2005-01-08
SOCIAL INJUSTICE
Although the State of Connecticut, under chief thief John Rowland, was capable of shoving through a $229 million dollar gift to ENRON weeks before it went bankrupt, it appears that same state is unable or unwilling to pay state pharmacies on time to ensure that clients on Title 19 get their medications as prescribed | Now, I recognize that Connecticut now has a different governor, but the problems created by that wave or corruption have not gone away | What I am getting at is the direct impact the costs of that corruption has had upon those most in need |
I try not to burden my state legislators with case-by-case problems of clients but one that came to light this morning is particularly disturbing. Moreover, it sounds as if it might have much larger ramifications |
This morning -at home- I got a phone call from a man on the other side of the state, distraught after being told by his Assertive Community Treatment [ACT]* team nurse that he didn't have any medications for the weekend | After a couple of phone calls I learned that the pharmacy owner was refusing to provide any meds to clients whose pharmacy bills the state has gotten behind in paying the pharmacy bills | In this man's situation the bill amounts to some $2,000 (approximately). I've no idea how many other clients are so adversely impacted |
While I can understand the pharmacist's frustration at not being paid, it seems unconscionable to deprive people of prescribed medications, I also know this problem [i.e.pharmacies not getting paid] is not a new one. I'm not certain which is the culprit, but just because Connecticut's Department of Administrative Services [or the Office of Policy + Management] is disinclined to pay vendors in a timely manner for essential services to the state's most fragile citizens doesn't mean the poor and disabled should be punished | Top managers at DAS and OPM [people like Mark Ryan, for example] should be held personally accountable for the social damage done in such cases |
In this specific situation, I'm trying to work out with the pharmacist, by phone, so the man to get his weekend's work of medications and hope that this could get resolved on Monday | For the record, I also took the time to raise the question to one of the legislators on the Public Health Committee |
Although the State of Connecticut, under chief thief John Rowland, was capable of shoving through a $229 million dollar gift to ENRON weeks before it went bankrupt, it appears that same state is unable or unwilling to pay state pharmacies on time to ensure that clients on Title 19 get their medications as prescribed | Now, I recognize that Connecticut now has a different governor, but the problems created by that wave or corruption have not gone away | What I am getting at is the direct impact the costs of that corruption has had upon those most in need |
I try not to burden my state legislators with case-by-case problems of clients but one that came to light this morning is particularly disturbing. Moreover, it sounds as if it might have much larger ramifications |
This morning -at home- I got a phone call from a man on the other side of the state, distraught after being told by his Assertive Community Treatment [ACT]* team nurse that he didn't have any medications for the weekend | After a couple of phone calls I learned that the pharmacy owner was refusing to provide any meds to clients whose pharmacy bills the state has gotten behind in paying the pharmacy bills | In this man's situation the bill amounts to some $2,000 (approximately). I've no idea how many other clients are so adversely impacted |
While I can understand the pharmacist's frustration at not being paid, it seems unconscionable to deprive people of prescribed medications, I also know this problem [i.e.pharmacies not getting paid] is not a new one. I'm not certain which is the culprit, but just because Connecticut's Department of Administrative Services [or the Office of Policy + Management] is disinclined to pay vendors in a timely manner for essential services to the state's most fragile citizens doesn't mean the poor and disabled should be punished | Top managers at DAS and OPM [people like Mark Ryan, for example] should be held personally accountable for the social damage done in such cases |
In this specific situation, I'm trying to work out with the pharmacist, by phone, so the man to get his weekend's work of medications and hope that this could get resolved on Monday | For the record, I also took the time to raise the question to one of the legislators on the Public Health Committee |
UPDATE: 1230 hrs: The man got three days worth of medications delivered which ought to get him by for the weekend | * ABOUT ACT TEAMS: "Assertive Community Treatment is a team treatment approach designed to provide comprehensive, community-based psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and support to persons with serious and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia | Services are provided within community settings, such as a person's own home | FOR MORE ABOUT THE "ACT" Model see the Assertive Community Treamment Association website
¶ 09:22
