First, this petition started with temperature monitoring as one of the goals. The other goal is to stop the forcing of mail order pharmacy, and I will not stop until no mother or patient is told they will only be allowed to get coverage of medications by mail instead of their trusted pharmacist. Patients should have the options to receive their medications the safest way. Temperatures is just one of the over 100 risks/issues that mail order pharmacy poses.
The Missouri State Board of Pharmacy will be having a board meeting next week. Laws in my state will change and we will tackle each state one by one on both issues. We also need federal laws to change.
Most room temperature medications are only shipped in bags year round. Refrigerated medications are shipped with ice in a cooler, but several of you have told me that this isn't always working perfectly either as medications are sometimes sitting outside for days or delayed causing ice packs to melt and medication getting warm.
Temperatures are known to reach up to 170 to 180 degrees in the back of the trucks. Freezing can also lower the potency of some medications that are being shipped in only bags year round.
My suggestion is #1 make it illegal to force mail-order. Even with changing laws related to temperature, the mail order pharmacy cannot predict the exact trip of each package when packages are lost, delayed, or left of porches/mail boxes. There are too many uncontrollable and unpredictable factors with mail order.
#2. Monitor the temperatures in the back of the vehicles, not the outside temperature. Delivery trucks could be temperature controlled as they turn into mini ovens in the hot temperatures. Mail boxes are also shown to reach 150 degrees. Many warehouses are also not temperature controlled. There is also an issue of lack of monitoring packages left sitting in the sun or in the freezing weather.
#3. Transparency of testing data. Some (NOT ALL) room temperature medications have additional testing by the manufacturer to show they are safe at higher/lower temperatures for so many days. Each bottle should say what the true temperature is and how long the medication is safe specific to the medication. Keep in mind that usage of this data may also decrease the shelf life/expiration date (how long the medication can last without losing potency). The additional storage data should only be used when it shows that it does not decrease shelf life.
#4. TRANSPARENT MONITORING. We need monitoring. NOT JUST OF REFRIGERATED MEDICATIONS. Monitoring of the temperatures that each medication is exposed to. For example, a sensor that would alarm the patient if the temperatures were exposed to the extreme temperatures outside of the guidelines proven safe by the manufacturer. These monitors should be placed on the medication bottle & not on the outside of the packages.
By the way, there are sensors under $1.
I have found many studies and real life stories showing how medication potency is effected by temperatures , but please email me if you find or more articles/studies.
On the days my grandmother doesn't feel like picking up her medications, my grandmother receives her medications hand delivered from her trusted pharmacist who is just minutes away. They deliver in a temperature controlled vehicle.
Anything else? I will be sending documents to the State Board of Pharmacy in the morning. Please let me know. Email loretta@uniteforsafemeds.com
Thank you to every one who cares about improving pharmaceutical care for all patients. To my supporters, you are amazing and I hope you have a wonderful day.
Loretta Boesing
Link to original petition: https://www.change.org/p/attn-all-legistlatures-state-board-of-pharmacies-ban-mail-order-drug-mandates-from-all-health-insurance-plans-monitor/w?source_location=petition_show