A TikTok user sparked controversy after claiming a Walgreens store refused to refill his prescription because he didn’t have insurance.
In a video that had more than 375,000 views as of Saturday, TikTok user Kody (@kv_soky) stands outside a Walgreens store reminiscing about what happened. The Walgreens in question is located in Franklin, Kentucky.
According to Kody, he went to fill his prescription at this Walgreens location. When the pharmacist learned that he was not insured, [Kody’s] Life choices about not having insurance. Kody said he explained he didn’t have insurance because the premiums were too high for the self-employed. Ultimately, Kody says his prescription was denied because he had no insurance and was paying out of his own pocket.
Kody then consulted with his doctor, who argued that his denial of this claim was invalid and that the pharmacy was, in Kody’s words, “full of shit.”
@kv_soky @walgreens @walgreenspharmacy this happened yesterday #walgreens …stay tuned for Part 2! #Patient #patient advocacy #health care #beyourownadvocate #patient advocacy #pharmacist #hippa # Medicine #medicaltok #walgreensfail #pharmacist #Boycott Walgreens #kentucky #addition #adhd #audhd #autism #lgbt ♬ Original Sound – Kody
Refusing to fill prescriptions is generally legal, depending on several factors. For example, pharmacists may refuse to fill a prescription if they believe the patient may be at risk of drug interactions or side effects from incorrect dosages. single careThey may also refuse prescriptions if they believe the patient is abusing the drug, which Kody says is unlikely.
“I’ve been on Adderall since I was 18. I’m too fat to use it as an illegal drug,” Kodi says in the video.
Additionally, refusal to fill certain prescriptions can lead to discrimination lawsuits.As pointed out by NPR After overturning a recent Supreme Court decision, Law vs Wade“because [many retail pharmacies] Because they receive federal funding through several programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, they cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, and disability. ”
Kody then posted a follow-up video pitting him against the pharmacist.
@kv_soky @walgreens @walgreenspharmacy A pharmacist can legally refuse to fill out an RX based on some common sense, such as script validity or fraud. However, he cannot refuse to fill out the RX based on whether he has insurance. If I’m wrong they’ll eat crows, but according to the hospital I wrote the script for, they had never heard of such a law. #pharmacist #unethical #walgreens # Prescription #addition Lack of #adderal #audhd #autism #prescription #medicaltok #part 2 ♬ Original Sound – Kody
In this video, the pharmacist claims he was unable to hand over the medicine because it is a “Schedule II” drug. This claim appears to have no legal basis.
The pharmacist claims he was previously reprimanded by Walgreens for offering Adderall to people who claimed they didn’t have insurance. To do. The pharmacist later apparently told Kody that he needed to prove he had no insurance, confusing TikToker.
“Obviously I don’t have insurance, so what proof do I have?” Cody asks.
Kodi has since posted an update on his situation.
@kv_soky Unfortunately I don’t have time to answer many of the same questions so I hope this clears up some issues. Thanks for watching this, commenting and helping make this viral . All our efforts can make a real difference and help those who have been rejected by this pharmacist and others who work at @walgreens. #walgreens #discrimination #tattoo #autstim #audhd #adhd #pharmacist #medicaltok #emt ♬ Original Sound – Kody
In this update, Cody states his belief that pharmacists cannot refuse prescriptions based on insurance status, prejudices, or other factors. I don’t want to lose my job.
“I don’t want to fire her. I want her to retrain,” Cody says. “I don’t think it’s right for her to decide what is a life-threatening or life-requiring drug.”
This is an ongoing complaint against Walgreens. In 2015, article By Bob Seagal, published by the American Medical Association. This article details the “secret checklist” that Walgreens pharmacists use to verify certain pain reliever prescriptions.
Adderall was not on the drug list, but some details in Kodi’s story are similar to this checklist. need to check the details. This includes the possibility of verifying information with a doctor, as requested by the pharmacist in her second video for Kody.
Pharmacists are also instructed to answer a series of questions, such as how the patient pays for their medication. Not paying through an insurance company is listed as a “red flag”.
In the comments section, many users supported Kody’s belief that this kind of refusal goes against common pharmacist practice.
“As a former pharmacist. This is infuriating,” wrote one user. “Let her state licensing board decide whether she should retrain her or lose her license.”
“We will reach out to Walgreens companies directly,” added another. “If your doctor prescribes it, they fill it!”
“you [have insurance] whether,” echoed the third. “You have a prescription and are willing to pay in cash.”
I reached out to Walgreens via email and to Kody via direct message on TikTok.
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*Premiering: April 15, 2023, 3:30 PM CDT
Braden Veera
Braden Bjella is a cultural writer. His work can be found on Mixmag, Electronic Beats and Schön! magazines, etc.
