Saturday Night Fight.. At The Pharmacy

I take a trip down memory lane with a reposting of two of my least favorite memories of battles I fought during the Covid War. We must never forget what many pharmacists did to American patients.

January 9, 2022

I am exhausted.. physically and emotionally and morally. Although I am not sure moral exhaustion is “a thing,” the daily witnessing of masses of physicians and pharmacists abandoning their core responsibility of placing the welfare of the patient as their primary consideration is beyond wearying.

As my friend and Covid expert, Dr. Hector Carvallo, has long ago said, “it’s time for the lawyers.” It is becoming increasingly critical that the law profession aid the medical profession, as it has long ago been led astray by captured federal pharmaceutical agencies.

Note that I no longer refer to them as “federal health agencies,” as their actions have been entirely consistent with what a pharmaceutical or vaccine manufacturer would want them to do. To prove that point, I simply ask that, when you read an announcement in corporate media that reports a new decision or action by the federal pharmaceutical agencies (FPA’s for short), ask yourself, “Is that what a pharmaceutical company would do?”

Perfect example of this exercise was 2 days ago when it was announced that the “FPA” had authorized boosters for 12-17 year old’s against omicron (a generally mild cold in kids), using a vaccine designed for older, fundamentally different variants that have already spectacularly failed at giving protection against omicron given ever-increasing data of “negative efficacy” (i.e. vaccinated people are getting omicron more frequently than the unvaccinated).

Yet the FPA “doubles down” with yet another “non-scientific policy” so that Pharma can increase the total market size of those eligible for a vaccine… and who cares if this decision ends up sending more kids to the hospital than the disease ever would. Another brutal assault on public health. Another day in the United States of Pharma.

In the United States of Pharma, individual docs and pharmacists have been led so far astray, forgivably or unforgivably, due to the relentless barrage of disinformation targeted at them by the FPA (further supported by relentless, daily propaganda appearing in both major media and medical journals). The resulting proportion of these two professions that have failed to display even a modicum of either critical thinking or moral conviction is terrifying. It is also causing lots of problems for patients and physicians (a colleague of mine now differentiates “doctors” from “physicians”, reserving the latter term for those who follow our guiding principles and ethics by always putting the patient’s welfare as their primary goal above all else, even at personal sacrifice).

What prompted me to write this Substack was my most recent failure (and the resulting distress that led to crap sleep last night) over not being able to get a pharmacist to fill my orders in the hours before closing for an acutely ill COVID patient that had contacted me reporting high fevers, sore throat, and body aches. I immediately wanted to start him on a short course combination regimen of three old, safe, cheap generic medications, all with large clinical trial evidence bases showing high efficacy against COVID (ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, nitazoxanide).

What is important to note is that, months ago, I stopped trying to contact ANY pharmacy unless I KNEW they would fill my scripts for these off-patent medications because, unless I knew a pharmacy was “safe”, I ran a high probability of entering an unaffordable, time-wasting, and ultimately losing argument with some smug, obstinate pharmacist. As a result, we, as early treatment doctors, have long since been forced to build lists of “safe haven” pharmacies where we know we can easily get access to these medicines for our patients ( a sort of “Underground Railroad” in a way).

However, last night, I was inspired to make an attempt on a new, unknown pharmacy on behalf of a new patient because I had just read Steve Kirsch’s substack about my colleague and early COVID-treatment pioneer/expert Dr. Brian Tyson, in which was included a letter written by Dr. Tyson’s attorney that he used to “sway” a local pharmacy that had suddenly refused to fill.

The letter is thorough, deeply well-argued, and informs the pharmacists that they are: 1) violating the civil rights of patients, 2) interfering with a physician's ability to practice medicine, and 3) exhibiting behavior that constitutes the unlicensed and negligent practice of medicine. Now, I had argued all these points before in previous “conflicts” with pharmacists, but never all at the same time, and rarely threatening a lawsuit. Duly and newly emboldened.. I made the call.

4:20 Pacific time (pharmacies close there at 6 pm).

Transcript (from memory):

“Hi, I’d like to call in a prescription for a couple of patients.”

“OK, what’s the first patient’s name and date of birth?”

“Timothy Thomas (not his real name), born Nov. 6th, 1977.”

(pause, clacking of keyboard)

“OK, what does he need?”

(Wait for it)

“He needs ivermectin, 3 milligram tablets, I want him to take 15 each day as he is a big guy, and for 5 days with a refill. Then he needs hydroxychloro…

“Doctor, I am sorry, but I cannot fill the ivermectin. The owner has said we are not to fill for COVID, there is no evidence it works.”

“Listen, I don’t know who the owner is, but you are the pharmacist on duty, and I am calling in a prescription to you, not the owner.”

“I,I, I am sorry, but I can’t..”

I look at the letter, and then start spewing rapid fire arguments at him, “well unfortunately for you, my patient is an executive of a company and their lawyer is prepared to and will send a letter of intent to sue if it has not been filled because you are violating his civil rights, blocking my licensed ability to practice medicine and care for my sick patient, and you are clearly practicing medicine illegally and highly ignorantly. You should at least know what you are doing if you are going to do it without a license man."

“But I am allowed to refuse, doctor.”

“That is what you think and what you have been told… However, I can assure you that if you present your arguments in court regarding your refusal, they will not be upheld if any harm comes to my patient as a result. They will NOT HOLD UP, but you can try. The lawyer will serve the letter on Monday, I promise you, we are fed up out here and are fighting back, all of my fellow physicians being blocked by pharmacists are now using legal action (OK, so I overstated things a bit), I am sorry you are in the position you are in, but you have no rational or scientific evidence to support a refusal, but if you want to go to court to find out, we can make that happen for you”

“I..I.. feel intimidated.”

“Well, I am sorry for that, but you are hurting my patient and my ability to care for them. It is THEY who YOU are intimidating, Sir! All you have to do is fill out my script, and we can move forward. These medications are FDA-approved. I am using them off-label based on a large body of evidence and experience in COVID, and off-label prescribing is both legal and historically encouraged by the FDA. You are clearly practicing medicine, and I promise that will be proven to you in a court of law. Please just fill it, and you won’t have to hear from me or my patient again.”

(Pause, silence)

“I cannot do it, I am not supposed to.”

“OK then, I will also remind you that you are legally required to provide me with your name and license number as we will be pursuing legal action against you.”

“I am not giving you my name, I am not comfortable with that.”

“OK, so you think I can’t find it out? Fine, I am also documenting this refusal. Again, I am not interested in a contentious argument. I am asking you to fill the prescriptions for two sick patients who need my help, and if you do, you won’t have to hear from me or the patient’s lawyer.”

He whispers.. “OK, tell me the rest of the prescriptions.”

I tell him the rest, then say, “My patient will be there by closing time, thank you, and I apologize for my tone, but I am just trying to do the best for my sick patients.”

Victory? Yes! Haven’t won one of these in months. The letter and its well-articulated legal threats worked! Thanks, Steve! Thanks, Bryan (and your attorney)!

I finish telling him the rest of the scripts for my patient and his wife (I also needed to call in medicines for her so she could have some on hand and also begin ivermectin as a prophylactic agent given it ensures an easier course even if she is already or eventually becomes infected).

I then call the patient, instructing him to have his wife collect the medicines, along with other over-the-counter compounds that have clinical trials supporting their use. And then I go to the couch to literally lie down (insane day of dozens of pro-bono patient care requests, other Zooms and phone calls, maybe 12+ hours on the phone).

30 minutes later, the patient texts me, “My wife went there and the pharmacist won’t fill.”

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Now, even though I co-wrote a document for the FLCCC called “Overcoming the Barriers to Access,” which is full of sound, pragmatic tactics and dialogue examples offered to patients (and docs) to help them navigate such pharmacist obstructions, they typically will not work when it is an hour before closing on a weekend.

So, here I am the next morning. Fortunately, I was able to get 2 of the medicines filled through another pharmacy, with enough for his wife, as she unsurprisingly fell ill overnight (omicron moves fast). Unfortunately, they will have to wait until tomorrow to get the 3rd medicine from an “underground" pharmacy (not really underground, but you get the analogy).

This is what it is like out here trying to fight for patients sick with COVID - widespread delays in care as blocking access to generic or “repurposed” medicines by ignorant/arrogant pharmacists is ubiquitous. The majority of pharmacists (not all) have stopped thinking critically or devoting effort to review the evidence base, instead merely believe what they are told by their Boards (a.k.a. their “Ministries of Truth”). As if the insane numbers of ill Omicron patients to care for are not challenging enough.

In the words of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who went after his state’s Pharmacy Board when they tried to scare the state’s pharmacists away from prescribing ivermectin by sending them threatening letters, “it is shocking that pharmacists are suddenly developing a conscience after spending the last decade handing out opiates like they were M & M’s.” Well said and tragically absurd.

This newfound conscience influencing such actions is likely further fueled by a sometimes resident psychology of pharmacists who may feel “less than” a physician, given their limited scope of patient care tasks. Emboldened by a seemingly legal opportunity to assert superiority and control over physicians, many find these irresistible. Consequently, they seem to be “getting off” from telling the “stupid” doctors that the Ministry of Truth has done the research for them and the Ministry has found that, in the name of science, doctors stop using “ineffective horse de-wormer” to treat COVID. Good times. Just another day in the life of an early COVID treatment expert.

Let me end with the following disturbing data and observations. Take a look at this chart compiled by the FLCCC data analyst, Juan Chamie.

From the above, it should be noted that prior to our FLCCC ivermectin paper being posted on a pre-print server (Nov 13, 2020) and prior to my testimony in the Senate hearings of Senator Ron Johnson noted above (Dec. 8, 2020), nursing home residents made up about 30% of all COVID deaths in the U.S. (also note that Senator Johnson’s efforts have made him one of the most (if not the most) impactful of the early treatment advocates for COVID in this country.. (and in history?).

As you can see from above, suddenly, by mid-to-late December 2020, the proportion of dying U.S COVID patients that were residents in nursing homes started to plummet to now around 5-6% of all U.S COVID deaths.. and it has stayed stably low at this level ever since (notice how you never read any more newspaper reports of legions of people dying in nursing homes?). Hmmm. Was it the vaccines? Nope - nursing home resident vaccination rates were equal to or lower than the over-65 non-nursing home population, and the latter continued to make up a large proportion of COVID deaths in the U.S. So, why did nursing homes become such “safe havens” relative to the rest of society after December of 2020?

I maintain there are three reasons; 1) nursing homes often have their own in-house pharmacy so do have to rely on negotiating with arrogant/ignorant retail pharmacists for access to medications like ivermectin, and 2) nursing home directors across the country learned that ivermectin is highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, and thus they used it to treat COVID outbreaks in nursing homes (here, here, here, and here), and 3) this practice makes for excellent business since dead or hospitalized nursing home residents.. no longer generate income for the nursing home. Once again, all about the Benjamins. Shocker.

P.S. I thought I would throw in a brief mention of another insane action by pharmacists:

December 31, 2021: Effective immediately, patients will no longer be allowed to be on ivermectin, even if it is their home medication. Happy Holidays!"

This hospital’s PNT (Pharmacy and Therapeutics) Committee, in their infinite and unquestionable wisdom, came to the communal decision that, even though an admitted patient had already been started on a prescription for ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 by their personal physician, it was imperative they immediately terminate the use of non-FPA approved medicines.

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