[NPInfo] Costco

[David Mittman]

See below letter to COSTCO. Has anyone else encountered any problems?
Dave
Hello:
I am a physician assistant (PA)and a PRESCRIBER for many, many years.  
I am also a very satisfied COSTCO member. I am involved in an  
organization made up of nurse practitioners and PAs. As I am sure you  
know there are 180,000-200,000 of us prescribing in all 50 states.  
Our association has received reports that the COSTCO pharmacists are  
quick to not want to work as colleagues with PAs and NPs, quick to  
report their prescribing of pain medicines (even when totally  
appropriate) and more. We are asking other members if there is a  
problem.

Who is the Chief Pharmacist(s) of COSTCO? Could we meet with them for  
some training on NPs and PAs?
We do not want this to escalate?

Please let us know.
Dave Mittman, PA
Secretary
American College of Clinicians
www.amcollege.org
dmittman at comcast.net
On Mar 8, 2008, at 6:43 PM, mfnp at cox.net wrote:

> No Gail, this is not because of a new employee, but Costco seems to  
> have picked some of the most judgmental and unpersonable  
> pharmacists out of any other chain that I have heard about. NPs and  
> PAs need to be careful because their personnel are very quick to  
> file reports to BONs and the DEA. I am not only a victim from them,  
> but when my attorney did some checking, she was surprised at how  
> frequently, and the overt pattern, that seems to be related to  
> Costco, and Costco alone. They also seem to focus more on PAs and  
> NPs, more so then Docs.
>
> So far can not prove whether there is a relationship of Docs and  
> Costco, or is this just an amazing coincidence, but it is real. I  
> have talked to many pts and providers that were caught in their  
> "web", and once caught the legal nightmares, especially under the  
> speed the legal system moves, is something no one should  
> experience. It has already ruined slightly over a dozen NPs that I  
> am aware of, and that is only the ones that have been identified  
> and willing to talk about it. How many others is a guess, so the  
> only thing I can say to everyone is to be careful and I have  
> suggested my patients stay away from Costco's Pharmacies, which I  
> add to other chains that there is a pattern of shorting pts of  
> total amount of medication prescribed. This last part is not new  
> since Walgreens paid the Feds a hefty fine a year or so ago for  
> this scam, and Fry's seems to be another. Marty
>
> GIN11153 at aol.com wrote:
>> I have never had a problem with my hubby picking up my  
>> presciptions at  Costco. Must have been a new employee, Rosemarie
>>  Gail
>>
>>
>>
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