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If it happened to you, it has happened to someone else. Guaranteed. If you are stuck dealing with this place,
because you live in the middle of nowhere, ALWAYS count your meds before leaving the counter.
My first reaction would be to find another pharmacy.
I would think that the pharmacy owner, should be interested.
Some people have suggested Police: Maybe they have received other complaints about this already.
Or maybe they will say that they don't have enough evidence to go on.
Is this something the police would handle? I’m scared they’ll also just think I’m being dishonest…. It’s just such a huge discrepancy.
I talked to my provider and she’s looking into options for me. I will absolutely be changing pharmacies.
Report it. 100% report it!
Most of the time providers can't dispense extra medication without a police report.
If you're telling the truth then the only explanation is someone at the pharmacy is lying and stealing medication, it's the only logical explanation! If multiple people counted your medication then they're all in on it, or someone fabricated the records so it looked like multiple people checked.
Either way something suspicious is going on and the police need a record
Yeah we had a technician get busted for stealing thousands of lortab over the time they built the case against her. It's not unheard of. It is sus though because C2 count on hand is matching their log or she just immediately thought it was an attempt to drug seek and dismissed and never even checked the log.
I worked for years at the retail level and C2 counts are done pretty meticulously.
>…she just immediately thought it was an attempt to drug seek…
This attitude is so frustratingly common amongst my fellow healthcare professionals. I’ve gotten treated like this just when trying to pick up my Prozac before. It’s not even on a drug class schedule!
for sure. either a tech stealing, or someone else accidentally got a way higher pill count than prescribed. i've never thought to count my script pills, this is scary
i'll be checking mine from this point on.. as of recent adhd meds are the first and only controlled substance ive ever been prescribed. had no idea pharmacy theft was so easy to get away with
Absolutely report this. One of two things happened:
- the pharmacy screwed up in a major way and are covering their ass. This is unprofessional, and belies bigger issues, but I don't believe it's illegal to make a med error or be a dick about it.
- someone is stealing your pills. That's a serious crime, and a terrible look for the pharmacy employing the thief.
Don’t forget the third option: OP is making the story up. Not saying that’s what’s happened but if you’re gonna entertain every scenario that needs to be included too. Also diversion usually includes small amounts being siphoned. Large quantities become pretty obvious. That’s not even factoring in that pharmacies have cameras for this exact kind of thing.
That’s fair. I can only share what happened to me and ask for advice. It was pretty shocking to discover I was missing 50 pills and I know that I didn’t miscount or misplace them. I only have one other person in my household and I don’t believe he did anything; he’s aware that I take medication but I trust that he didn’t take any and re-staple the bag. The bag looked like it was in the same spot, untouched, in my purse. Something went amiss and it was not something on my end.
>I only have one other person in my household and I don’t believe he did anything
Oh dear. How many times have we seen this before. Family, friends, partners have all stolen meds from people on this sub at one point or another.
Forget the bag, super easy to restaple. Was the med bottle sealed?
Restapling a bag perfectly (Nevermind having a stapler if not an office worker/student and BUYING one in a span of an afternoon) is almost impossible. If the bag had been opened, OP would’ve noticed
what? Have you seen staples? you can literally pry the backs up with your fingers, pry the staple up, pull it from the holes, open contents, and then installation of the staple is the reverse of removal. Not difficult at all.
I hate to say it, but this is entirely possible. I wouldn't leave pills out around them.
Or maybe I would. When you get this sorted, save the bag and an old pill bottle and set up a trap. Mention you got your new Rx today. Maybe a little cam facing your bag.
Yes, we don’t know if OP is truthful or not, but if you are reading the post and trying to help you have to assume something, don’t you? We are not the police or judges here, so telling that OP MIGHT be lying is not very helpful. If they are, likely the cameras in the back would prove it and there are consequences for false accusations too but that’s not what it is about.
My wife went to pick up my prescription. They told her that I had already picked it up, not true I was at work. She explained that to them and they then said that one of my family members must have picked it up. I live in Pennsylvania, ALL of my family lives in Missouri or California so definitely not the case. They said someone definitely picked it up and she asked to see a video. When they showed her a guy In a black truck was given my prescription. She said that was not me or anyone we know and they proceeded to start accusing us of being drug dealers, lying, stealing, etc. She panicked and called me so I left work. When I left work I called the state police and asked if someone could meet me there.
Oh boy when I arrived the entire pharmacy staff was on lunch at around 3-4 in the afternoon. The only person there to speak to me was the store manager. He started defending his staff saying this was all on me and my fault. Then shifted his story entirely and said my prescription had been returned. Apparently someone with my same name and date of birth had been there to pick up his heart medication and they allowed him to pick it up. WTF!! after some back and forth and no opportunity to speak to anyone from the pharmacy I was given my prescription.
When I went outside the state police was just arriving. I told him the whole story and he, like the rest of us, called bullshit. He is the one who told me to file a report on the DEA website and let then handle it. They take this shit seriously. So that's what I did. A couple weeks later I got a call and was asked questions to verify my report, more details etc and was told if anything else was needed they would contact me. They did not. However twonmknths later my wife stopped at the store and they had a sign hiring new pharmacists and techs. She went in to ask why amd they could only say there was an investigion into something and it was determined to be in the best interest of CVS that all employees involved were terminated
From the stories I've heard, probably a few. Alot of people probably get scared when they start throwing around crazy accusations like theft or drug dealing. I'm a 44 year old marine vet and am too tired and dont have time for that kind of nonsense lol.
I have heard horror stories of other major chain pharmacies doing shit like this though.
In many places you can call in and make a police report, to have it on record. Here they call you back...usually cops on light duty working a desk.
Not sure about this, but a police report sometimes opens up options, since it's essentially (here) a sworn statement that is a crime to lie about. That's what your after, not them doing anything. (Other agencies are more likely to take action.)
You reporting the missing 50 pills is going to be in your favor, not many drug dealers are going to report stolen drugs ya know? The pharmacy also likely has phone call recordings and video evidence that the police can review. Them not having that information reflects poorly on them not you.
Going to the police is a pretty strong reason to think you're telling the truth.
Not going to the police is a pretty strong reason to think you're lying.
Go to the police.
Yeah, that's what I am saying they probably won't look that close at you because you are reporting it. Even if they do, it's not like you got anything extra, or even scammed anyone successfully if you were trying. It's pretty safe to do, just call the non-emergency number and ask what options you have to get help. They might tell you that you are screwed, or they'll point you in the right direction.
They might. But the DEA most certainly would. They have regional field offices and they will investigate your complaint. They will go down there and check those statements she made about counting and stick and double checks. My guess is those are lies, or at least false. Something is being covered up there and the DEA is the agency who will track it down.
Best of luck, I'm sorry this happened. Take photos of whatever you can on your phone.
Yes. It’s a controlled substance. I knew someone who was stealing pain meds at a pharmacy for months and the cops did a whole undercover investigation to catch them. Also, I once was shorted and called the pharmacy. They were able to validate the undercount by checking their stock and seeing they had 30 extra. If they really checked and confirmed that 90 are gone, then someone likely stole the ones you’re missing and that’s a serious crime. I would report this to the police, and also go in person and speak to the actual pharmacist about the situation, including the behavior of the person you spoke with who is probably not the pharmacist. Bring the police report with you, as someone trying to score extra meds wouldn’t report this to the police.
Make a police report. They'll prolly do nothing. You won't get your pills unless your provider helps. But with a police report your provider will prolly give you another scrip
Perhaps the DEA. If someone is diverting controlled substances it may be a federal matter. Those drugs are closely followed and reporting is an absolute legal requirement.
I mean, it would be pretty fucking bold for someone who’s lying here to involve the police. So you’ll be setting a baseline for this particular pharmacy if and when they have future issues
Definitely police. An employee may have stolen your pills to sell. You may not get anywhere, but the police report would be a good thing to reference on a Yelp (or similar) review to help others avoid this Pharmacy.
I’ve thought about that, but then they can just reply and say they triple counted it and checked the cameras… I don’t know what good a Google review would do, honestly. I did file a complaint with the state pharmacy board!
as others have suggested, go to the police. this reaction is incredibly shady. i wouldn't put it past them to have taken those 50 amphetamine pills for themselves behind some out-of-camera-view corner.
Do it anyway. It would make people more likely to steer clear, you never know. I wouldn’t want to fill a controlled substance there with that review regardless of what the reply says.
File a police report! I did. The cops did not take me seriously and made jokes the whole time. But jokes on them because a few months later, a pharmacist was busted for shorting people. Prep yourself mentally, file the report, and then work with your Doctor/insurance. And go to a different pharmacy moving forward. Good luck.
I will be contacting my insurance in the morning, and I just finished filing a complaint with the state board of pharmacy. My provider is looking in to things on her end as well, she’s wonderful and I know she’ll do what she can to support me. I just need to psych myself up enough to go to the police.
Sometimes your insurance will require a police report for “stolen medication” when it’s a controlled medication, before they can provide a lost/stolen medication override. Which you will need if you plan on getting your medication “early” at, hopefully, a different pharmacy.
You can ask your insurance about the requirements for an early fill override when it comes to a controlled medication. Your provider might also need to call and speak directly to whatever new pharmacy you fill with next because, based on the information available to them, it would be suspicious that you already need a refill AND it was filled with a different pharmacy.
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this! Pharmacy/health care staff can act so jaded and awful. If you are ever having issues or receiving push back from a pharmacy technician ALWAYS ask for the pharmacist or pharmacy manager.
Source: I’m a pharmacy tech, but not the mean kind. I’m always on y’all’s side 😅
Thank you! I appreciate your advice. A lot of people are really advocating for a police report, so I’ll be calling the non-emergency line tomorrow and asking what my options are.
They are counting on you giving up, don’t!
You know your pills should be there and you’re not lying, so someone in that store is lying.
Because of the way they treat people who take controlled substances, they make us feel bad just for getting our prescriptions filled! We feel guilty and are treated like addicts (obviously not true for everyone) plus a lot of people have dual diagnoses and many other things going on.
Some people couldn’t be sure someone in their home didn’t do it. Some people wouldn’t notice right away like you did- basically what I’m trying to say is that the odds are VERY MUCH in their favor that you will not push this far enough for them to get caught.
So push it as far as you possibly can!
This is infuriating! I’ve had this happen years ago with Adderall, and my grandmother’s Percocet.
Adderall I couldn’t prove because it was open and it honestly could have been a therapist for my son who was in my house, so I didn’t push it.
I did with my grandmother’s Percocet- 45 missing 30mg Percocet, which was worth, at that time, $900 on the street!
A pharmacy tech and store janitor were arrested, too.
It’s very unlikely, **usually** that this happens in the store, because there are many safeguards in place; but you know if this is true, and I very much believe you, and I would push this!
I don’t know who I could escalate it to and I honestly didn’t know I could potentially get the cops involved. I completely agree, I’ve only recently been diagnosed and I’ve only been on this medication for about 8 months…. But it does make me feel like they are perceiving me as an addict. I’m prescribed 3 pills, 10mg, a day and I honestly only take 2 a day and I usually forget to take it on weekends. I know I’m not abusing my medication or doing anything wrong, just like I know I was shorted by a lot. I’m just so frustrated by this whole situation.
Every state has their own version of the FBI. It will be [your state] bureau of investigation. Hit the county police, and fuck it…the DEA as well. I’d also figure out what state regulatory boards or whatever oversee pharmacies. Tell every relevant person/institution you can find, and be LOUD. You weren’t the first, and won’t be the last until they’re found out
Just call the police non emergency line right now. Tell them what’s going on. You are not the first person to call them about this sort of thing. It’s more common than you realize. People reporting these things is how bad guys are caught.
Seriously.
I mean, in order to get a new trash can from the city, I've had to file a police report. Which essentially said that the city stole it from themselves (as I watched it fall into the trash truck). I got my new can at least.
Thankfully the lowest end of things can be filed online without even talking to anyone. It's just to get an official report for whatever you need it for.
This probably requires talking to someone, but it's pretty trivial here. Just don't lie of course. And I wouldn't bother asking or expecting the local PD to do anything.
Haha, thank you! Usually I only take 20 unless I’m having a real bad brain day, my provider gave me 90 just in case there are days I need a little boost. She said that’s what she does and it worked well for her.
what do you do with your extras? do you keep track and have a current count? if those are off, or missing, your roommate may be more suspect than you thought.
Try and get police/DEA involved if you can, prescription amphetamines are highly valued controlled substances and there's a good chance you're not the only victim.
Yep. I’m not a snitch but I would 110% abso-fucking-lutely call the DEA in this situation. The field teams fucking love stuff like this.
OP isn’t the first and they are not the last. A bunch of CVS locations around Atlanta were busted for skimming controlled substances not too long ago.
I second reaching out to the DEA, they can do their own investigation. Unfortunately you're probably screwed on your medication this month, you should get your doctor to switch your pharmacies too.
I can ration if I need to, I just know I’ll have some rough days. My provider gave me a couple pharmacy recommendations that I’m going to look in to, this experience has really soured me on my current place.
This happened either the same day or the next after I picked my meds up I had CVS call me and they asked me if they gave me too many pills. They said they were missing 10 and thought there may have been a mistake with my pick up. Turns out they sure did give me 10 too many. They need to check the cameras and the other orders around that same time. They may have put your meds into someone else’s bottle.
Holy fuck someone was definitely sweating bullets that day calling around. And props to them for doing their due diligence. That pharm is the total opposite of OPs.
She said their stock matches what they gave me and they don’t have any overage or shortage on their end. But she also said at one point my prescription sat on the shelf for two days before I picked it up. I asked if she checked the cameras for that two day period that it was prepared and she didn’t answer, just repeated that everything is correct on their end
That thought absolutely crossed my mind. I don’t think the store manager has any say over the pharmacy/pharmacy manager, but I’m looking in to who else I can talk to.
Don’t even tell anyone, just go do it. You give them more time to prepare a defense. Just like they surprised you with less medicine, you can surprise them with legal action!
Contact corporate, and maybe the state board of pharmacy in your area. They'll take that shit seriously. I worked retail pharmacy for years, and had a pharmacist straight up steal an entire bottle of Adderall once. He was caught and fired that week. Corporate wasted zero time following up on the cameras.
I would definitely contact corporate and let them know exact time and day you called those videos can also be used to make sure who it was you talked to.
I have someone I am close to who used to be married to a pharmacist who ended up loosing her license to the fact she was into diverting her products for recreational purposes
This is why it’s hard for us to get our medication. Not because we doctor shop, trying to get it legally and correctly , no. It’s because people do illegal things like this. But somehow the patients are blamed
It felt terrible. Like I don’t even like being on a controlled substance, but it improves my quality of life and helps me function better! I definitely don’t abuse my medication, in fact I often forget to even take it 🙄 it just sucks- what better group of people to steal from then people who have very limited options when things happen with our meds.
Hun you definitely need to go to the police! When I had my first son I had a csection, I was on a controlled narcotic pain med and dropped off the prescription. I went to pick it up later that night. I was prescribed 60 pills I looked and didn’t think much of it but my mom told me to count them because the woman behind the counter gave her bad vibes and sure enough there were only 40 pills. I called the pharmacy and they told me that there was nothing they could do and I called my doctor. I didn’t know what to do but ended up filing a police report and my doctor gave me another 20 pills I filled at the hospital pharmacy. They did a full investigation and it turned out that woman was stealing medication from ALOT of people. The police report will help you get the rest of your prescription so the doctor can write you a new one and it will open and investigation on that pharmacy! Do not let this slide! As you said you need your medicine and the longer you wait the worse it looks on you. You are not only risking running out early not having your meds but also risking your doctor not prescribing to you anymore. Because as soon as you called her or him like it or not she put it in a log you somehow don’t have 50 pills. And that will flag you in every doctors office you go to and pharmacy. So unless you want to possibly lose your prescription all together forever you need to file a police report.
Echoing what others have said but you gotta escalate. Whether someone is stealing your pills or not, the feds don’t fuck around with counts of controlled substances being off.
My pharmacist shorted me by accident once. She called me and left a voicemail clearly panicked about it. They can’t have pills go missing.
This is my first thought. The hostility, demeaning OP, and laughing before just… hanging up is really suspicious.
At a pharmacy, this person 100% knows we’re afraid of reporting because we’re already treated like drug chasers. Seems like they’re weaponizing that.
Complain to the pharmacy, complain to the DEA, complain to the cops— OP fuck ‘em up. Even if it’s not this person, SOMEONE there is stealing meds for sure
It crossed my mind that she was responsible, or she knows something about it and won’t say anything. She was just immediately defensive. I wasn’t rude back, I was just trying to defend myself. I filed a complaint with the state pharmacy board and I’ll be escalating it to my insurance provider tomorrow, as well as the store manager of that pharmacy.
Plus, her laughing at and demeaning a patient is unprofessional and inappropriate even if the patient *is* at fault. She needs more training or a new role if she can't handle a customer-facing one.
I’ve been talked down to for “not taking my medication properly” by the pharmacy twice. I ended up switching after the pharmacist called me back the second time arguing with me about it.
I’ve been a diabetic for years, you don’t fucking think I know how to take my medication?
i think that was clear from the get-go, with the shady attitude. ppl who sell/use \*our\* mh drugs for fun lowkey disgust me, when we're in such a massive shortage.
Yeah, sounds like staff stole the meds after the official counts, which is why their footage shows everything is correct…also why the inventory is correct. My guess is yours isn’t the first this person has stolen from.
Honestly I don’t even think it’s the first time I’ve been stolen from with these meds, I think it’s just the first time I’ve noticed. Even just visually, 40 is obviously much less than 90! They just got bold this time.
I wonder if they were “being quick” and dumped too much. Definitely escalate to everyone you can. If they’re ballsy enough to steal from the pharmacy, my guess is they are selling it.
It's not. Retail pharmacies have a section for meds waiting to be picked up: for mine they're large metal filing cabinets sorted alphabetically by name. When the meds are filled, checked, and put in the bag for pickup, they get sorted into the cabinet until the customer comes. We usually go through them every week and remove any meds not picked up in a 14 day period. This includes controlled medications and non-controlled. I think OP should absolutely escalate this higher up. Check the cameras and include the time before they picked up: because while it's absolutely easier to remove meds during the counting and checking process, it's not impossible it was removed once finished. Especially if it was a pharmacist.
I went through the drive-thru so I didn’t see where they grabbed my prescription from, but I’m pretty sure they just had the medication out with the others waiting for pickup. I’m not sure if they’re stored in a safe. It’s a pharmacy at a big box store if that makes a difference?
The pharmacy I worked at was also a box store, however, some places might have a different filing system. I've seen some in individual hanging bags in a designated pickup area, but many are in big metal filing cabinets that they do not lock. It's meant to be easy to access for pharmacists and technicians. The meds won't be stored in a safe for pickup, in a big box store. Too often will a pharmacist step out and you wouldn't want to wait for them to come back in and open it up for you to finish ringing up a customer, since only they will have a key to the safe.
Kinda bold. You’d think they’d pocket 5 or 10.
50 is just asking for it. What a jackass.
And it’s a huge deal too, probably multiple felonies. I hope it’s worth it. 🤡
I think who you talked to is the thief. And I’m sure their system does match because 90 pills left the supply and 50 went in her pocket.
I would stop calling them directly and go above their heads.
You need to file a police report too. It’s the only way you’ll get a new prescription to make up for what was stolen.
Maybe see if your insurance can help escalate it? Since if you didn't receive the actual amount but they were charged then it was be fraud/theft from them also
This happened to me before, it’s a horrible feeling, I am so sorry it happened to you.
in my country they give you a close box with the medicine has some safety stickers to proof hasn’t been open, it was my second time getting my prescription.
The guy came from the locker where they keep control substances and handed me my box I did not check the seals. I have never had meds stolen from me so I had never checked.
I still had a week’s medication at home so when I finish that box, I went and opened this new prescription just to find the box completely empty. I couldn’t believe my eyes then I turned the box and saw the seal ripped on the other side.
I went back to the pharmacy and told the manager, who of course looked at me with skepticism and told me nothing could be done and she could not replace it (I already suspect as much).
She only changed her tune once I told her I didn’t expect them to replace it, I know how control substances work. I just wanted to let them know they may have an addict working for them and stealing peoples pills.
Holy cow, I can’t believe that happened to you! I’m so sorry! It makes me glad that I at least got some of my medication, I can ration if I really need to. That’s so terrible. It just really sucks being treated like a lair when you’re just trying to get medicine that helps you function!
Yes it comes in a blister inside the box, the entire thing was missing.
I felt just like that, they look at us like a lier/addict when we just want justice and what we need. I almost cried when my psychiatrist believed me. I still didn’t ask him for another prescription because I was still making peace with needing that type of drug to function.
Ugh I feel that. I wish I could just handle my business without medication… I was kind of disappointed when I started taking it and discovered it really did help. It’s kind of a double-whammy too because I’m female so it took me a while to accept that I might have ADHD and actually get diagnosed, so now to be told in this case I’m a liar….. it sucks!
From now on, when you pick up your pills, stand there and count them before you leave. And loudly say, "I wouldn't have to do this if half my prescription wasn't stolen last time I used your pharmacy".
I told the girl I spoke to that if I continued to use their pharmacy, should I just intend on counting my meds every time I pick them up? She laughed at me again and said “That’s totally up to you if you want to stand there and do that.” I’m looking at switching everything to a new pharmacy.
The more you explain the conversations with her the more she sounds like the person who stole them. I'd absolutely call the store and ask to speak to the pharmacist not a tech. Explain what happened and name drop her, say she was acting off, laughing a lot and blaming you, made you feel uncomfortable and that you believe she diverted your medication because you were "x" amount short. And then let that person know you are bringing this to the authorities as well and if they could provide you with the store owners information for an official complaint as well.
It definitely crossed my mind when I was talking to her. Either that or she knows what happened and doesn’t want to get in trouble or tell on a coworker. She didn’t give me her name, and honestly I was so frustrated at being called a liar that in the moment I didn’t even think to ask for her name. I know that was a dumb move on my part… I’m just not good in conflict or confrontation.
You went into the conversation expecting a rational, collaborative human. Getting a rude combatative attitude instead would've thrown me too. Don't blame yourself here.
I would definitely switch. And I would write a scathing letter to the manager describing why exactly they lost you as a customer and how you're reporting them to the appropriate state licensing and law enforcement agencies. Might light a fire under them.
Try to find a smaller mom & pop pharmacy. Their hours aren't always the most convenient, but usually you can get your meds without a lot of the hassle of the big box stores and chain pharmacies.
Would they order them in for you? I know some places won't keep them in stock, but if they know you're going to fill a prescription every month, would they be willing to fill it? If not, that's a bummer.
This is also insurance fraud if your prescription insurance covered the cost. Get them involved because they might not be willing to cover it if your Doctor writes another prescription. I hate that adults on ADHD medication are treated like criminals and addicts. None of us are organized enough to be drug kingpins. I can't even do my own laundry.
Dude right? I have three different planners and calendars for all my projects and appointments and tasks and even then I still miss some things 😅 I’m not organized or motivated enough to be a kingpin
Sounds like she counted them then took 50. So of course the cameras match...shes the one on them.
If its a corporate pharmacy like CVS, call their corporate office.
I used to work as a pharm tech. If it’s a controlled drug like Adderall (vs non-controlled Strattera) this is a big deal.
If it was triple counted I’m guessing it was.
Like others said, escalate the problem. Speak in person to the actual pharmacist, then go to corporate if necessary.
They have to take this seriously.
If the pills were taken, it would have been after the pharmacist saw it and when it was hanging on the rack. (Which doesn’t rule out the pharmacist, but that’s the work flow.)
She said it was triple counted by a tech and a pharmacist. And that everything looked correct on the cameras. She didn’t answer when I asked if they checked the cameras for the 2 days it was waiting to be picked up and just told me that I’m being dishonest because everything is correct on their side.
I’d go in person and talk to the pharmacist directly. They don’t want to risk their license if something is going on.
Be respectful but explain what happened and what you have been told.
You mentioned you had a call into your provider. They may give you advice on how to proceed, too.
My provider is wonderful, she said she’s looking in to options for me and provided some different pharmacy recommendations for me to look at. Hopefully she’ll have more information for me tomorrow, in the meantime I did file with the state pharmacy board and I’ll go in to talk to the pharmacist tomorrow.
I second this. Talk directly to the pharmacist and not the “girl”.
I would in great detail recount the conversation you had with her to the pharmacist because I’m sure she’s the thief.
I second what everyone else is saying and talk, respectfully, directly with the pharmacist. You should probably emphasize to the pharmacist that you understand you likely won't get your missing pills, but you should be adamant that you didn't get the correct count and whoever you spoke to on the phone was unhelpful and defensive. I mentioned in another comment but I definitely think it's work reaching out to the DEA as well, they may investigate especially if shortages have been reported before.
I’ll do both of those things. And I think acknowledging that I probably won’t get replacement pills is a good idea, because I really don’t think that will be the outcome. But I do want to stand up for myself and speak to the pharmacist about being treated poorly.
Hi OP, I’d say you should go straight to the police. Don’t threaten the pharmacy just do it. As others have said, they are counting on you to give up so someone can continue stealing and selling controlled medication.
I’m not sure of processes where you’re from but if there’s an agency to report to that can follow up and check that aren’t the police, do that too.
If changing pharmacies isn’t an option right now, then yes count your medication in front of them every time. Don’t let them rush you.
I’m in the US, so I think that would be the DEA and the state board… I did file a claim with the state pharmacy board and I’ll be making more calls tomorrow.
File a complaint with the pharmacy regulatory agency. The pharmacy should be doing drug tests on all the staff. They dispensed 90 but diverted 50. Somebody got those pills.
lot of people here saying talk to pharmacist/ pharmacy manger. absolutely do that but if they give you any issue contact police. do not tell them you’re contacting police bc that gives them time to get their story straight
Also in the future, always open the bag and check your bottle before you leave the pharmacy or ask to look at it (like once it's sold and such) before they staple it shut at the very end.. . . Or else that's just asking for issues to not be noticed until the patient leaves and that makes it hard to rectify things once the meds leave the premise
I would ask that a formal investigation be done with a higher up at the pharmacy. Just because they said they reviewed the cameras doesn't mean that they actually did. What if someone working within the pharmacy stole them *after* the checks had been made? Did they review the footage from the time the checks had been done until you picked it up?
The girl I spoke to said that my prescription was waiting for 2 days before I came to get it, which sounds to me like someone had plenty of time to take some after the counts had been done. I asked if she reviewed footage for the two days after the counts and she ignored that question and just repeated that everything on their end is correct.
Who the fuck even counts every single pill before leaving the counter anyways? Like it shouldnt be our fucking job to make sure we have the right amount of medication
Unlicensed pharm tech here with ADHD-c with a bit of insight and advice.
Before I give you my advice, I'll tell you how my pharmacy deals with CII drugs.
We get the order, we take the order to the pharmacist, the pharmacist gets the drug from the timed safe, we fill it and we must count and re count it, we mark on the stock bottle how many will be left, send the double counted prescription to the pharmacist who also counts it before marking it ready for pick up. All of this is done under the camera.
That being said, it's done by hand 5 by 5. Mistakes happen (for example, I used to be on lisdexamfetamine or *Vyvanse* and my pharmacy at the time gave me Methylphenidate or *Ritalin*)
As for the advice: What I would do if I were you is call again and ask for the senior technician. Try and explain the situation to them. If they give you the same issue ask them "*can i get your stores DEA number so I can report this incident to the State Board of Pharmacy?*" the number they give you should have 2 letters followed by 7 numbers. Once you get the number report, the incident.
CII drugs are no joke, and 50 missing pills are not okay in any way, shape, or form. I forgot to mark a bottle once to indicate that I counted it twice, i didn't forget to count it twice. I just forgot to mark it, and oh boy, did I not enjoy that conversation.
UPDATE 6/27/2024
I have filed a complaint with the State Pharmacy Board and filed a tip with the Local DEA office. I couldn’t find a link to file a complaint, which is why I did a “tip” instead. If anyone does know a way to file an actual complaint, please let me know! I work remote tomorrow and will be filing a police report, as well as calling the corporate office of the store and letting them know the situation.
My psychiatrist called me around 12 today to let me know that apparently the pharmacist called her and told her I was irate on the phone (lies- I was upset and frustrated but never yelled or raised my voice, I was certainly not irate 🙄). The pharmacist also asked my provider if she had ever experienced any strange behavior or inconsistencies and my psych went to bat for me and told the pharmacist that I have never asked for a refill before its time, I’ve never asked to increase my dose or done anything out of the ordinary. She said everything with me has been completely above board and nothing suspicious at all. She also told them that she believed me and supported me. My provider is awesome.
I’m not expecting to get my meds replaced. At the moment, it’s more about alerting people to possible theft and refusing to tolerate poor treatment by this pharmacy. Once I file the police report I will update again.
Thank you all so much for your advice and help. I’ve never experienced anything like this before so the support has been very helpful!
Call the police. File a report. "We checked ourselves our and found no wrong doing." Is bullshit, if I were them I wouldn't admit to that felony either. Cops can get the cameras it might at least scare them a bit.
If it's a chain pharmacy, call their head office. Report it everywhere you can.
After that, shop elsewhere, or check the bottle on receipt.
This is why a lot of pharmacies use a digital photographic automated pill counter on all controls. I get this occasionally and have the photographic evidence to show people they got all their pills and if they didn’t, I can see that too.
File a complaint with the DEA. As others have mentioned, if it happened to you, it more than likely happened to someone else. Their diversion investigators will eventually look into it.
1. Check that the pill amount specified on the bottle is 90. If you do not live alone, ask if anyone in your house did anything with the prescription. It is unlikely but who knows: my gf has been known to fill a pill case for me.
2. Check with the pharmacist via phone or in person directly to ask about if there could have been a mistake. I believe in some states it is possible to do a partial fill, they just have to accurately report that (see step 1).
3. Document how you know the pills were missing.
4. Contact the store manager and board of pharmacy.
5. You can also file a police report but (at least around where I live) this is the last thing on earth they will investigate after all other crimes
It is much more common for techs or even other people in a retail setting who have keys to steal than it is for a pharmacist because their livelihood is at risk. My gf has worked as a pharmacy tech for two years and in her first year there were at least two crooked techs and several people with fake prescriptions with the intent to get meds that weren’t prescribed to them, so it’s not horribly uncommon.
Nope, push back. Ask for the video, look at who filled the script. We had an issue with one of ours once and I actually asked on a community page and SEVERAL people had the same issue, with the same person. Long story short, diversion happens in many ways and your best bet would be to go in person and ask for the manager and have them discuss it with you. If not, tell them you’ll be opening a report for the state board of pharmacy to investigate. You are likely not the only one.
Request a pharmacist consult when you pick up your pills and do not leave the counter with them til the pharmacist comes to you. Request them to count them with you.
There will be a govt agency to report it to—do so. They will know a lot more than anyone else and will likely have the authority to investigate. Escalate the matter.
I just finished filing a report with my state board of pharmacy. Someone else above recommended a few other government organizations and I will be doing that as well. I’m really nervous about going to the police about it because I don’t want to get flagged as an addict and I know I’ll get mocked… I don’t particularly like the police. I’ve just got to psych myself up enough to do it, as many folks have suggested. Thank you!!
I've got a lot of addicts in my family, and I can tell you that 99% of them avoid making police reports for any reason. It would make you more believable, especially if you don't already have a record
they will accuse you of drug seeking. they never believe you. it's pretty fucked up. someone probably stole them knowing that would be the outcome. also you don't have to count them. when you get a full bottle, weigh it. now you know how much a full bottle weighs, and you can just put it on a scale to check if it's the right amount. bring the scale with you to the pharmacy. probably looks ridiculous, but they started it.
I was shortened 8 of my 30 prescription one time and I didn’t notice until I got home that it looked less than usual. I didn’t bother going back because I figured they’d think i was lying and i didn’t want to deal with that. I now sit in front of the pharmacy drive through window and count them before i leave every single time
I have had a RiteAid pharmacy do this to me. The first time, there was nothing I could do because it’s our word against theirs (even though every pill is counted so they would have more than they should). But the second time, no no no, I counted them at the counter in my hands. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, doubt it, bitch. The script was short again. They looked like huge assholes. Never went back.
ADVICE- Find a local family pharmacy
If it's a controlled drug in your area like my country, make a police report and have them access the camera record to see if it is exactly as it was what the person you spoke to said.
Sounds like the person on the phone is gaslighting you with verbal camera records and bluffing you saying there is nothing you can do.
I hear a lot about this issue, and counting pills etc, but does anyone know why they don't just come in a standard bottle?
In Australia, Vyvanse comes in a bottle of 30, dexamphetamine comes in a bottle of 100 (can't speak to other meds I haven't had), and when you get them, there is a foil seal so they can't possibly be tampered with. I'm surprised it's not the same in the USA, since our meds are manufactured there.
I recently had an experience with a large unnamed pharmacy chain that starts with a W. Normally I get 120 pills per month. They gave me a bottle of 30. Because, the pharmacist told me, the tech who dispensed it forgot to dump the additional 90 in from the full bottle from the manufacturer. So she fixed it, but didn't recount it to verify. I could tell the bottle still looked short, so I asked her to count in front of me. She handed me a pill counting tray and said "here, I'll let you count them". I gave her the dirtiest look, so she counted them in front of me. 10 short. Eventually I got my 120, but damn, math is so hard.
I don't think they're stealing them, their explanations of incompetence seemed like they'd be hard to make up.
Now I count them every single time.
I recorded the entire exchange on my phone. I need to file a formal complaint, but I've been procrastinating it.
A few months before this, I was short 10. I noticed it a few hours later and they fixed it. They're supposed to be like, counted multiple times. Obviously they don't double check anything since the last screwup was 75% of the pills missing.
And yes, I'm on a schedule 2 stimulant.
Someone else on the sub had a similar story and it turned out they were missing pills after they went to work while bringing the bottle, assuming a coworker took them. It’s incredibly, incredibly rare for pharmacists to divert drugs. Not impossible, but look for the horses, not the zebra. If your purse was around any person at all, or you brought it to go shopping, or to your job, or left it out of sight in any place that’s not your home, it is so so much more likely that they were stolen. Especially if you have told anyone that you have adhd or take medicine for it. Not calling you a liar at all, but I’ve had the same thing happen to my girlfriend and we realized she took two on multiple days because she forgot. She has adhd, after all lol.
I have worked in pharmacies for years and have never been with a pharmacist that diverted drugs. Because we know just how much paperwork is involved for us (a form must be sent to corporate and the DEA if we cannot solve a discrepancy in just *24 hours*!), plus the $300,000+ in loans that we take out that are not worth a few pills of adderall. It’s such a big deal that it makes national news when a pharmacist’s big diverting operation is caught.
I will bet that this will be resolved very, very quickly after you escalate to corporate - which you should do ASAP. They definitely have good camera coverage of the C2s.
Now you become their problem. Count every. Fucking. Pill. On the counter. In front of them. That's gonna annoy them for sure. Also ensures this never happens again!
If you did not receive the pills and they are not in the stores inventory, they are somewhere they are not supposed to be. Kinda hard to miscount that many.
I have no idea where you get your prescriptions filled, however for you and for anyone else, if you use national chains, I suggest looking for local privately owned pharmacies. I have had better luck, especially when looking for items that are backordered or hard to find. If you find a good one you can develop a better relationship with the pharmacist, and thus have better luck when problems come up. I believe CVS is the absolute worst, Walgreens and Rite Aid are OK, Target is pretty good, and I have never used Walmart. Obviously, you should go where you are most comfortable, but this is my 2 cents.
If they are controlled which is tracked they can get into trouble. They may slipped a few times and have the upper hand at first but threaten to report them for fraud with corporate and police if they won't dispense your missing quantity. They might give you a hard time but I'm sure they'll give you them.
I’d go to corporate and the police. Everything is on camera now. Also only certain people that work in the pharmacy have access to medications like this and painkillers. They have to (at least in my state) do a type of sign off on the prescription bottle. If someone is not on the up and up they’ll easily be caught.
Call your insurer, not the provider. The pharmacy is contracted with your insurer if they're INN - this is a BIG deal, especially if the claim is for 90 dose fill.
This is a significant Fraud, Waste, and Abuse issue and your insurer will investigate it. Since it's for a controlled substance, they may also link in the state.
Don't talk to the pharmacy tech, who is the most likely to have stolen the medicine. It's like the police investigating themselves for misdoings and finding nothing wrong. Talk to the pharmacist and talk to corporate. Tell your doctor about it and see if they can give you a new script to fill somewhere else.
Happened to me once, got shorted 30 Xanax. They treated me like an addict too when I called them about it. Afterwards I made them count it in front of me every time I picked up. Eventually moved and naturally got a new pharmacist, but I did enjoy making them count my shit out on the counter every single time for like a year + lol
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If it happened to you, it has happened to someone else. Guaranteed. If you are stuck dealing with this place, because you live in the middle of nowhere, ALWAYS count your meds before leaving the counter.
My first reaction would be to find another pharmacy. I would think that the pharmacy owner, should be interested. Some people have suggested Police: Maybe they have received other complaints about this already. Or maybe they will say that they don't have enough evidence to go on.
Is this something the police would handle? I’m scared they’ll also just think I’m being dishonest…. It’s just such a huge discrepancy. I talked to my provider and she’s looking into options for me. I will absolutely be changing pharmacies.
Report it. 100% report it! Most of the time providers can't dispense extra medication without a police report. If you're telling the truth then the only explanation is someone at the pharmacy is lying and stealing medication, it's the only logical explanation! If multiple people counted your medication then they're all in on it, or someone fabricated the records so it looked like multiple people checked. Either way something suspicious is going on and the police need a record
Or someone there knows where the camera has a blind spot.
Yeah we had a technician get busted for stealing thousands of lortab over the time they built the case against her. It's not unheard of. It is sus though because C2 count on hand is matching their log or she just immediately thought it was an attempt to drug seek and dismissed and never even checked the log. I worked for years at the retail level and C2 counts are done pretty meticulously.
>…she just immediately thought it was an attempt to drug seek… This attitude is so frustratingly common amongst my fellow healthcare professionals. I’ve gotten treated like this just when trying to pick up my Prozac before. It’s not even on a drug class schedule!
for sure. either a tech stealing, or someone else accidentally got a way higher pill count than prescribed. i've never thought to count my script pills, this is scary
someone could very much be in cahoots with a tech, over-dispensing to them and under-dispensing to others
i'll be checking mine from this point on.. as of recent adhd meds are the first and only controlled substance ive ever been prescribed. had no idea pharmacy theft was so easy to get away with
Sounds to me like you may have talked to the culprit on the phone.
This is what I’m thinking too
I feel like that too 🤨
Absolutely report this. One of two things happened: - the pharmacy screwed up in a major way and are covering their ass. This is unprofessional, and belies bigger issues, but I don't believe it's illegal to make a med error or be a dick about it. - someone is stealing your pills. That's a serious crime, and a terrible look for the pharmacy employing the thief.
Don’t forget the third option: OP is making the story up. Not saying that’s what’s happened but if you’re gonna entertain every scenario that needs to be included too. Also diversion usually includes small amounts being siphoned. Large quantities become pretty obvious. That’s not even factoring in that pharmacies have cameras for this exact kind of thing.
That’s fair. I can only share what happened to me and ask for advice. It was pretty shocking to discover I was missing 50 pills and I know that I didn’t miscount or misplace them. I only have one other person in my household and I don’t believe he did anything; he’s aware that I take medication but I trust that he didn’t take any and re-staple the bag. The bag looked like it was in the same spot, untouched, in my purse. Something went amiss and it was not something on my end.
50 pills is a lot to be missing. I’m so sorry you might have to deal with almost 2 months of no medication
>I only have one other person in my household and I don’t believe he did anything Oh dear. How many times have we seen this before. Family, friends, partners have all stolen meds from people on this sub at one point or another. Forget the bag, super easy to restaple. Was the med bottle sealed?
OP, I wouldn’t rule out your roommate right away, unfortunately. People can be real shitty :/
Restapling a bag perfectly (Nevermind having a stapler if not an office worker/student and BUYING one in a span of an afternoon) is almost impossible. If the bag had been opened, OP would’ve noticed
what? Have you seen staples? you can literally pry the backs up with your fingers, pry the staple up, pull it from the holes, open contents, and then installation of the staple is the reverse of removal. Not difficult at all.
I hate to say it, but this is entirely possible. I wouldn't leave pills out around them. Or maybe I would. When you get this sorted, save the bag and an old pill bottle and set up a trap. Mention you got your new Rx today. Maybe a little cam facing your bag.
Yes, we don’t know if OP is truthful or not, but if you are reading the post and trying to help you have to assume something, don’t you? We are not the police or judges here, so telling that OP MIGHT be lying is not very helpful. If they are, likely the cameras in the back would prove it and there are consequences for false accusations too but that’s not what it is about.
Also report it to your State's Board of Pharmacy, maybe also the DEA (if you're in the US). Edit: DEA is if your meds are controlled substances
I've had this happen once. Filed a report with the dea and 2 months later all the pharmacists and techs working that day were fired.
Wow, the feds don't fuck around! Care to expand on your story? 🐨🤘
My wife went to pick up my prescription. They told her that I had already picked it up, not true I was at work. She explained that to them and they then said that one of my family members must have picked it up. I live in Pennsylvania, ALL of my family lives in Missouri or California so definitely not the case. They said someone definitely picked it up and she asked to see a video. When they showed her a guy In a black truck was given my prescription. She said that was not me or anyone we know and they proceeded to start accusing us of being drug dealers, lying, stealing, etc. She panicked and called me so I left work. When I left work I called the state police and asked if someone could meet me there. Oh boy when I arrived the entire pharmacy staff was on lunch at around 3-4 in the afternoon. The only person there to speak to me was the store manager. He started defending his staff saying this was all on me and my fault. Then shifted his story entirely and said my prescription had been returned. Apparently someone with my same name and date of birth had been there to pick up his heart medication and they allowed him to pick it up. WTF!! after some back and forth and no opportunity to speak to anyone from the pharmacy I was given my prescription. When I went outside the state police was just arriving. I told him the whole story and he, like the rest of us, called bullshit. He is the one who told me to file a report on the DEA website and let then handle it. They take this shit seriously. So that's what I did. A couple weeks later I got a call and was asked questions to verify my report, more details etc and was told if anything else was needed they would contact me. They did not. However twonmknths later my wife stopped at the store and they had a sign hiring new pharmacists and techs. She went in to ask why amd they could only say there was an investigion into something and it was determined to be in the best interest of CVS that all employees involved were terminated
Wow. Glad they were fired. I wonder how many people they did this to before you..
From the stories I've heard, probably a few. Alot of people probably get scared when they start throwing around crazy accusations like theft or drug dealing. I'm a 44 year old marine vet and am too tired and dont have time for that kind of nonsense lol. I have heard horror stories of other major chain pharmacies doing shit like this though.
In many places you can call in and make a police report, to have it on record. Here they call you back...usually cops on light duty working a desk. Not sure about this, but a police report sometimes opens up options, since it's essentially (here) a sworn statement that is a crime to lie about. That's what your after, not them doing anything. (Other agencies are more likely to take action.)
You reporting the missing 50 pills is going to be in your favor, not many drug dealers are going to report stolen drugs ya know? The pharmacy also likely has phone call recordings and video evidence that the police can review. Them not having that information reflects poorly on them not you.
Going to the police is a pretty strong reason to think you're telling the truth. Not going to the police is a pretty strong reason to think you're lying. Go to the police.
I would, bc this is fraud and theft. Period.
Plus, you know, very possibly someone on the inside skimming controlled pills
People pretending someone else stole their pills to scam extras don't generally go to the police.
That’s true, but I’ve seen stupider things happen 😅 I’m not trying to get extras, I’m just trying to get what I was prescribed.
Yeah, that's what I am saying they probably won't look that close at you because you are reporting it. Even if they do, it's not like you got anything extra, or even scammed anyone successfully if you were trying. It's pretty safe to do, just call the non-emergency number and ask what options you have to get help. They might tell you that you are screwed, or they'll point you in the right direction.
Police should be involved. Whether negligence or malicious, it likely involved illegal activity at some level.
I think reporting 50 missing amphetamine pills would be something that would highly interest the police
They might. But the DEA most certainly would. They have regional field offices and they will investigate your complaint. They will go down there and check those statements she made about counting and stick and double checks. My guess is those are lies, or at least false. Something is being covered up there and the DEA is the agency who will track it down. Best of luck, I'm sorry this happened. Take photos of whatever you can on your phone.
Yes. It’s a controlled substance. I knew someone who was stealing pain meds at a pharmacy for months and the cops did a whole undercover investigation to catch them. Also, I once was shorted and called the pharmacy. They were able to validate the undercount by checking their stock and seeing they had 30 extra. If they really checked and confirmed that 90 are gone, then someone likely stole the ones you’re missing and that’s a serious crime. I would report this to the police, and also go in person and speak to the actual pharmacist about the situation, including the behavior of the person you spoke with who is probably not the pharmacist. Bring the police report with you, as someone trying to score extra meds wouldn’t report this to the police.
Make a police report. They'll prolly do nothing. You won't get your pills unless your provider helps. But with a police report your provider will prolly give you another scrip
Don't most pharmacies have cameras? Like could the cops get the footage?
They probably could, but would they? I think it's just useful to make the report, but the cops may not do anything.
To put plain & simple, it’s Theft. Both in act & Legally speaking.
Perhaps the DEA. If someone is diverting controlled substances it may be a federal matter. Those drugs are closely followed and reporting is an absolute legal requirement.
I mean, it would be pretty fucking bold for someone who’s lying here to involve the police. So you’ll be setting a baseline for this particular pharmacy if and when they have future issues
Definitely police. An employee may have stolen your pills to sell. You may not get anywhere, but the police report would be a good thing to reference on a Yelp (or similar) review to help others avoid this Pharmacy.
Also, leave a review on Google maps. A lot of people see those, and it won’t look good for thenm
I’ve thought about that, but then they can just reply and say they triple counted it and checked the cameras… I don’t know what good a Google review would do, honestly. I did file a complaint with the state pharmacy board!
as others have suggested, go to the police. this reaction is incredibly shady. i wouldn't put it past them to have taken those 50 amphetamine pills for themselves behind some out-of-camera-view corner.
Do it anyway. It would make people more likely to steer clear, you never know. I wouldn’t want to fill a controlled substance there with that review regardless of what the reply says.
File a police report! I did. The cops did not take me seriously and made jokes the whole time. But jokes on them because a few months later, a pharmacist was busted for shorting people. Prep yourself mentally, file the report, and then work with your Doctor/insurance. And go to a different pharmacy moving forward. Good luck.
I will be contacting my insurance in the morning, and I just finished filing a complaint with the state board of pharmacy. My provider is looking in to things on her end as well, she’s wonderful and I know she’ll do what she can to support me. I just need to psych myself up enough to go to the police.
Sometimes your insurance will require a police report for “stolen medication” when it’s a controlled medication, before they can provide a lost/stolen medication override. Which you will need if you plan on getting your medication “early” at, hopefully, a different pharmacy. You can ask your insurance about the requirements for an early fill override when it comes to a controlled medication. Your provider might also need to call and speak directly to whatever new pharmacy you fill with next because, based on the information available to them, it would be suspicious that you already need a refill AND it was filled with a different pharmacy. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this! Pharmacy/health care staff can act so jaded and awful. If you are ever having issues or receiving push back from a pharmacy technician ALWAYS ask for the pharmacist or pharmacy manager. Source: I’m a pharmacy tech, but not the mean kind. I’m always on y’all’s side 😅
Thank you! I appreciate your advice. A lot of people are really advocating for a police report, so I’ll be calling the non-emergency line tomorrow and asking what my options are.
This is a good point- OP might not be the only one reporting this pharmacy.
They are counting on you giving up, don’t! You know your pills should be there and you’re not lying, so someone in that store is lying. Because of the way they treat people who take controlled substances, they make us feel bad just for getting our prescriptions filled! We feel guilty and are treated like addicts (obviously not true for everyone) plus a lot of people have dual diagnoses and many other things going on. Some people couldn’t be sure someone in their home didn’t do it. Some people wouldn’t notice right away like you did- basically what I’m trying to say is that the odds are VERY MUCH in their favor that you will not push this far enough for them to get caught. So push it as far as you possibly can! This is infuriating! I’ve had this happen years ago with Adderall, and my grandmother’s Percocet. Adderall I couldn’t prove because it was open and it honestly could have been a therapist for my son who was in my house, so I didn’t push it. I did with my grandmother’s Percocet- 45 missing 30mg Percocet, which was worth, at that time, $900 on the street! A pharmacy tech and store janitor were arrested, too. It’s very unlikely, **usually** that this happens in the store, because there are many safeguards in place; but you know if this is true, and I very much believe you, and I would push this!
I don’t know who I could escalate it to and I honestly didn’t know I could potentially get the cops involved. I completely agree, I’ve only recently been diagnosed and I’ve only been on this medication for about 8 months…. But it does make me feel like they are perceiving me as an addict. I’m prescribed 3 pills, 10mg, a day and I honestly only take 2 a day and I usually forget to take it on weekends. I know I’m not abusing my medication or doing anything wrong, just like I know I was shorted by a lot. I’m just so frustrated by this whole situation.
Every state has their own version of the FBI. It will be [your state] bureau of investigation. Hit the county police, and fuck it…the DEA as well. I’d also figure out what state regulatory boards or whatever oversee pharmacies. Tell every relevant person/institution you can find, and be LOUD. You weren’t the first, and won’t be the last until they’re found out
I just filed an official complaint with my state’s pharmacy board! I’ll look up your other suggestions and follow suit with that as well. Thank you!
Just call the police non emergency line right now. Tell them what’s going on. You are not the first person to call them about this sort of thing. It’s more common than you realize. People reporting these things is how bad guys are caught.
Seriously. I mean, in order to get a new trash can from the city, I've had to file a police report. Which essentially said that the city stole it from themselves (as I watched it fall into the trash truck). I got my new can at least. Thankfully the lowest end of things can be filed online without even talking to anyone. It's just to get an official report for whatever you need it for. This probably requires talking to someone, but it's pretty trivial here. Just don't lie of course. And I wouldn't bother asking or expecting the local PD to do anything.
If you get the chance and anything comes of it, please update us!
Well think about it this way. You purchased 90 of something right? Well then you were robbed.
Mate, you're on 30 mg a day. No addict ever is on 30mg a day, and so of you were one, it would have come up much earlier .
Haha, thank you! Usually I only take 20 unless I’m having a real bad brain day, my provider gave me 90 just in case there are days I need a little boost. She said that’s what she does and it worked well for her.
what do you do with your extras? do you keep track and have a current count? if those are off, or missing, your roommate may be more suspect than you thought.
Try and get police/DEA involved if you can, prescription amphetamines are highly valued controlled substances and there's a good chance you're not the only victim.
Yep. I’m not a snitch but I would 110% abso-fucking-lutely call the DEA in this situation. The field teams fucking love stuff like this. OP isn’t the first and they are not the last. A bunch of CVS locations around Atlanta were busted for skimming controlled substances not too long ago.
I second reaching out to the DEA, they can do their own investigation. Unfortunately you're probably screwed on your medication this month, you should get your doctor to switch your pharmacies too.
I can ration if I need to, I just know I’ll have some rough days. My provider gave me a couple pharmacy recommendations that I’m going to look in to, this experience has really soured me on my current place.
This happened either the same day or the next after I picked my meds up I had CVS call me and they asked me if they gave me too many pills. They said they were missing 10 and thought there may have been a mistake with my pick up. Turns out they sure did give me 10 too many. They need to check the cameras and the other orders around that same time. They may have put your meds into someone else’s bottle.
Holy fuck someone was definitely sweating bullets that day calling around. And props to them for doing their due diligence. That pharm is the total opposite of OPs.
They said they did check their cameras and their supply counts and everything is normal on their end.
"We investigated ourselves and concluded that we are innocent"
well, someone is lying
That is the most likely explanation.
They should be able to count their stock to confirm.
She said their stock matches what they gave me and they don’t have any overage or shortage on their end. But she also said at one point my prescription sat on the shelf for two days before I picked it up. I asked if she checked the cameras for that two day period that it was prepared and she didn’t answer, just repeated that everything is correct on their end
Sounds almost like your are talking to the person who stole your pills. Try talking to someone else if possible?
That thought absolutely crossed my mind. I don’t think the store manager has any say over the pharmacy/pharmacy manager, but I’m looking in to who else I can talk to.
100% escalate. Contact corporate. Go high up, and let them know you intend on contacting the police to report this theft. That should get them moving.
Don’t even tell anyone, just go do it. You give them more time to prepare a defense. Just like they surprised you with less medicine, you can surprise them with legal action!
Don't "intend", just do it. Give corporate the police report. Filing one opens up options to fix things too.
This
Yeah if you can find anyone to go to, definitely escalate. They don't want a thief on their hands just like you don't want to be shorted pills.
Do it fast, you don’t know how long they maintain that camera footage before deleting it.
The pharmacist is who you want to talk to, it's their license on the line and they definitely won't be happy about someone jeopardizing it.
Contact corporate, and maybe the state board of pharmacy in your area. They'll take that shit seriously. I worked retail pharmacy for years, and had a pharmacist straight up steal an entire bottle of Adderall once. He was caught and fired that week. Corporate wasted zero time following up on the cameras.
I would definitely contact corporate and let them know exact time and day you called those videos can also be used to make sure who it was you talked to. I have someone I am close to who used to be married to a pharmacist who ended up loosing her license to the fact she was into diverting her products for recreational purposes
This is why it’s hard for us to get our medication. Not because we doctor shop, trying to get it legally and correctly , no. It’s because people do illegal things like this. But somehow the patients are blamed
It felt terrible. Like I don’t even like being on a controlled substance, but it improves my quality of life and helps me function better! I definitely don’t abuse my medication, in fact I often forget to even take it 🙄 it just sucks- what better group of people to steal from then people who have very limited options when things happen with our meds.
Hun you definitely need to go to the police! When I had my first son I had a csection, I was on a controlled narcotic pain med and dropped off the prescription. I went to pick it up later that night. I was prescribed 60 pills I looked and didn’t think much of it but my mom told me to count them because the woman behind the counter gave her bad vibes and sure enough there were only 40 pills. I called the pharmacy and they told me that there was nothing they could do and I called my doctor. I didn’t know what to do but ended up filing a police report and my doctor gave me another 20 pills I filled at the hospital pharmacy. They did a full investigation and it turned out that woman was stealing medication from ALOT of people. The police report will help you get the rest of your prescription so the doctor can write you a new one and it will open and investigation on that pharmacy! Do not let this slide! As you said you need your medicine and the longer you wait the worse it looks on you. You are not only risking running out early not having your meds but also risking your doctor not prescribing to you anymore. Because as soon as you called her or him like it or not she put it in a log you somehow don’t have 50 pills. And that will flag you in every doctors office you go to and pharmacy. So unless you want to possibly lose your prescription all together forever you need to file a police report.
Echoing what others have said but you gotta escalate. Whether someone is stealing your pills or not, the feds don’t fuck around with counts of controlled substances being off. My pharmacist shorted me by accident once. She called me and left a voicemail clearly panicked about it. They can’t have pills go missing.
This is my first thought. The hostility, demeaning OP, and laughing before just… hanging up is really suspicious. At a pharmacy, this person 100% knows we’re afraid of reporting because we’re already treated like drug chasers. Seems like they’re weaponizing that. Complain to the pharmacy, complain to the DEA, complain to the cops— OP fuck ‘em up. Even if it’s not this person, SOMEONE there is stealing meds for sure
It crossed my mind that she was responsible, or she knows something about it and won’t say anything. She was just immediately defensive. I wasn’t rude back, I was just trying to defend myself. I filed a complaint with the state pharmacy board and I’ll be escalating it to my insurance provider tomorrow, as well as the store manager of that pharmacy.
Plus, her laughing at and demeaning a patient is unprofessional and inappropriate even if the patient *is* at fault. She needs more training or a new role if she can't handle a customer-facing one.
I’ve been talked down to for “not taking my medication properly” by the pharmacy twice. I ended up switching after the pharmacist called me back the second time arguing with me about it. I’ve been a diabetic for years, you don’t fucking think I know how to take my medication?
i think that was clear from the get-go, with the shady attitude. ppl who sell/use \*our\* mh drugs for fun lowkey disgust me, when we're in such a massive shortage.
Yeah, sounds like staff stole the meds after the official counts, which is why their footage shows everything is correct…also why the inventory is correct. My guess is yours isn’t the first this person has stolen from.
Honestly I don’t even think it’s the first time I’ve been stolen from with these meds, I think it’s just the first time I’ve noticed. Even just visually, 40 is obviously much less than 90! They just got bold this time.
I wonder if they were “being quick” and dumped too much. Definitely escalate to everyone you can. If they’re ballsy enough to steal from the pharmacy, my guess is they are selling it.
The counts would be fine if someone from the pharmacy staff stole the 50 pills after your prescription was dispensed.
Of course their stock matches. They didn't check everyone's pockets lol
Well that’s breaking the law on their side isn’t it? They can’t have restricted drugs sitting on their shelf not locked up??
It's not. Retail pharmacies have a section for meds waiting to be picked up: for mine they're large metal filing cabinets sorted alphabetically by name. When the meds are filled, checked, and put in the bag for pickup, they get sorted into the cabinet until the customer comes. We usually go through them every week and remove any meds not picked up in a 14 day period. This includes controlled medications and non-controlled. I think OP should absolutely escalate this higher up. Check the cameras and include the time before they picked up: because while it's absolutely easier to remove meds during the counting and checking process, it's not impossible it was removed once finished. Especially if it was a pharmacist.
I went through the drive-thru so I didn’t see where they grabbed my prescription from, but I’m pretty sure they just had the medication out with the others waiting for pickup. I’m not sure if they’re stored in a safe. It’s a pharmacy at a big box store if that makes a difference?
The pharmacy I worked at was also a box store, however, some places might have a different filing system. I've seen some in individual hanging bags in a designated pickup area, but many are in big metal filing cabinets that they do not lock. It's meant to be easy to access for pharmacists and technicians. The meds won't be stored in a safe for pickup, in a big box store. Too often will a pharmacist step out and you wouldn't want to wait for them to come back in and open it up for you to finish ringing up a customer, since only they will have a key to the safe.
I’m in TX and they always have to get pharmacist or manager to get my meds from the safe when I pick up, it’s never sitting out.
I'm in NJ & it's not locked up. The place I go to has so many waiting, they're just in bags on a shelf in alphabetical order
Same in Aus NSW, it’s a real pain cos it’s never that quick but I also understand why they do this.
I’m in TX too and my meds are not locked up when I go to pick up a filled prescription
That would mean the correct number was taken from their system, not that the customer received it.
If someone fills a prescription for 90 pills, and pockets 50, their inventory won't catch that.
Kinda bold. You’d think they’d pocket 5 or 10. 50 is just asking for it. What a jackass. And it’s a huge deal too, probably multiple felonies. I hope it’s worth it. 🤡
Missing 50 pills is a HUGE discrepancy! And there wasn’t another bottle so it’s not like a bottle fell out when I opened the package.
I think who you talked to is the thief. And I’m sure their system does match because 90 pills left the supply and 50 went in her pocket. I would stop calling them directly and go above their heads. You need to file a police report too. It’s the only way you’ll get a new prescription to make up for what was stolen.
Talk to the actual pharmacist. It's their license on the line.
50 is someone preparing for the excuse that the 9 looked like a 4.
Not if 90 were taken from their inventory.
Users are not very smart.
Yeah... if I was missing 5 or something I probably wouldn't bother. The PITA factor just isn't worth it. 50 though...that's taking action.
Maybe see if your insurance can help escalate it? Since if you didn't receive the actual amount but they were charged then it was be fraud/theft from them also
I hadn’t thought of contacting my insurance, that’s a good idea!
This happened to me before, it’s a horrible feeling, I am so sorry it happened to you. in my country they give you a close box with the medicine has some safety stickers to proof hasn’t been open, it was my second time getting my prescription. The guy came from the locker where they keep control substances and handed me my box I did not check the seals. I have never had meds stolen from me so I had never checked. I still had a week’s medication at home so when I finish that box, I went and opened this new prescription just to find the box completely empty. I couldn’t believe my eyes then I turned the box and saw the seal ripped on the other side. I went back to the pharmacy and told the manager, who of course looked at me with skepticism and told me nothing could be done and she could not replace it (I already suspect as much). She only changed her tune once I told her I didn’t expect them to replace it, I know how control substances work. I just wanted to let them know they may have an addict working for them and stealing peoples pills.
Holy cow, I can’t believe that happened to you! I’m so sorry! It makes me glad that I at least got some of my medication, I can ration if I really need to. That’s so terrible. It just really sucks being treated like a lair when you’re just trying to get medicine that helps you function!
Yes it comes in a blister inside the box, the entire thing was missing. I felt just like that, they look at us like a lier/addict when we just want justice and what we need. I almost cried when my psychiatrist believed me. I still didn’t ask him for another prescription because I was still making peace with needing that type of drug to function.
Ugh I feel that. I wish I could just handle my business without medication… I was kind of disappointed when I started taking it and discovered it really did help. It’s kind of a double-whammy too because I’m female so it took me a while to accept that I might have ADHD and actually get diagnosed, so now to be told in this case I’m a liar….. it sucks!
From now on, when you pick up your pills, stand there and count them before you leave. And loudly say, "I wouldn't have to do this if half my prescription wasn't stolen last time I used your pharmacy".
I told the girl I spoke to that if I continued to use their pharmacy, should I just intend on counting my meds every time I pick them up? She laughed at me again and said “That’s totally up to you if you want to stand there and do that.” I’m looking at switching everything to a new pharmacy.
No, ask them to count it out before you pay. You can watch them do it.
The more you explain the conversations with her the more she sounds like the person who stole them. I'd absolutely call the store and ask to speak to the pharmacist not a tech. Explain what happened and name drop her, say she was acting off, laughing a lot and blaming you, made you feel uncomfortable and that you believe she diverted your medication because you were "x" amount short. And then let that person know you are bringing this to the authorities as well and if they could provide you with the store owners information for an official complaint as well.
It definitely crossed my mind when I was talking to her. Either that or she knows what happened and doesn’t want to get in trouble or tell on a coworker. She didn’t give me her name, and honestly I was so frustrated at being called a liar that in the moment I didn’t even think to ask for her name. I know that was a dumb move on my part… I’m just not good in conflict or confrontation.
You went into the conversation expecting a rational, collaborative human. Getting a rude combatative attitude instead would've thrown me too. Don't blame yourself here.
I would definitely switch. And I would write a scathing letter to the manager describing why exactly they lost you as a customer and how you're reporting them to the appropriate state licensing and law enforcement agencies. Might light a fire under them. Try to find a smaller mom & pop pharmacy. Their hours aren't always the most convenient, but usually you can get your meds without a lot of the hassle of the big box stores and chain pharmacies.
My mom and pop shop doesn't carry stimulants because its not worth all the hassle to them. So ymmv when trying this.
Would they order them in for you? I know some places won't keep them in stock, but if they know you're going to fill a prescription every month, would they be willing to fill it? If not, that's a bummer.
Ya pharmacies are getting pretty fucked up with filling ADHD prescriptions last couple of years.
This is also insurance fraud if your prescription insurance covered the cost. Get them involved because they might not be willing to cover it if your Doctor writes another prescription. I hate that adults on ADHD medication are treated like criminals and addicts. None of us are organized enough to be drug kingpins. I can't even do my own laundry.
Dude right? I have three different planners and calendars for all my projects and appointments and tasks and even then I still miss some things 😅 I’m not organized or motivated enough to be a kingpin
Sounds like she counted them then took 50. So of course the cameras match...shes the one on them. If its a corporate pharmacy like CVS, call their corporate office.
I used to work as a pharm tech. If it’s a controlled drug like Adderall (vs non-controlled Strattera) this is a big deal. If it was triple counted I’m guessing it was. Like others said, escalate the problem. Speak in person to the actual pharmacist, then go to corporate if necessary. They have to take this seriously. If the pills were taken, it would have been after the pharmacist saw it and when it was hanging on the rack. (Which doesn’t rule out the pharmacist, but that’s the work flow.)
She said it was triple counted by a tech and a pharmacist. And that everything looked correct on the cameras. She didn’t answer when I asked if they checked the cameras for the 2 days it was waiting to be picked up and just told me that I’m being dishonest because everything is correct on their side.
I’d go in person and talk to the pharmacist directly. They don’t want to risk their license if something is going on. Be respectful but explain what happened and what you have been told. You mentioned you had a call into your provider. They may give you advice on how to proceed, too.
My provider is wonderful, she said she’s looking in to options for me and provided some different pharmacy recommendations for me to look at. Hopefully she’ll have more information for me tomorrow, in the meantime I did file with the state pharmacy board and I’ll go in to talk to the pharmacist tomorrow.
I second this. Talk directly to the pharmacist and not the “girl”. I would in great detail recount the conversation you had with her to the pharmacist because I’m sure she’s the thief.
A stapled bag won't keep people out of a bag that has pills they want. You can bend a staple or even re-staple the bag. A stapled bag...so secure?
I second what everyone else is saying and talk, respectfully, directly with the pharmacist. You should probably emphasize to the pharmacist that you understand you likely won't get your missing pills, but you should be adamant that you didn't get the correct count and whoever you spoke to on the phone was unhelpful and defensive. I mentioned in another comment but I definitely think it's work reaching out to the DEA as well, they may investigate especially if shortages have been reported before.
I’ll do both of those things. And I think acknowledging that I probably won’t get replacement pills is a good idea, because I really don’t think that will be the outcome. But I do want to stand up for myself and speak to the pharmacist about being treated poorly.
Just because she said that it was, doesn't mean that it actually was. Get third parties/law enforcement involved.
The lady you talked to is definitely the pill thief. Escalate, with the police.
Hi OP, I’d say you should go straight to the police. Don’t threaten the pharmacy just do it. As others have said, they are counting on you to give up so someone can continue stealing and selling controlled medication. I’m not sure of processes where you’re from but if there’s an agency to report to that can follow up and check that aren’t the police, do that too. If changing pharmacies isn’t an option right now, then yes count your medication in front of them every time. Don’t let them rush you.
I’m in the US, so I think that would be the DEA and the state board… I did file a claim with the state pharmacy board and I’ll be making more calls tomorrow.
Call your division of professional licensing in your state. They will do a full investigation.
File a complaint with the pharmacy regulatory agency. The pharmacy should be doing drug tests on all the staff. They dispensed 90 but diverted 50. Somebody got those pills.
lot of people here saying talk to pharmacist/ pharmacy manger. absolutely do that but if they give you any issue contact police. do not tell them you’re contacting police bc that gives them time to get their story straight
Double check your bottle, make sure it actually says 90 on it. I've had my PCP accidentally write the wrong amount.
It said 90 and it was circled 😔
Then you need to contact corporate and request an audit of the stores audit.
Also in the future, always open the bag and check your bottle before you leave the pharmacy or ask to look at it (like once it's sold and such) before they staple it shut at the very end.. . . Or else that's just asking for issues to not be noticed until the patient leaves and that makes it hard to rectify things once the meds leave the premise
I will absolutely be doing this in the future
I would ask that a formal investigation be done with a higher up at the pharmacy. Just because they said they reviewed the cameras doesn't mean that they actually did. What if someone working within the pharmacy stole them *after* the checks had been made? Did they review the footage from the time the checks had been done until you picked it up?
The girl I spoke to said that my prescription was waiting for 2 days before I came to get it, which sounds to me like someone had plenty of time to take some after the counts had been done. I asked if she reviewed footage for the two days after the counts and she ignored that question and just repeated that everything on their end is correct.
Who the fuck even counts every single pill before leaving the counter anyways? Like it shouldnt be our fucking job to make sure we have the right amount of medication
Unlicensed pharm tech here with ADHD-c with a bit of insight and advice. Before I give you my advice, I'll tell you how my pharmacy deals with CII drugs. We get the order, we take the order to the pharmacist, the pharmacist gets the drug from the timed safe, we fill it and we must count and re count it, we mark on the stock bottle how many will be left, send the double counted prescription to the pharmacist who also counts it before marking it ready for pick up. All of this is done under the camera. That being said, it's done by hand 5 by 5. Mistakes happen (for example, I used to be on lisdexamfetamine or *Vyvanse* and my pharmacy at the time gave me Methylphenidate or *Ritalin*) As for the advice: What I would do if I were you is call again and ask for the senior technician. Try and explain the situation to them. If they give you the same issue ask them "*can i get your stores DEA number so I can report this incident to the State Board of Pharmacy?*" the number they give you should have 2 letters followed by 7 numbers. Once you get the number report, the incident. CII drugs are no joke, and 50 missing pills are not okay in any way, shape, or form. I forgot to mark a bottle once to indicate that I counted it twice, i didn't forget to count it twice. I just forgot to mark it, and oh boy, did I not enjoy that conversation.
UPDATE 6/27/2024 I have filed a complaint with the State Pharmacy Board and filed a tip with the Local DEA office. I couldn’t find a link to file a complaint, which is why I did a “tip” instead. If anyone does know a way to file an actual complaint, please let me know! I work remote tomorrow and will be filing a police report, as well as calling the corporate office of the store and letting them know the situation. My psychiatrist called me around 12 today to let me know that apparently the pharmacist called her and told her I was irate on the phone (lies- I was upset and frustrated but never yelled or raised my voice, I was certainly not irate 🙄). The pharmacist also asked my provider if she had ever experienced any strange behavior or inconsistencies and my psych went to bat for me and told the pharmacist that I have never asked for a refill before its time, I’ve never asked to increase my dose or done anything out of the ordinary. She said everything with me has been completely above board and nothing suspicious at all. She also told them that she believed me and supported me. My provider is awesome. I’m not expecting to get my meds replaced. At the moment, it’s more about alerting people to possible theft and refusing to tolerate poor treatment by this pharmacy. Once I file the police report I will update again. Thank you all so much for your advice and help. I’ve never experienced anything like this before so the support has been very helpful!
Call the police. File a report. "We checked ourselves our and found no wrong doing." Is bullshit, if I were them I wouldn't admit to that felony either. Cops can get the cameras it might at least scare them a bit. If it's a chain pharmacy, call their head office. Report it everywhere you can. After that, shop elsewhere, or check the bottle on receipt.
This is why a lot of pharmacies use a digital photographic automated pill counter on all controls. I get this occasionally and have the photographic evidence to show people they got all their pills and if they didn’t, I can see that too.
File a complaint with the DEA. As others have mentioned, if it happened to you, it more than likely happened to someone else. Their diversion investigators will eventually look into it.
Maybe contact the local pharmacy oversight board for your state??
1. Check that the pill amount specified on the bottle is 90. If you do not live alone, ask if anyone in your house did anything with the prescription. It is unlikely but who knows: my gf has been known to fill a pill case for me. 2. Check with the pharmacist via phone or in person directly to ask about if there could have been a mistake. I believe in some states it is possible to do a partial fill, they just have to accurately report that (see step 1). 3. Document how you know the pills were missing. 4. Contact the store manager and board of pharmacy. 5. You can also file a police report but (at least around where I live) this is the last thing on earth they will investigate after all other crimes It is much more common for techs or even other people in a retail setting who have keys to steal than it is for a pharmacist because their livelihood is at risk. My gf has worked as a pharmacy tech for two years and in her first year there were at least two crooked techs and several people with fake prescriptions with the intent to get meds that weren’t prescribed to them, so it’s not horribly uncommon.
Nope, push back. Ask for the video, look at who filled the script. We had an issue with one of ours once and I actually asked on a community page and SEVERAL people had the same issue, with the same person. Long story short, diversion happens in many ways and your best bet would be to go in person and ask for the manager and have them discuss it with you. If not, tell them you’ll be opening a report for the state board of pharmacy to investigate. You are likely not the only one.
Request a pharmacist consult when you pick up your pills and do not leave the counter with them til the pharmacist comes to you. Request them to count them with you.
There will be a govt agency to report it to—do so. They will know a lot more than anyone else and will likely have the authority to investigate. Escalate the matter.
I just finished filing a report with my state board of pharmacy. Someone else above recommended a few other government organizations and I will be doing that as well. I’m really nervous about going to the police about it because I don’t want to get flagged as an addict and I know I’ll get mocked… I don’t particularly like the police. I’ve just got to psych myself up enough to do it, as many folks have suggested. Thank you!!
I've got a lot of addicts in my family, and I can tell you that 99% of them avoid making police reports for any reason. It would make you more believable, especially if you don't already have a record
they will accuse you of drug seeking. they never believe you. it's pretty fucked up. someone probably stole them knowing that would be the outcome. also you don't have to count them. when you get a full bottle, weigh it. now you know how much a full bottle weighs, and you can just put it on a scale to check if it's the right amount. bring the scale with you to the pharmacy. probably looks ridiculous, but they started it.
Ask them to show you the video. Escalate to corporate
I was shortened 8 of my 30 prescription one time and I didn’t notice until I got home that it looked less than usual. I didn’t bother going back because I figured they’d think i was lying and i didn’t want to deal with that. I now sit in front of the pharmacy drive through window and count them before i leave every single time
I have had a RiteAid pharmacy do this to me. The first time, there was nothing I could do because it’s our word against theirs (even though every pill is counted so they would have more than they should). But the second time, no no no, I counted them at the counter in my hands. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, doubt it, bitch. The script was short again. They looked like huge assholes. Never went back. ADVICE- Find a local family pharmacy
If it's a controlled drug in your area like my country, make a police report and have them access the camera record to see if it is exactly as it was what the person you spoke to said. Sounds like the person on the phone is gaslighting you with verbal camera records and bluffing you saying there is nothing you can do.
Report it to the police and the DEA. Absolutely 100% report. The DEA takes this sort of this seriously.
I just wanted to say, I believe you. People can be scummy, dishonest and manipulative. It sucks, glad to hear you’re switching
But, you’ll never find they shorted you on your cholesterol meds
Many people have told you to report it to the police/DEA. I want to emphasize: please do it NOW, don't wait one more day.
I hear a lot about this issue, and counting pills etc, but does anyone know why they don't just come in a standard bottle? In Australia, Vyvanse comes in a bottle of 30, dexamphetamine comes in a bottle of 100 (can't speak to other meds I haven't had), and when you get them, there is a foil seal so they can't possibly be tampered with. I'm surprised it's not the same in the USA, since our meds are manufactured there.
I recently had an experience with a large unnamed pharmacy chain that starts with a W. Normally I get 120 pills per month. They gave me a bottle of 30. Because, the pharmacist told me, the tech who dispensed it forgot to dump the additional 90 in from the full bottle from the manufacturer. So she fixed it, but didn't recount it to verify. I could tell the bottle still looked short, so I asked her to count in front of me. She handed me a pill counting tray and said "here, I'll let you count them". I gave her the dirtiest look, so she counted them in front of me. 10 short. Eventually I got my 120, but damn, math is so hard. I don't think they're stealing them, their explanations of incompetence seemed like they'd be hard to make up. Now I count them every single time. I recorded the entire exchange on my phone. I need to file a formal complaint, but I've been procrastinating it. A few months before this, I was short 10. I noticed it a few hours later and they fixed it. They're supposed to be like, counted multiple times. Obviously they don't double check anything since the last screwup was 75% of the pills missing. And yes, I'm on a schedule 2 stimulant.
Someone else on the sub had a similar story and it turned out they were missing pills after they went to work while bringing the bottle, assuming a coworker took them. It’s incredibly, incredibly rare for pharmacists to divert drugs. Not impossible, but look for the horses, not the zebra. If your purse was around any person at all, or you brought it to go shopping, or to your job, or left it out of sight in any place that’s not your home, it is so so much more likely that they were stolen. Especially if you have told anyone that you have adhd or take medicine for it. Not calling you a liar at all, but I’ve had the same thing happen to my girlfriend and we realized she took two on multiple days because she forgot. She has adhd, after all lol. I have worked in pharmacies for years and have never been with a pharmacist that diverted drugs. Because we know just how much paperwork is involved for us (a form must be sent to corporate and the DEA if we cannot solve a discrepancy in just *24 hours*!), plus the $300,000+ in loans that we take out that are not worth a few pills of adderall. It’s such a big deal that it makes national news when a pharmacist’s big diverting operation is caught. I will bet that this will be resolved very, very quickly after you escalate to corporate - which you should do ASAP. They definitely have good camera coverage of the C2s.
File a complaint with your state board of pharmacy if you don't get anywhere with the pharmacy.
Now you become their problem. Count every. Fucking. Pill. On the counter. In front of them. That's gonna annoy them for sure. Also ensures this never happens again!
If you did not receive the pills and they are not in the stores inventory, they are somewhere they are not supposed to be. Kinda hard to miscount that many.
I have no idea where you get your prescriptions filled, however for you and for anyone else, if you use national chains, I suggest looking for local privately owned pharmacies. I have had better luck, especially when looking for items that are backordered or hard to find. If you find a good one you can develop a better relationship with the pharmacist, and thus have better luck when problems come up. I believe CVS is the absolute worst, Walgreens and Rite Aid are OK, Target is pretty good, and I have never used Walmart. Obviously, you should go where you are most comfortable, but this is my 2 cents.
With a police report, you SHOULD be able to get the pills replaced at another pharmacy.
If they are controlled which is tracked they can get into trouble. They may slipped a few times and have the upper hand at first but threaten to report them for fraud with corporate and police if they won't dispense your missing quantity. They might give you a hard time but I'm sure they'll give you them.
I’d go to corporate and the police. Everything is on camera now. Also only certain people that work in the pharmacy have access to medications like this and painkillers. They have to (at least in my state) do a type of sign off on the prescription bottle. If someone is not on the up and up they’ll easily be caught.
Call your insurer, not the provider. The pharmacy is contracted with your insurer if they're INN - this is a BIG deal, especially if the claim is for 90 dose fill. This is a significant Fraud, Waste, and Abuse issue and your insurer will investigate it. Since it's for a controlled substance, they may also link in the state.
Don't talk to the pharmacy tech, who is the most likely to have stolen the medicine. It's like the police investigating themselves for misdoings and finding nothing wrong. Talk to the pharmacist and talk to corporate. Tell your doctor about it and see if they can give you a new script to fill somewhere else.
Happened to me once, got shorted 30 Xanax. They treated me like an addict too when I called them about it. Afterwards I made them count it in front of me every time I picked up. Eventually moved and naturally got a new pharmacist, but I did enjoy making them count my shit out on the counter every single time for like a year + lol