[Pharmwaste] Meds for deceased patients

[Jaramillo, Jeanie]

For those who've been involved in take back programs, I'm sure you've been as appalled as I have when you receive multiple months worth of untouched medications, sometimes still manufacturer-sealed (and usually mail-order) only to have the deliverer of said meds state that they were for a deceased patient.

I understand this is anecdotal at this point (and we're working to get hard data, so we'll have more than that), but we've had multiple participants tell us they've called the responsible pharmacy at least once and sometimes repeatedly to get the med delivery stopped, without success.  In some cases, I believe the meds keep coming until the refills run out (although that's purely speculation).

One of my colleagues forwarded this to me today:

Watchdog Report Finds Medicare Paid For Drugs After Patients Died.

In continuing coverage, the AP<http://cp.mcafee.com/d/5fHCN0qdEI8LTjpupudTdFEI8Ke6zAQsLL6QQm4n1RXCzBASCyMyUUqejhO-qejqdXKf6zAs--edydvfXRBG0GsSOtbtW3pKsSOtbtW3pJZ2PMVZx_HY-UUO_vHTbFIKcYqekTT4kumKzp5dmXOfaxVZicHs3jqpEVdLL6XZtZ-ZXTKOqejtPo0cjcOYNN1IY_VOwj_jVAXr7-nMjcOYNMf3OiFOtQm4krIThSxdpG9P3PNEV7e6zAKzpMsQutt4QsB_hvqCtoTJ2qMGxIzOMGgzbTpg8wHq4RKITitli4puXa16DbCTShP0US3aCud43ahEw6_gBro-q80nV_XjW6y06uod40mQIHY9Cy05JD_gQg2ZoCy1eWbVJZcSSY62sOnNy2y> (10/31, Alonso-Zaldivar) reported that a “quirky bureaucratic rule led Medicare’s prescription drug program to pay for costly medications even after the patients were dead.” A report released Friday by the HHS’ Office of the Inspector General said that the Medicare rule allows payment for prescriptions filled up to 32 days after a beneficiary’s death. The report stated, “Drugs for deceased beneficiaries are clearly not medically indicated, which is a requirement for (Medicare) coverage.” Investigators “urged immediate changes to eliminate or restrict the payment policy.”

        The Washington Times<http://cp.mcafee.com/d/FZsScCQm4nXFILcL6XCQQm4n73hOqenTzqqb2bwWZPhOOrjhohssd79EVvd79J6ZT7zhOevv76N6LDZWOR0lerpeBKZ1ITerpeBKZ1IS-xpUs-M_R-vsspvLRXBQSn6ud7arXyafbnhIyCHtV7BgY-F6lK1FJCVJZUTvHLLTLuZSjhOrKr01ypCnCe8dDD_ek2vWvcDro_O-2pCnCe1UuilejKyMyztCWeQ9Hdheouud78VMQsBQre3CzPHEWnR_SFDmdXgCIaEr8YIaA8OZSk28aSxdrHdQDlkx6nKOwhFOVJZAsMedwOFDzh0OAq81LQ9mSfCy05-v-Q-xEw1DC3h05Jba_2pEw1rp_Qd40Lm9EwjKy-rvjdNOlVNM8M5HB> (11/1, Dinan) reported that investigators found Medicare “continued paying for HIV-related drugs for 158 patients even after they died in 2012.” In an official response, the CMS agreed with the OIG report’s recommendations and “said it’s already had preliminary talks with the drug industry about cutting down the 32-day window.”

Jeanie Jaramillo, PharmD
Managing Director, Texas Panhandle Poison Center
Asst. Professor, Texas Tech UHSC School of Pharmacy
1300 S. Coulter St., Suite 105
Amarillo, TX 79106
(office): (806)414-9299
(mobile): (806)376-0039

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