Mail-Order Pharmacy Risk Patient's Lives by Shipping Most Meds in Only a Bag in Temperature Extremes

We must shout what the FORCED mail-order pharmacy refuses to tell patients, legislatures, employers, and taxpayers. Temperatures matter. Forcing people to take any risk of destabilization or less potent medications must be stopped as most medications are placed only in bags in extreme temperatures. Medications can also become toxic, or not work as well. Some medications can and will have life-threatening negative effects after being exposed to extreme temperatures. The mail-order pharmacy is not shipping many medications in ways that have been proven safe. The youngest of our children to the oldest of adults whose lives depend on medications are at risk. Patients should always have the option to keep these medications out of temperature extremes as much as possible and they deserve the safest options in their coverage to get their medication which is through the hands of their trusted pharmacist. I’m going to share with you several articles that have mentioned the effects information on the effects of freezing medications.

I recently shared recordings on my youtube channel of the mail-order pharmacy saying they ship all room temperature medications including children's liquid oral medications year-round in only a bag. These medications reach temperatures far outside of the proven safe temperatures. Although, the manufacturer, FDA, USP, independent pharmacists, and experts in chemistry state it is unsafe to not keep medications in controlled temperature environments. The back of the trucks are not at all temperature controlled.

In a recent article published by The Courier in the midst of the extreme freezing temperatures about items not to leave in a car in the extreme temperatures: 

"Avoiding freezing is especially important for any liquid medication. Drastic changes in temperature can make some medication ineffective, while others may become harmful"

Here is an article by Steve Banker from Forbes. After a friend's medications were sent in subzero temperatures, the mail-order pharmacy alleged that the medications were still safe. She found out the truth after contacting the FDA and the manufacturer.  

Steve Banker states, "clearly, having these drugs sit in a mailbox all day when the temperature was subzero would have driven these drugs outside their proper temperature ranges.  And yes, according to the helpful FDA lady, these drugs’ potency would be affected as a result of this.  The FDA representative also said that the mail order supplier could have enclosed a temperature indicator in the packaging so that she could have seen the temperature profile in the packaging and ensure that it was within the proper limits (Banker, 2015)."

In another article by Mark Liverman titled Why Leaving Medication in a Cold Car Could Be Deadly

“Any type of liquid medication left in a cold car can freeze, causing tiny crystals to form inside the liquid. She said those crystals, sometimes so small you can't even see them, could get injected into your bloodstream.

"It could go to the heart, it could go to the liver, it could go to any of your major organs and basically cut off the blood flow," she explained."

Next a  news report report by CT Investigations told the story about a cancer patient who was only told her medications could be unsafe after contacting the manufacturer. Her cancer medications were shipped in temperatures in the teens.

“Heat and moisture are more damaging to most drugs, but certainly these cold temperatures we’ve had in Connecticut and throughout the country, this winter can also be extreme enough to cause the drugs not to be as effective” 

"While Scribner’s medication was prepared by a specialty pharmacy, a growing number of people are either choosing or being forced by their insurers or employers, to use mail order pharmacies to save money.

Professor Holle said anyone who receives mail-order prescription drugs should monitor when those deliveries are made and how long they’re left sitting outside.”

It is important to know that each medication reacts differently to heat and freezing. The only way to know if a medication is safe would be by looking at the label and contacting the manufacturer of the medications. Per my experience and the experience of others the mail-order pharmacy will not always tell the truth about the proof that medications are safe in such temperature extremes. Today, I found out that even the manufacturer may refrain from telling the truth and may point to a “healthcare professional” instead of warning patients that they have not tested the medications at these extremes.

When looking at how the liquids in the photo froze you will see that the liquids clung to one side of the bottle. After recently connecting with an expert chemist who supports our cause, he states that something this could also happen inside or medications with the active and inactive ingredients in our medications. He states, “Basically some parts freeze first creating super high concentrations of drug and or excipients in one spot.  Increases in the concentration of any molecule or different molecules increase the rate of any potential reaction that could take place.” 

No one should have to risk the instability of our expensive life-saving medications.

Thank you for your support! 

Loretta Boesing

Share your story and concerns: stopmandatorymailorder@yahoo.com

Facebook Page: Issues with Mail Order Pharmacy @justamomwholovesherson

Twitter: @BoesingLoretta

I recently also started a GoFundMe to help as I fight hard on these issues. 

Any support is appreciated. Thank you!