The announcement says "unless the client chooses to opt out"

We will definitely be opting out

https://cvshealth.com/newsroom...terprise-initiatives

Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health:

“Today we are announcing an expansion of our enterprise initiatives to fight the opioid abuse epidemic that leverages CVS Pharmacy’s national presence with the capabilities of CVS Caremark, which manages medications for nearly 90 million plan members.”

To support this goal, CVS Caremark will roll out an enhanced opioid utilization management approach for all commercial, health plan, employer and Medicaid clients as of February 1, 2018 unless the client chooses to opt out.

This program will include limiting to seven days the supply of opioids dispensed for certain acute prescriptions for patients who are new to therapy;

limiting the daily dosage of opioids dispensed based on the strength of the opioid;

and requiring the use of immediate-release formulations of opioids before extended-release opioids are dispensed.

**************************

My wife had an operation several weeks ago. Her recovery has been difficult w lots of pain. Twice I have had to argue with the CVS pharmacist about getting the pain killers prescribed by her doctor. The pharmacist has tried to tell me the renewal is "too soon" based on his interpretation of the prescription.

So far we have backed him down, but not without some arguing.

So we will opt out of this new CVS control program.

It is frustrating that honest people are always restricted somehow to accommodate dishonest people.

I should also add we are very aware of the dangers of opioid addiction. One of our close family members had a serious drug addiction problem (including pain killers) and eventually died of overdose.

So, if they don’t follow the doc’s Rx, who gets sued when shit goes to hell?

Here’s to upcoming class action suits against CVS.

They just need to fill the docs request or you need to find a new Pharmacy.

I've gone off on CVS pharms, I mean right in the store making a really big scene. You do not want to get between a legitimate pain patient and their pain meds.

So, how exactly do I opt out?

I was giving some stronger stuff after some dental work once but found 800mg of Advil worked much better for myself.

I've luckily never really had the need for serious pain meds. If I did I would discuss my needs with my doctor. Screw some pharmacy policy deciding what I can and can not take.

I understand this is a serious issue but I think there are better ways of dealing with it. I would imagine people abusing these drugs will op out or find another pharmacy.

The CVS policy is pretty close to our recently issued Board of Dentistry guidelines. I'd guess every state is doing the same and prescriptions written for more than a few days of opioids will become much less common.

Sorry to break this, but we/the patient are NOT the "client". The provider is. Not our decision; it is between the insurer and pharmacy benefits management company. So, and individual's only way of opting out is to try another pharmacy.

quote:

...CVS Caremark will roll out an enhanced opioid utilization management approach for all commercial, health plan, employer and Medicaid clients as of February 1, 2018 unless the client chooses to opt out.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
They just need to fill the docs request or you need to find a new Pharmacy.

And if your medical insurance refuses to pay for use of any other pharmacy?

I'm fighting a refusal to pay for a mandatory drug test! A drug test required by the fucking insurance company!

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
I've gone off on CVS pharms, I mean right in the store making a really big scene. You do not want to get between a legitimate pain patient and their pain meds.

So, how exactly do I opt out?

Find another pharmacy.

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
They just need to fill the docs request or you need to find a new Pharmacy.

And if your medical insurance refuses to pay for use of any other pharmacy?

I'm fighting a refusal to pay for a mandatory drug test! A drug test required by the fucking insurance company!

I've heard of insurance companies denying payment for meds but never for using a particular pharmacy.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
My wife had an operation several weeks ago. Her recovery has been difficult w lots of pain. Twice I have had to argue with the CVS pharmacist about getting the pain killers prescribed by her doctor. The pharmacist has tried to tell me the renewal is "too soon" based on his interpretation of the prescription.

The Rx is usually straight forward. Are they not following it?

The reason for this is government pressure. During the Pain Pill mill days, CVS was THE largest pusher of Opiates- Oxycontins and Oxycodones......by far.....it's a miracle they didn't get a VW sized fine.

Again addressing the problem of addiction with rules.

On the horizon no prescription for opiates along with benzos.

This sort of blanket edict will not address the ugly problem of opiate addiction which escalated rapidly in the mid 1990s with the introduction of Oxycontin. Heroin is cheaper than the pills, so now the heroin problem is no longer confined to the inner city.

Addicts will find a way around this pretty easily. Others will have a problem.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ZSMICHAEL,

quote:

The reason for this is government pressure. During the Pain Pill mill days, CVS was THE largest pusher of Opiates- Oxycontins and Oxycodones......by far.....it's a miracle they didn't get a VW sized fine.

Your blame should be on these guys, who brought you the problem, Purdue Pharma. CVS was just filling scripts. It is incorrect to blame them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05...rug-web.html?mcubz=1

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
The reason for this is government pressure. During the Pain Pill mill days, CVS was THE largest pusher of Opiates- Oxycontins and Oxycodones......by far.....it's a miracle they didn't get a VW sized fine.

Unless CVS was filling illegal prescriptions, I doubt they can be blamed.

We used to have Eckerd Drug stores in San Antonio. I liked them. CVS bought them out, and I switched to Walgreens. They suck, but less than CVS.

Very stupid! The fact hydrocodone went from a Class 3 to a Class 2 is just as stupid. All it does is make it harder for patients that need it. DEA can do analysis of prescription abuse no matter what. These things only hurt patients.

Fact is, a lot of "need" is really preference for less felt pain. Life will have pain in it, a sprained ankle or neck strain after a car wreck does not need ANY narcotic prescription, however, for nearly 20 years doctors have been told that whatever a patient rates their pain as it must be treated, even down to the patient's goal, which is always "0". Thus, Vicodin for sprained ankles, Oxy for a pulled back, and Fentanyl patches for non-cancer chronic pain. This is patently inappropriate, but the genie is out of the bottle, and a lot of people are now physically dependent because of it. Their nerves have been changed by constant exposure to opiates, and what would be a minor ache for an opiate naive person is a truly severe pain to them. The majority will have to detox in the end at some point. Morphine and all its natural and synthetic derivatives are not the answer for chronic conditions.

quote:

Originally posted by barndg00:
Fact is, a lot of "need" is really preference for less felt pain. Life will have pain in it, a sprained ankle or neck strain after a car wreck does not need ANY narcotic prescription, however, for nearly 20 years doctors have been told that whatever a patient rates their pain as it must be treated, even down to the patient's goal, which is always "0". Thus, Vicodin for sprained ankles, Oxy for a pulled back, and Fentanyl patches for non-cancer chronic pain. This is patently inappropriate, but the genie is out of the bottle, and a lot of people are now physically dependent because of it. Their nerves have been changed by constant exposure to opiates, and what would be a minor ache for an opiate naive person is a truly severe pain to them. The majority will have to detox in the end at some point. Morphine and all its natural and synthetic derivatives are not the answer for chronic conditions.

I am not sure what doctors you are referring to, but they are definitely not the ones I have had. I have never been prescribed a narcotic for a sprained ankle, a broken finger or toe, or back pain. The only time I have been prescribed a narcotic was before and after surgery for something serious such as rotator cuff surgery and I needed it for more than 7 days. Hell, there are times I have been in so much pain from a motocross injury and they just tell me to take ibuprofen.

quote:

Originally posted by StorminNormin:
Very stupid! The fact hydrocodone went from a Class 3 to a Class 2 is just as stupid. All it does is make it harder for patients that need it. DEA can do analysis of prescription abuse no matter what. These things only hurt patients.

Opiates are not a cure or solution for long term pain. The patients tolerance grows so quickly as well as their dependency level that as a long term pain solution, they are not.