[NPInfo] Costco

[Rose Moran-Kelly]

Very nice! Rose

On Sat, Mar 8, 2008 at 9:07 PM, David Mittman <dmittman at advancedprac.com>
wrote:

> 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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