Fighting against the wealthiest corporations in our nation every day was certainly not on my bucket list, but until the day we win, it is. Many of us show up daily in some way to ensure a better future of pharmaceutical care.
The State Boards of Pharmacy's mission statements usually have a statement about protecting patients from harm. Sadly, with mail order pharmacies and some chain pharmacies, patients have found little protection from harm that occurs from delays or harmful degradation of improperly stored medications.
From listening to the last conversation at the Texas Board of Pharmacy Meeting, there was a proposed amendment to mail order pharmacy regulations. This discussion will be at F.8. around the 2-hour mark.If you listen to the meeting, some of the discussion points about the Oklahoma study and regulations link back to this file. They mentioned that I came and spoke at a previous meeting regarding temperature issues. I don't have the financial ability to attend every Board Meeting, but if I could, I'd be there and increase our chances of winning. I know that showing up is 90% of the fight.
I appreciate our Boards of Pharmacy and their members. I respect that many sacrifice their time to be in such a position. It's okay to ask still and expect better.
From what I could understand of the meeting, there will be little changes to how room temperature medications will be handled in Texas. I have outreached to the Texas Board of Pharmacy to confirm. To read the proposed regulation, you may read it here. Know that there are open comment opportunities.
Many Boards of Pharmacy may have regulations such as medications must be shipped in temperatures that are within the manufacturers' or USP's guidelines. Every day that rule is broken when medications are shipped in only bags as USP, and most drug manufacturers don't support medications being shipped in extreme temperatures of 120-170 degrees in unlimited time frames. Temperature trackers are not on the packages or inside the trucks or mailboxes. This type of regulation only looks good on paper; without the transparency of each drug's unique stability and the use of temperature sensors, or trackers, it is almost useless.
Medications like children's room temperature liquid oral transplant medications will continue to be shipped in only bags in 120-170 degree trucks and mailboxes in Texas. That is two times room temperature. Patients will be harmed, and when their conditions worsen, improper temperature storage will be the last thought on a physician's or patient's mind because no one is warning that medications could become harmful or ineffective at these temperature extremes.
Knowing this, I plead and urge other patients to get involved with their State Boards of Pharmacy. The conflicts of interest are massive on the State Boards, and we cannot do this without brave people who care enough to show up for our children, patients, and the entire future of pharmaceutical care. That happened in Oklahoma. Let's make it happen throughout the nation.
If we could get ten people committed to sharing their stories and concerns with the State Boards of Pharmacies and showing up, we would have a much better chance of winning safe access to medications.
I want to invite you today to join sign up to support us and unite for change by clicking here.
Simply stated, we need you. Change will be very slow without your support and/or voice.
Thank you,
Loretta Boesing, Patient Advocate
Make a Donation To Support Our Advocacy
Email: Loretta@uniteforsafemeds.com