Is it ethical?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85447)
United States
February 26, 2013 5:35pm CST
I'd like to know if this has ever happened to you. And if it has not, do you think it is ethical? I was expecting to pick up two prescriptions a little over a week ago, and I did (I went through the drive thru). When I got home I looked at one of them, and it was one I'd never had before. Not only was it one I have never had before, it was from a doctor I have never seen. Now that particular prescription was the same kind of medicine as the one I was expecting, but it was in shot form, not in pill form. So although it wasn't the same brand or in the same form, it would treat what the one I was expecting did.
Because I had a doctor's appointment coming up I kept the prescription to show to my doctor the following week. I got there and he said he had no idea why I was given it, and that he thought it was a pharmacy error. But on a hunch that it might have something to do with Medicaid, he had his nurse do a little research while we had our appointment. Long story short, Medicaid decided since the shot form was cheaper they were going to change my pills to shot form. And because they didn't run it by my doctor, they got another doctor (one I do not know and have never met) to prescribe it to me so they wouldn't have to bother going through my personal physician.
You might say well if it does the same thing, why does it matter? First of all, I think it's more about how it was done. There was no explanation with my pharmacy, me, or my doctor. Second of all, it treats the same thing, but has different side effects. And actually, it doesn't have an important "ingredient" the pill form had. That's something I'll have to find elsewhere.
Has that happened to you before? Do you think that is ethical? My doctor was quite upset.
1 person likes this
13 responses
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
26 Feb 13
Certainly not. We're given medications for a reason. You need the pill for a specific reason. Others may have fear of needles which is why they'd want the pill not the shot. I personally hate shots and would rather take pills.. especially because the pill has fewer side effects. They really shouldn't be allowed to go and change your medication without you and your doctor's consent!
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
27 Feb 13
Right.. but if it doesn't do what you need it to do, what's the point?
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@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
2 Mar 13
I find this is outragious. Can you refuse to take this medication in the form of injections instead of pills. Myself I deadly afraid of needles. I would freak out each time. Can your doctor insist that the medication is given to you in pill form. I find it is shocking that another doctor who has never met you can change your prescription.
I live in Canada and you may know we have universal health care. So things work a little different. What can happen is that your doctor prescribes a brand medication and the pharmacy changes it to the generic type of that medication but they attach a note. This has happened to me but it does not upset me because I have read many times that generic medications have the same content as brand medications but are cheaper.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85447)
• United States
3 Mar 13
Yes, that is what they do here. They'll change the medicine to the generic.
They will no longer cover the pill since I can have it shot form, so I have to settle for the shot. I've never had a problem with needles, maybe because when I was younger my insurance would only pay for migraine medicine in shot form. So I got used to them sort of. At least now the migraine medicine is in pill form.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
27 Feb 13
I tried to respond once and it didn't go through so I hope this doesn't post twice. Anyway, I would have refused the medicine and probably made a scene about it, too. They don't have any right to have a doctor who is unknown to you write a prescription for you. He's never even seen you, much less examined you! That is stupid.
I don't blame your doctor for being upset. He should make his views known, too.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
27 Feb 13
Yeah, last time I picked up my pain meds, they gave me the pill form of they hydrocodone.
This is a BIG issue for me, because the PILLS have corn starch!
For whatEVER reason, someone at the doctor's office changed my liquid to pills.
Guess what - they changed it BACK!
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
1 Mar 13
This wreaks "UNETHICAL". For one thing, you are going from "pill" form to "shot" form. That is huge in itself and especially if you have never given yourself a shot. Your regular doctor would want to demonstrate and make sure you were clear on how to do that. They also now have introduced into the equation a doctor whom you have never even met that is prescribing changes to your meds...wrong! Your insurance is paying a doctor that has never laid eyes on you to change up your prescription!! That seems a little bit sketchy to me. You pay for the insurance and you can't just at a whim switch up doctors like that and expect coverage. It seems more than a little unethical to me.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85447)
• United States
1 Mar 13
I made the doctor give me the shot. I used to have shots to treat my migraines. For the life of me I couldn't load them. They were very unusual. I'd have to get my parents to do it (that was back when I lived at home). I didn't want to mess it up last week, so I had the nurse at the doctor's office do it instead.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
27 Feb 13
That is messed up! They should not be allowed to just have a doctor you have never seen before prescribe something different and not tell you.
Also, What if you were seriously afraid of needles? You wouldn't be able to give yourself the shot and then you wouldn't get the medicine you needed.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
27 Feb 13
Never heard of it happening here in Quebec, but no I would say it is not ethical someone should have informed you that it was different and I would say your pharmacy. Here if my doctor changes my subscription I know because she tells me and then when I take the prescription to the pharmacy they tell me too.
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@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
27 Feb 13
I think this is outrageous! First I wouldn't have even taken the meds to my doctor, I would have returned it to the store! I don't take shots. so my doctor would have to change it, Fast!
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
27 Feb 13
This is totally appaling my friend and you are right as it is not ethical. How could they do this to you and behind your back use another doctor to write the prescription?
This is just not right and your doctor knows it and this is why he was upset. And then you state that an ingredient was missing? so it is NOT the same at all! What can your doctor do about this? Is there a medical body to whom he can complain? Be brave and stand up for your rights!
This is just not right and your doctor knows it and this is why he was upset. And then you state that an ingredient was missing? so it is NOT the same at all! What can your doctor do about this? Is there a medical body to whom he can complain? Be brave and stand up for your rights!1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85447)
• United States
27 Feb 13
I can certainly complain. And so can he. It probably won't change anything because it's government healthcare and the cheaper to them, the better. And I understand that. I know they have to provide for a lot of people. But to not inform me, or ask, goes beyond what I think they have the right to do. I mean the doctor they went to doesn't know me. If I had had a bad reaction I'm pretty sure I could have sued them and won.
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
1 Mar 13
good to know your doctor was upset and I really hope you get what you really need now.
No I dont find it ethical when Medicaid meddles in the prescriptions given. I guess I would raise some hell if I were your doctor.
Thankfully I get my prescription from my doctor and go to the pharmacy straight away with it so no such problems here.
1 person likes this
@Laurenlynn (715)
• Canada
27 Feb 13
No I am very lucky this has never happened to me, you were wise to question it and any time in doubt your family doctor should have the last say. This must of been a very scary thing for you, this can teach us all to double check all the time!
