On April 27, 2008 my sister Theresa Kay Fowler age 35 died of an accidental drug overdose/interaction.
I have started this petition in hopes that all pharmacies in the state of New Hampshire will be required to interact with each other in hopes to stop the re-filling of narcotic drugs prescribed by several differnent doctors but being filled by different pharmacies to the same patient. I am hoping that this petition will reach to point of eventually becoming "Theresa Law".
Prior to Theresa's death she had 6 different doctors and had been filling prescriptions at 6 different pharmacies and none of them had interacted with each other not knowing what the previous one had just filled. Because of this she was able to take several different prescribed medications without the advice on possible side effects and interactions.
If these pharmacies could interact with each other they would be able to see what the patient had filled at another pharmacy, the time frame of fills, doctor history, as well as if the drugs are being misused.
Please help me as accidental overdoses and misuse of medications are rising and are one of this states leading causes of death. I cannot help or save her now but together we can all save another life.
We the undersigned are asking to stop the misuse of priscribed medication filling in the State of New Hampshire. We are asking that all pharmacies interact with each other and that you are able to look up patient accounts to see how many times and types of narcotics are prescribed and filled to patients.
We are asking the following:
All statewide pharmacies to link to each others computer system showing each customers fill current and past history.
Flags be put on patients that show a history of narcotic prescriptions that are being filled at different pharmacies regularly.
Flags be placed on patients that are showing more than one doctor.
Non filling of prescribed pain medications to a patient that shows a fill of the same medications from a different pharmacy within a one month period.
Flags be placed on patients that are combining narcotic medications that can possibly interact with non-narcotic medications.
Denial of filling of narcotic medications due to dependancy or misuse of pharmacy(s) Ex: Filling of hydrocodone on 8/11/08 50 pills and then again on 8/18/08 prescribed by different doctors.
Pharmacies must verify with primary health practitioner the Rx's prescribed by others that the narcotics are necessary and are not being abused.
We thank you in advance for your time and helping us bring this petition forward and hopefully turning into Theresa's Law.
