2011 30 Mg Oxycodone Shortage (Page 15)

I am a 51 y/o who lives in Florida, suffering from chronic back pain, and have been prescribed to take up to six 30mg oxycodone tablets a day for over two years by my Pain Management doctor. However, when I went to fill my prescription almost 4 weeks ago, my pharmacy told me their distributor had stopped shipping oxycodone to Florida pharmacies. Since then, I have personally visited about 100 pharmacies but have been unable to find them in stock anywhere. As a former paralegal, I attempted to research the situation, but could only confirm that the DEA has yearly quot on all controlled substances (for oxy's is 98 million grams in 2011). From I gather from the Internet, it appears that the ENTIRE state of FLORIDA is not getting any shipments of oxycodone 30 mg. from distributors, but are other states having this problem as well? Also, can anyone confirm whether (and HOW) the DEA is pressuring distributors to avoid Florida?

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Try Kays pharmacy,on 3500 e. fletcher ave.,in tampa.They always are in stockt try and keep it under your hat,so we can get them at all times

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the same thing is happening in calif. i tried to fill oxycodone in oct 2011 to no avail. i have a residence in arizona who has had access to this medication. i have been told that the dea makes "allotments" so to speak. from what i understand that means x amount of a certain medication is allowed to be produced & shipped for distribution. i have found that in calif. the larger pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc) don't & can't get it but the smaller (mom & dad type) pharmacies have gotten it & have no problem getting more. hope this helps. judy

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i know this is late coming to you but i am curious as to how you are doing. i hope great!! what you went thru is crimminal!! something similar happened to me & i went to an urgent care with much success. hope this was helpful. judy

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@Sandy, I did it again :)
@Mark-279....You are absolutely wrong. The DEA is not telling them to cut their stock at all. Pharmacy's, just as any other retailer, if things went perfect for them, they would have just enough stock for their customers and not one piece more. They don't want to carry excess stock, nor be short, excess stock is an expense they don't get any profit from, a shortage of stock cost too, loss of sales. You and many others seem to think oxycodone is all that pharmacy's think about. Honest ones, as those that don't jack up the prices ridiculously and are just drug pushers. The chain ones don't do that. They stock thousands of drugs, and one of the cheapest is my Diluadid, cash price next to it. Advair, months supply one inhaler $196.12. #30 of an antidepressant...name just slipped my mine $496.82, my Diluadid if paying cash, under $ 30.00 #120. Where is the profit, huh???? not Diluadid. That they really carry as a courtesy to their clients and also not to lose them. The DEA watches the Pharmacys that carry a larger than usual Schedule II drug, and especially in Florida oxycodone. The chain pharmacys go all out to satisfy their usual customers. Not the ones that have only a oxycodone script over the years, or don't regularly get it filled there, let say cholesterol meds, and blood pressure meds. I have dealt with many pharmacies over the time. They want your business, legitimate business. The rest is a pain in the neck for them and they bend over backwards to keep in stock what they need, including your Lipitor,( it just went generic) or Prozac, or ampecillin, tramadol, whatever, but when you come in with one script of oxycodone type meds, don't know you, or do, and that is all, all the time, you are not a dear customer to them. Not a big profit and the DEA hassling you if you make a mistake, or have a larger than usual stock, especially if it doesn't match the need. Where I go, and 11 scripts, they carry a few hundred of both my schedule II's. One has always worked out the other they started ordering 100 more, as that kind of meds they order once a week, don't want to overstock, poor policy and a target from criminals to law enforcement, just enough to take care of there regular customers. You pop in, with a script for #180 out of nowhere, they will be short that week, if they know you because last month you were in for a few scripts for the flu, they will accomadate you and if it's going to be every month for you, they will keep another 200 on stock. The sell tons of Lipitor, they keep alot, overstock, no problem, will unload next week. 30mg Roxies, they don't have a sale every day as they more than do on Lipitor. Someone breaks their arm and gets #30 Percocet 5mg, one time deal. A couple get #90 Perc's a month with there other meds, keep stock for them. Oxycontin larges bottle to the pharmacy is #100. Xanax comes in 1000 and Percocet is 1000. These are scripted a lot, manufacturer accommodates. The DEA are not concerned with Pharmacys that have a couple hundred a week of each dosage of Oxycontin, and a few more for the most common scripted. If the Pharmacy is getting 2000 a week of each, guess what, the DEA will be watching the scripts for that product, if all is legit, then all is well, if all are from the same Dr. mostly, they take a look at the MD with some scrutiny, checks to see where else the MD meds are being filled for and how many. The DEA is not down on the Pharmacy, if they are clean, but the Pharmacy may just stop filling that Dr's scripts, because they feel to much narcotics and that is all, is a Dr. that is going to be trouble, The DEA may inform the pharmacy he is being investigated. There is no money in opiates to the honest Pharmacy, they may cut that Dr off just because of the heads up, not that they were told. That would be illegal to restrict trade by an honest pharmacy. But, as I said , no money in it, and if they obviously are filling scripts for a Dr, that is obviously not normal, they have the right to stop filling them, and they usually do, because they may be seen as in bed with them, knowing it's not normal, and still supplying, then they are in trouble with the DEA. Just because the scripts are on a legal paper and the Dr is a Dr. doesn't give the Pharmacy a pass on knowingly filling scripts that are written for a non legitimate reason. If your an honest Pharmacy, you don't mind cutting off a Dr's script for narcotics as I said, there is no money in it. Only for illegitimate reasons is there money in it...... THE DEA DOES NOT CARE TO BOTHER LEGIT PHARMACY'S IN FLORIDA! LEGIT PHARMACY'S DON"T FILL LARGE SCRIPTS OF OPIATES BY MD's FOR A LONG PERIOD FOR MANY CLIENTS IN ANY STATE.

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@Judy Yes the DEA...I wouldn't say allotments, rather they estimate for the next year in the last quarter of the year how much is needed to cover the legal demand for the year. It is done with ALL schedule II drugs, not just oxycodone. The premise for doing this is so they don't way over produce causing more ability for diversion of the drug. They aren't limiting it for the customer, the Dr, the Pharmacist, only at the production level, where they are allowed only to produce what the DEA measures in tons(pure) not pills as to cover for that year enough medication for the year and NO more, and of course they would rather underestimate, than over estimate. Hence the shortages at year end, and at the first of the year waiting for production, to warehouse, everyone short at all pharmacy's, so warehouse rations out to be fair to there customers, hence more shortages, until as far as into April, depending on manufacurer. Remember they have other meds to make, they are not going to hire more people for a few months to make more of one drug they make, or have overtime.

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BTW, I did not mean to offend anyone with the presentation of yourself at the Pharmacy. It's not right, or fair. It is tho, a fact of life unfortunately. Carl

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BTW AGAIN, I was unaware until today that carisoprodol was a Federally controlled Schedule IV drug as of last January 12, 2012, I knew that 17 states had it's own controlled substance list whatever that means, they want to play and try to be the DEA or what :) But the DEA on 12/12/2011 proclaimed it to be and effective 01/12/2012.

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Theres a ton of rumors flying around. Im not sure what the truth is on oxycodone - i hear bits and pieces from places depending on how talkative and friendly the pharmacist feels like being with me. I have heard the term "alotment" thrown around by mom and pops. A woman at a local pharmacy told me that mom and pops get a lesser alotment than chain pharmacies - she told me they order enough for their elderly monthly clients and not any more since their alotment is so much smaller. I know stores are ordering less than they used to. Thats fact. I also know that doctors write out more prescriptions than their is oxycodone in existance. I know pharmacists have the right to not fill your script for any reason, even if they dont like the color of your shirt. Thats just the law. I dont know much more than that. Its all rumors and what ive gathered from personal experience. Just grateful i got my script filled after withdrawling for two of the longest weeks of my life. Terrified to experience that again next month.

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Just wanted to get in on the discussion here and cover a Lil bit of everything I've been hearing/reading/researching.... I'm a 28 yr old woman with spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, 3 bulging/herniated discs, 3 pinched nerves 2 of which are my sciatic in both legs, sciatica, spondylitis, and myelopathy among others I can't spell or remember due to all the issues I have in my back and legs. I've been goin to pain management now for 3 yrs and recently had to switch to a family doc who writes oxy due to the whole ordeal. I live in the panhandle have to travel 6 hours south ( referred by my family doc here) come back and then travel upwards of 6-8 hours into Alabama or Mississippi to get my meds filled:180 of 30mg oxy, 60 of 10mg percs and 90 flexiril.
Many numerous times have tried to get them filled on the way up only to have ALL the pharmacists tell me they can't fill over 5 counties away!?!?!? But Alabama and Mississippi have no problem filling nor shortages! I am a legitimate person in real agonizing pain I deal with every day. I have an 18 month old daughter whom I can't even pick up due to weight restrictions from the docs, have quit my job due to pain and dr visits requiring me to miss many days. Our wonderful government won't allow me disability because my hands still work!
I'm sorry to make this so long but feel better knowing I can vent and am not the only one dealing with all this Bulls**t. I hope and pray something is done real soon for all of us legit pain patients who aren't drug dealers and are in serious need of our meds! Please please let me know of any petitions to sign or people in high places to contact! I'm in this for the long run and wish everybody the best of luck! God bless all of you and may he hear our prayers and send us some relief!
P.S. sticking to the mom n pop places is the best thing that has worked for me as well as appearance too!

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@Flsux91, You are right about a lot of rumors around, and you are right about what you KNOW. I can let you know why mom and pop usually get less than chain ones. They usually order less, of all meds combined than chain pharmacy, and the warehouses give the biggest percentage to them, but they don't always get what they ordered, that is fact.You know what, the real truth is no one is assured anything when ordering when things are short. The last script of Diluadid, that I asked the Managing Pharmacist at a Busy Wal Mart if would order more said he would order more since I was getting them filled there now, and when I picked them up he said luckily they had them this time as they didn't have them the last 3 months, Walgreen did, but he said I will order more for you, BUT that does mean we will get them though, but hopefully we will, and I thanked him. So, that says, no matter who you are, there's no guarantee, just a better chance at some than others, as you always take care of your best customers first in any business, and down the food chain. I'm not sure of the term allotment, as that means you get a certain amount predetermined, is the way I would understand the word, and nothing is predetermined except at the manufacturer as they decide they can make this many for the next shipment if they juggle some help around where they aren't needed right now because the warehouse ordering is down on carisoprodol which they make and because Dr's have cut back on the scripts of them, and prescribing more Robaxin and Flexeril and they don't make them, and since the Soma's are Schedule IV's now, since January 12th the orders in actually real life will go down. Unfortunately the only ones that are really sweating it and care are the patients with the scripts and no one else!!!

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the rumors are looking like they are true.a friend of my who is termanly ill went to the dr.yesterday.and was told that they dr. are no longer allowed to prescribe the drug roxiecodone in the state of florida.at this time.this is due to all of the sells of the drug and the high traffic from all other states comeing to florida to see dr.s...alot of money to be made from those ll 30s.you figure if you sell 230 of those that is 5700 $ in a very short time.it seems that eveyone i know anymore is on theses pills and it is sad ....and now the ppl that really do need this medication for pain can no longer get it.im sure they will come out with another great pain pill and it will be just like this one sad but true

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Yes, it is sad that quality pain meds, will possibly be deleted for use, or ruined by changing the formula to make them undesireable to abuse, as those that use them for pain and don't sell them, even tho it is very attractive to want to sell them because of how much can be made so quickly. I, myself have had it cross my mind, but after almost 2 years of being prescribed I would not let myself become one of those I criticize, and I do need them, but I sure could use several thousands of dollars, but I also would be losing my honesty, and that's in not for sale. Oxycodone was made illegal in Canada last month. Qualudes were made illegal decades ago, can you see the writing on the wall?? Roxies are not illegal in Florida, if that was so, several others that are the same would be illegal in Florida. Also, they can't make it illegal in one state, and not another, unless the Florida legislator made it so, and the Governor signed it. That has not been done, and it would cover all oxycodone of the same, as in time release, or immediate release. They ruined Talwin, by saving it from going to a schedule IV to a II by making it Talwin NX, any pain relief it had, was loss. I'm tired of government solving problems, by just making it illegal. The easy way out!!

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It is true that Florida is what gave the great working medicine oxycodone A bad name when that idiot decided he wanted to be on TV and showed them how he went doctor to doctor and smoked pills. The nation did not need to see that, it only increased the traffic to Florida. The DEA should not be able to stop people like me who use this for pain from getting it by making it illegal, the overdoses are by people taking way more than even the Florida doctors prescribe and mixing it with medicines like Xanax and soma at the same time which soma and Xanax can be deadly on there own. As far as the addicts who buy it illegally making it illegal will only drive them to heroin. And I know they know it. Maybe it's what they want because so many government agencies are getting kickbacks from heroin traffickers and not from street level roxi dealers who are taking business away from the heroin dealers. If they cared about addicts they would realize at least if they are abusing roxies, they are made in an FDA regulated lab and not in a jungle and the quality is the same so less chance of someone accidentally overdosing . Prohibition of drugs is the problem in the first place , people who want to get HIGH will, legal or illegal, making it legal won't make good citizens bad . I wouldn't do heroin if it was legal. And if addicts could go to a pharmacy with there license and buy just enough Roxie or methadone to keep them from being sick and track it through there SSN then the street price would drop and street dealers would be out of business . The majority of addicts just feed the need to not detox. If they could get a fix, safely dispensed by a pharmacist things would be a lot easier.

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Just wondering if you can tell me where I can fill in alabama or mississippi with a florida ID I have the same issues with degin disk and so on I am 53 and can no longer get my scripts filled here in florida...sucks for us who need and cant get it..

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Ok ppl, OPANA MAKES BOTH , AN IMMEDIATE RELEASE ( OPANA I.R. ) & ( OPANA E. R. ) THE I.r , & E. R. STAND FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , & EXTENDED RELEASE ! PLS CK UR FACTS B4 U TRY TO SOUND INTELLIGENT< BECOUSE ALL U R REALLY DOING IS CONFUSEING &/OR MISSLEADING PPL WHO R OBVIOUSLY HAVING A HARD ENOUGH TIME ASIT IS ! YOUR TRYING TO SOUND LIKE U KNOW WHAT UR TALKING ABOUT < BUR U R NOT ! IN FACT, DONT U REALIZE THIS SITE IE READ BY AT LEAST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PPL WHO DO KNOW WHAT U R SAYING IS B.S. & I"M JUST SUR PRISED NOBODY HAS CALLED U ON IT ALREADY ! STOP GIVING PPL (PEOPLE) THE WRONG INFORMATION , HUH !

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No one is talking about oxymorphone which is generic for Opana, and everyone knows what IR and ER means, did you just learn that. Don't show your lack of intelligence and also being rude all in a few seconds!!

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I get my prescription,for 120 roxicodone tablets,every month,and just did so yesterday,so your friend is full of crap,not to mention,people have to be weened off this medicine,or it can be fatal.So at the worst,thay could announce they are stopping them,but must give due notice.I know that doctors will be made to stop prescribing ridiculous amounts,anything over 120.I have cancer,and chronic pancreatitis,with 3 ruptured disks,and the 120 has kept my life livable for 3 years,so there is no need for more.That is the big problem.If someone gets copious amounts,they look,and are, suspicious,and need to stop.

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You know I just think it sucks that some can get them filled and some can't ...to be completely honest if I didn't need them I would not take them! What sucks is all these out of state people can come to florida and get there scripts filled and I live in florida and cant get them filled. I have gone to same pharm sense these whole deal started and now they tell me that they cannot fill any scripts out of broward county and they are in broward county...what the hell! I was working on steel when another person dropped a deck pan from 25 feet up and dropped on my head. The pain is unbearable and now I cannot get my scripts filled so if anyone knows anywhere in broward county please let me know

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I just dont understand how some can get them filled and some cant! I went to the same pharm I have always gone to and they advised they are not filling anything out of broward county. A few years back I was working and another person dropped a steel deck pan on my head from 25 feet up. I am just an average american and I do not use or abuse drugs, hell I wouldnt even take them if I didnt have to! So now all I have is a whole lot of pain and the withdraw from pills isnt helping a bit so if anybody knows a pharm in broward county that can help your input would be greatly appreciated

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If there is a Trinity Pharmacy in your area they could fill it.. they DO price gouge though(i've heard up to $10 per pill).. there a couple of them here in Pinellas..

all you can do is NOT listen to people and you yourself dress nicely and walk in to any and all RX's and be polite. Good Luck

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