Walmart Pharmacy joins the Hall of Shame

Today's post will be about Walmart, since there was a call yesterday afternoon from Walmart's "Claim Management Team", where David's plea for help ended up. Katie Hawkins, of said "team" was more worried about how much money David was asking for (which was zero) than getting to the bottom of things, and the statute of limitations of any wrongdoing. We also discovered the pharmacist has lied about the events that evening, so I guess it is time to turn in the details to the Board of Pharmacy and whomever oversees their "administrative rules". We recently discovered that proper protocol was not followed that night; had it been David may not have nearly died later.

A bit of background, which is how Walmart has ended up on our Hall of Shame. On June 14, 2013, after the second disastrous surgery by Hunt when David discharged himself from the hospital (a whole 'nother story on its own), we drove to Walmart since it was getting late in the day, didn't know any other pharmacies that would be open, and they were fairly near Lourdes Hospital.

Below is a statement I had written up some time ago that I am pasting here because to be honest, it gets very wearing typing and telling the story repeatedly, and trying to remember the various details over the course of time.

           On 6-14-13, we left the hospital and I drove to Walmart. I felt in a panic because I didn’t know what time it was or know what time the pharmacy closed; I also don’t feel comfortable driving at night and was unfamiliar with the area, and David had to direct me to Walmart.

My phone rang and I ignored it since I was driving. I heard the voicemail signal. My phone rang again, another voicemail. I was worried that it was the hospital and what they wanted.

            We arrived at Walmart and immediately went in to the pharmacy. I went to the reception window to give the girl behind the counter the prescription we were given at the hospital. I told her that my phone had rung on the way there and I needed to check if it was important. The times noted below are per my cellphone records and available upon request.

6-14-13 8:24PM I called my voicemail as David told me he was going to get his favorite cheese. The voicemails were from the nurses at the hospital stating that Dr. Hunt wanted to prescribe another medication and to please call them back. One message specifically stated (transcribed later from voicemail): “Please call Laura at Lourdes at 444-2545. Dr Hunt wanted to call in some prescriptions for you and wanted to know what pharmacy you are going to. Thank you.”

6-14-13 8:25 PM I returned the call as requested, explained who I am and that I was told to call back regarding another prescription from Hunt. (3 minutes)

6-14-13 8:31 PM I had to call back because I accidentally disconnected the call. While I was on the phone, I could tell I had another call coming in, explained to whomever was on the other end that I needed to answer, and ended up disconnecting both.

6-14-13 8:33 PM I noted the call had been from 270 994-XXXX and while looking the phone rings again.

6-14-13 8:33 PM Dr. Hunt, who apparently was calling from 994-XXXX, calls me back.

Pam: Hello?

Hunt: (unintelligible part, difficult to hear, then) I can’t lay in front of your car.

Pam: (disgusted that he had repeated that again, since he had also said this to the nurse at the hospital, I just went to the point of the call) The nurses said you wanted to prescribe another medication?

Hunt: Yes

Pam: Let me hand the phone to the pharmacist.

(I waved and spoke up to pharmacist Gina Miller, asking if she would speak with Dr. Hunt regarding another prescription. Miller comes down near the counter where I am standing, takes the phone from me, and goes back to her station behind the high counter). (5 minutes total call)

I see the pharmacist coming back toward me and she hands me the phone, but she begins to turn around too soon and doesn’t quite get the phone in my hand and it falls to the floor. I lose the call, and return the call to Hunt at 270 994-XXXX.

Pam: Sorry, the phone fell to the floor and lost the call. Did you need to speak to us any further?

Hunt: (unable to hear, I begin walking around to see if I can find a better location, Hunt repeats himself but still unable to hear a couple of times, I tell him I am going to give David the phone to see if he can hear better than I can since he had returned to the area by then.) I hand my phone to David at that time.

I didn’t pay that much attention to what David was saying for a while, but I did sit down beside him a bit later and heard him say to Hunt that he would be at Hunt’s office first thing Tuesday morning waiting for him and then he hung up.

While David was speaking with Hunt, I had checked with the pharmacist to confirm she had what she needed for the additional prescription (she is back at her station by then) and she nods affirmatively without looking at me.

I continued to monitor the pharmacist so I could be ready to pick up the prescriptions. The prescription was ready at 8:51 PM so I get up and walk toward the counter. As the pharmacist nears the counter she gently tosses the prescription bag to me with the paperwork. I catch it and proceed to the pharmacy window (where I dropped off the prescription) and pay for the prescriptions at 8:51 PM.  Then we went to the main store registers and at 8:56 PM we complete the transaction for the rest of our items.

At no time did the pharmacist ask David or me any questions if we needed any counseling or provide any information regarding the prescriptions. Neither David nor I signed anything for either of the prescriptions, which turned out to be Hydrocodone and Cephalixin, one of which had been prescribed over the phone to the pharmacist by Hunt. We have recently discovered these actions are apparently illegal*. (see Provision 201 Ky. Admin. Regs. 2:210, Secs. 2, 5 and Sec. 6 (2).  How was this documented in Walmart’s records? *rather than the term illegal, it's apparently "against administrative rules", whatever that means, according to Kentucky State Police Officer, Detective Trevor Pervine. More to follow once we've checked in to this further, and more on Pervine later when he appears on the Wall of Shame. 

Both prescriptions also reflect Signature Required = Y but neither David nor I signed anything for these prescriptions. 

So, after the phone call with Katie Hawkins yesterday, David tells me that the pharmacist has blatantly lied about what happened that night, claiming she spoke to David. 

Months ago, David had compiled a letter asking for Walmart's help in finding out what Hunt said to the pharmacist. It could be vitally important or it could be nothing...there is no way to know unless questions are asked. Yet again, no one wants to help. At no time did David even ask for any money, but that is all Walmart assumed we were after. David had created a package of the letter for help along with a DVD of some videos he had done some time after surviving his near-death experience. They are difficult to watch and am not going to post them at this time; David hasn't been able to watch them yet but he has listened to them a bit. 

He had dropped these off at the Walmart Pharmacy on Hinkleville Rd in Paducah KY, to Trey Jones (?) who is the pharmacy manager. He had apparently sent the entire thing off to some guy at corporate, named Frank (Tomlin?), who had then handed it off to Katie Hawkins of the "Claim Management Team" who may actually just be some third party noodleheads rather than Walmart employees. No matter to me, it's all just the usual corporate unsurprising BS.  

I'll put this on my list to deal with. *sigh*