Pharmacist Questions B12 Frequency

[MoKayD]

This is a story of my interaction yesterday with a pharmacist who is B12 ignorant. I'm in the US and I've been self injecting and receiving B12 injections from my Doctor for a couple of years now. Yesterday I dropped off my prescription at my pharmacy for a refill and when I came back to pick it up the pharmacist asked me why I needed my prescription refilled so quickly and did my doctor know how often I was self injecting. My prescription allows me to pick up four doses at a time as often as I want them. I told the pharmacist that my doctor told me I can self inject as often as I want to that's why the prescription is written the way it is. He said "Well, that's a lot of B12." I told him that he should know B12 is a vitamin and you can't overdose with it. Extra B12 will just come out in the urine. He acted flustered when I told him that and he walked away. He made me feel like I was addict. What nerve! I came home and fumed to my husband about the interaction. Next time I drop off my prescription I'll bring some information printouts from the computer to educate him.

[Nackapan]

Yoh don't need yo be interrogated picking up a prescription. !! I've had the same.

Makes them think.

[MoKayD in reply to Nackapan]

Hopefully next time he'll think twice before confronting an old lady with a prescription for B12.

[fbirder]

Many vitamins are dangerous in excess.

B12 is not one of them. stichtingb12tekort.nl/engli...

[Cherylclaire Forum Support]

Sadly, the most surprising part of this story is the GP that has given you leeway to decide for yourself how often you need treatment. I doubt if I'm alone in thinking this.Glad you are thinking of educating the pharmacist not slapping him- as that would be a sure sign that you need more B12.

Sleepybunny put a really good link up on a post 2 days ago -from "B12 Institute" (how lovely that one exists), which might help you. In "next posts" at bottom of the page here.

Take good care.

[MoKayD in reply to Cherylclaire]

The thought of slapping him did cross my mind for a second. I am lucky that my doctor is a proponent for B12 injections. He told me that back in the 1960's and 70's doctors were handing out B12 shots like candy. He doesn't know why doctor's don't think about it now.

I read that link and you're right, that would be a good document to give to the pharmacist. I'll print out a couple of copies now for future use.

[GalDriver]

Well done, MoKayD, for getting your Doc on board and for educating the pharmacist. x

[Lyntwo]

There was a campaign conducted under the auspices of the AMA on how to identify a fraudulent medical provider, one of the indicators being those who gave B12 injections without a diagnosis clearly indicating the need.

Many of the old head doctors would, after trying to determine what was causing a patients symptoms and not arriving at a diagnosis, would try an injection of B12 because more times than not it would provide relief to the patient and would do no harm.

[MoKayD in reply to Lyntwo]

That's very interesting.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to MoKayD]

Extremely hard to believe that there was ever such a time... doubt if there is any existing paperwork now to back this up.

If not being able to arrive at a diagnosis meant as a last resort, patients were trialled with B12, that doesn't sound like the worst idea. However, since the reliable Schilling test was in use back then, pernicious anaemia diagnoses weren't as difficult to deliver with confidence surely.

Now if you want to know what caused your B12 deficiency, you are more likely to be told "Since the treatment is the same, what difference does it make ?"

Or perhaps even more currently: "Since we won't be treating you either way... "

[MoKayD in reply to Cherylclaire]

Things might be changing. I have a friend who kept telling how tired she had been feeling, and because I keep yammering on about B12 deficiency she asked her doctor to give her a blood test for B12. Her doctor actually said, sure we can do a test, but after we draw your blood how about I give you a B12 shot and we'll just see how you feel. I thought that was amazing. My friend got the shot and she said she couldn't believe how much more energy she had. Her test came back low so she's now on a shot a month for however long she wants it.

[Cherylclaire Forum Support in reply to MoKayD]

Maybe they've missed us !

[B12life]

Problem is they may hassle the doc. I want to know who gave the pharmacist their medical degree

[Pretty55]

I had a very similar conversation with my pharmacist. She made me feel like an addict also. I ask what the problem was IBet I could get pain pills faster

[MoKayD in reply to Pretty55]

You're right, they wouldn't hesitate to hand out Oxycontin or Percoset but, dear God, don't give anyone B12 with out first harassing them.

[Pretty55 in reply to MoKayD]

Yet she refills my syringes with no problem. I don’t need that many if I’m only doing 1 injections a month