Xanax, Adderall patients denied prescriptions due to opioid settlement

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To Ariel Zilber

April 3, 2023 | 11:58 am

Confidentiality clauses in a recently settled lawsuit over the spread of opioids prevent Americans suffering from anxiety and sleep disorders from picking up prescriptions at pharmacies, according to the report.

A 2021 settlement with America’s largest drug makers AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson has prevented it from fulfilling orders for key drugs such as Xanax and Adderall, pharmacists said.

The three companies have agreed to pay a total of $19.5 billion to the 46 states that sued them, settling thousands of lawsuits filed by local governments, Native American tribes, hospital groups and others.

Pharmaceutical companies have been accused of fueling the opioid epidemic by flooding communities with pills while downplaying the health risks.

The terms of the settlement cap the number of controlled substances that pharmacies can dispense. According to Bloomberg News.

This means pharmacies are often prevented from getting prescriptions to patients who need refills.

In some cases, patients are sent to independent pharmacies that have not yet reached their order threshold.

Richard Glotzer, an independent pharmacist based in Millwood, N.Y., told Bloomberg News, “We understand the intent of this policy is to keep controlled substances from being abused, but it’s not working. plug.

“There is no reason why I should be cut off from ordering these products to dispense them to legitimate patients in need.”

According to Bloomberg News, the caps set will be determined based on daily, monthly and quarterly statistics on sales of prescribed substances.

“You never know what you’re getting,” says Glotzer when ordering. “It’s not the way to do business. Let’s do it that way.”

Glotzer said Cap suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects his ability to help people who have been prescribed drugs such as Concerta and Ritalin.

In February, Cardinal sent me only 100 tablets. Last month he was on 3,700 tablets.

As of March 23, Glotzer said he was unable to receive the medication from Cardinal.

He said McKesson sent him a package but didn’t have enough pills for his patient.

Benjamin Jolie, a Utah-based independent pharmacist, says Cardinal’s suspension of shipping fentanyl lozenges and other controlled substances has forced it to turn away patients suffering from ADHD, chronic pain, cancer and other ailments. said.

The Washington Post reached out to Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen for comment.