Hi everyone,
For those of you who don't have to use mail order for medications, I thought you may find this interesting.
For others who do use mail order, have you ever questioned the mail order pharmacy about shipping medications in hot non temperature controlled truck, especially after they shipped your medication in only a bubble mailer or bags? Please let me know what your responses were.
The mail order pharmacy states that they ship ALL medications that should be kept at room temperature (59-86) in only a bubble mailer. The temperatures of the hot enclosed are of the delivery truck are known to reach up to 170 degrees and reach extreme freezing temperatures also. Mail boxes are also known to reach temperatures over 150 degrees.
Please keep in mind I'm just a mom sharing her experience. This is not medical advice.
Please note, each medication is different. I suggest contacting the manufacturer of your medication to find out what is the preferred temperature range for your medication during shipments. Per my research, my mail order pharmacy told me many untrue statements while questioning them about medication temperatures.
Let's get started:
#1. The mail order pharmacy can ship our medications to the local pharmacy.
I asked though if the medications would be shipped on the same hot non temperature controlled trucks that would deliver to my home if I chose this option. The answer was yes. I said NO. The mail order pharmacy should prove that it’s safe to ship medications in these temperatures during transport through testing or they should ensure that medications are going to be transported in the temperatures proven safe by the manufacturer. A bubble mailer isn't going to do that.
We shouldn’t have to use our children or ourselves as their test subjects. As a mother, I am now with many patients and physicians who have to question if chronic conditions are worsening due to medication's exposure to heat and freezing temperatures.
#2 The mail order pharmacy cannot control UPS, FED EX or USPS.
I say to the insurance company and pharmacy, then let's prioritize what they can control. The insurance company can control the coverage and allow us to pick these medications up the safest way which is getting them directly from the pharmacy in which the medication is filled. This would ensure that any risk of instability is decreased.
#3. The FDA hasn't stated they need to do anything more to protect medications and this is how the manufacturer ships the medications to the mail order pharmacy.
I contacted the manufacturer and the FDA. Here is the FDA's number 1-888-463-6332. The FDA said that they DO NOT regulate the mail order pharmacy. The State Board of Pharmacy does. The FDA also stated that they DO regulate the manufacturer that may send medications directly to the pharmacy. The FDA said they DO NOT allow the manufacturer to send medications outside of the temperature ranges tested and proven safe. If the manufacturer was shipping medications in only a bubble mailer without anything to protect it in a hot enclosed truck, the FDA states the manufacturer agreed with the FDA. The manufacturer of my son's medications states that they place sensors on the packages when shipped to the mail order pharmacy that would alert them when medications were shipped out in unsafe temperatures.
#4 They may also say that they are getting guidance from USP Pharmacopoeia. (Not related to brown trucks & Not at all a regulatory/law enforcement body.) USP Pharmacopoeia provides recommended temperature ranges and after reaching out to them, they recommended the mail order pharmacy go by the instructions on the manufacturer's label of 59-86 degrees. Again, a bubble mailer on a hot and freezing truck year round will not meet their recommendations.
I must let others know that throughout this experience, I have found that USP Pharmacopeia has the highest integrity in the industry when it comes to ensuring that our medications are kept safe throughout the supply chain. I dream of a day when mail order pharmacies and delivery truck companies have the same amount of care when handling our medications.
#5 This all leads us to the State Board of Pharmacy. They have never been mentioned by the mail order pharmacy The board members are elected by our governor, and they are supposed to ensure that medications are shipped properly from mail order pharmacies to the patient's door. Some states, do not even have a law to protect medications from heat and freezing during transport. In my state of Missouri, there is a law that says that medications must be delivered in the temperatures suggested by the manufacturer or USP. Per the manufacturer and USP the shipper should send the medications in 59-86 degrees. However, I sent in a complaint months ago. Nothing has changed. Medications were sent all summer long without proper monitoring of temperatures. What good is a law without enforcement?
One study indicated that when patients are given a choice and the insurance company makes the cost the same for a 90 day prescription, most patients prefer their community pharmacy over the mail order pharmacy. Honestly, the face to face relationship with a pharmacist is crucial and picking up your medications in a matter of minutes instead of having to sit around the house all day and wait for them makes sense for a lot of people. Some see the risk as the mail order pharmacy or the patient cannot control the medication temperatures. Additionally, UPS, FED EX and USPS refuses to take any responsibility for maintaining the temperatures of life saving medications.
There are many other reasons that mail order is risky, costly, and inconvenient. The issue with temperature is just one of many ways that mail order pharmacy threatens the lives of patients.
Together, I hope that we can get this fixed!
Thank you for your support!
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