[slapshot]

After the pharmacies got sued for filling opiate prescriptions (which were written by abusive doctors, but the pharmacies are the ones who got sued)[1], is it any surprise that Xanax and Adderall are being limited? If pharmacies are at risk for filling prescriptions that are more complex than antibiotics, the end result is that they make it harder to fill them.

[1] https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/finance/federal-jury-holds-...

[runnerup]

> is it any surprise that Xanax and Adderall are being limited?

That depends on who is doing the limiting — if the pharmacy corporations are self-limiting then I would understand they are limiting their potential exposure/liability to whatever risk level they are comfortable with. I’ll still be able to find my necessary drugs at another chain which doesn’t limit.

If the government is doing the limiting, then yes, that would be surprising. That seems to be the case here, and I think it’s a very inappropriate response — totally attacks the wrong part of the system.

[zamnos]

The article goes to lengths to describe how the government, specifically the DEA are limiting supply by issuing edicts to pharmaceutical companies. Corporations don't generally defy government edicts, especially ones that lead to raids and jail time, so we really can say it's the government's doing here, rather than particularly self-limiting behavior on the part of the pharmaceutical companies.

That the government is threatening defiance of edicts with fines and jail time and not using direct means to stop additional production is not a distinction worth making - the government is limiting the supply of these medications.

[kevviiinn]

The DEA needs to justify their existence somehow

[pyuser583]

My understanding is that pharmacists are highly trained care providers. They aren’t simply some retailer who fills a doctors order.

[crmd]

In my brooklyn neighborhood, our pharmacist is basically the neighborhood “doctor”. He’s so trustworthy and conscientious that neighbors typically check with him before going to urgent care or making a real doctor appointment for anything. Then if he doesn’t see you for a couple of days he calls to make sure you’re feeling better. It’s all very cute and the relationships and position of trust reminds of what I imagine small town family medicine practice is like.

[cvalka]

They should have no business overriding prescriptions.

[badrabbit]

And that is such b.s. the one and only time I seeked medication for a certain issue, even though I went through a lot of embarassing process to get a perscription I was questioned like I was a drug dealer or something by the pharmacist in front of many people standing there.

Short of life and death situations I don't think I will be seeking any kind of medical care in the US. If it isn't urgent I'll make a vacation out of it and travel to cheaper more humane countries.

[renewiltord]

My experience has been nothing like this. Ideally, they'd be replaced by a vending machine.

[dsfyu404ed]

>which were written by abusive doctors, but the pharmacies are the ones who got sued

Must be nice to have a professional organization that acts like a cartel and makes lesser people pay for the sins of all but the worst of the worst actors.

[brandonmenc]

It’s amusing watching the hn commentariat freak out that they can’t get their amphetamine after years of telling chronic pain sufferers to just tough it out because opiates and the Sacklers are bad.