has already been filled.  NOT to take the meds from the patient.  You also flag the patient's chart so the error is not made again.  If it were me I would be finding another provider.  At best this practice is sloppy and at worst there is something REALLY wrong i.e. addiction or pill mill.