Trump’s White House Pharmacy Handed Out Drugs Like Candy

[neverfstop]

www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-white-house-pharmacy-prescription-drugs-1234953535/ 

A Department of Defense report found an obscene lack of control over the handling of controlled medications while Trump was in office 


White House pharmacists reportedly distributed uppers and downers like candy to Trump administration officials during his time in office, according to a new report from the Department of Defense Inspector General.



The 80-page document, which was released on Jan. 8, found that “all phases of the White House Medical Unit’s pharmacy operations had severe and systemic problems due to the unit’s reliance on ineffective internal controls to ensure compliance with pharmacy safety standards.”

[nsl]

Well this is what you get when Ronny Jackson is given carte blanche.

www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a46541801/trump-white-house-medical-unit-drugs-report/

Sidenote: My H worked with him at Walter Reed. He was a massive tool to colleagues.

[mrsukyankee]

Not surprised at all.

[jlt19]

Well, I mean, wouldn’t YOU need to be constantly medicated to work for him?

But that doesn’t change the fact that these were the people running our country. I hope, IF, one of them got addicted, they can sue him too.

[VillainV]

Hmm. I’ve been dispensed both of those meds during military deployments. Ambien to help getting sleep when changing shifts or sliding takeoff times, and Provigil to carry while flying in case we unexpectedly got extended airborne (which happened often). Both were VERY tightly controlled and dispensed by a physician who kept close track of who had been dispensed how much. We only got 5 Ambien within any 12-day period (which honestly wasn’t enough given how often our shifts changed, so people kind of hoarded it to make sure they had enough when they really needed it). The Provigil we got one dose and had to report if we needed to use it and the circumstances, before we could get another single dose. Provigil is almost frighteningly effective. The one time I took it, I felt like I could read the phone book for 12 hours.

It makes sense that the White House would have these medications available for people who traveled often, to combat the effects of jet lag. But they shouldn’t have needed to take it regularly.

[basilosaurus]

Jan 27, 2024 8:44:14 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Hmm. I’ve been dispensed both of those meds during military deployments. Ambien to help getting sleep when changing shifts or sliding takeoff times, and Provigil to carry while flying in case we unexpectedly got extended airborne (which happened often). Both were VERY tightly controlled and dispensed by a physician who kept close track of who had been dispensed how much. We only got 5 Ambien within any 12-day period (which honestly wasn’t enough given how often our shifts changed, so people kind of hoarded it to make sure they had enough when they really needed it). The Provigil we got one dose and had to report if we needed to use it and the circumstances, before we could get another single dose. Provigil is almost frighteningly effective. The one time I took it, I felt like I could read the phone book for 12 hours.

It makes sense that the White House would have these medications available for people who traveled often, to combat the effects of jet lag. But they shouldn’t have needed to take it regularly.

This is kind of where I thought. There are go-pills and no-go-pills. And people do likely hoard because of all the time changes and having to be on/off when the body isn't. For people going between so many time zones that alone didn't strike me as odd.

BUT It's pretty damn well regulated. And I'm sure that administration didn't. One or two among friends is nothing if a friend has a 20 hr flight, and you have an extra for a one time, but it sounds like it was rampant. Plus I'm guessing they didn't go through the testing that flyers do to see how they respond. With Ronny I would think there was no actual medicine.

[bears]

So sounds like the big issues were around dispensing brand-name rather than generic and not making sure that the appropriate person was picking up the medication. Which... At a regular pharmacy, do you need to pick up your own medicine? I don't think someone like Ambien requires it, but I believe opiates do.

My old job prescribed Ambien if you were traveling overseas and I would not have been terribly productive without on those trips.

[pixy0stix]

My main takeaway is what are we doing to our military that we require them to take heavy hitting medicine to be able to function appropriately?

Also, just regular civilian jobs dispensing ambien is problematic. Is this where we are as a society? Give people the uppers and downers so they can work a job? I'd like off this ride, please.

[audette]

Jan 29, 2024 14:44:03 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

My main takeaway is what are we doing to our military that we require them to take heavy hitting medicine to be able to function appropriately?

Also, just regular civilian jobs dispensing ambien is problematic. Is this where we are as a society? Give people the uppers and downers so they can work a job? I'd like off this ride, please.

I think the health clinic at my employer has the ability to prescribe a couple ambien for helping with travel jetlag.  No clue if they dispense - the only travel I've done with them where I went to the health clinic was my first field trip, which didn't involve substantial time zone shift.

For that field trip they did give me some basic OTC stuff for bug bites, aches and pains for doing stuff quite a bit different than my normal desk job, as well as a small course of antibiotics in case of traveller's tummy issues for "just in case".  They also checked my vaccines to ensure I had what I needed for where I was going.

This all felt rediculous to me, because I was going to western Canada, a place that I have _lived_ before.  But, my company also sends folks to a variety of other places, some of which have WHO required vaccination needs, and we are typically going to field sites (as in, farmers fields, somewhere best defined by a geo-tagged pin than by an address).  So the employer clinic certainly helps for some of that travel.

[audette]

Jan 27, 2024 8:44:14 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Hmm. I’ve been dispensed both of those meds during military deployments. Ambien to help getting sleep when changing shifts or sliding takeoff times, and Provigil to carry while flying in case we unexpectedly got extended airborne (which happened often). Both were VERY tightly controlled and dispensed by a physician who kept close track of who had been dispensed how much. We only got 5 Ambien within any 12-day period (which honestly wasn’t enough given how often our shifts changed, so people kind of hoarded it to make sure they had enough when they really needed it). The Provigil we got one dose and had to report if we needed to use it and the circumstances, before we could get another single dose. Provigil is almost frighteningly effective. The one time I took it, I felt like I could read the phone book for 12 hours.

It makes sense that the White House would have these medications available for people who traveled often, to combat the effects of jet lag. But they shouldn’t have needed to take it regularly.

Just *blinking* at the bolded statement...


I have chronic fatigue.  I take a generic of Provigil daily so I can function.  As in, I'm still tired on them, but can remain alert enough to do what I need to do, mostly.  Heck, missing a dose affects me enough that I feel it the day _after_ the missed dose, once I'm back on track.


This med is a bit easier to get filled than the first med the sleep doc had me take, but only because I no longer need to physically pick up the paper script myself, in person, during office hours...  So there are some meds that are not opiods that are still more controlled than Provigil.

[basilosaurus]

Jan 29, 2024 14:44:03 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

My main takeaway is what are we doing to our military that we require them to take heavy hitting medicine to be able to function appropriately?

Also, just regular civilian jobs dispensing ambien is problematic. Is this where we are as a society? Give people the uppers and downers so they can work a job? I'd like off this ride, please.

I knew tons of people in go pills and no go pills. They were and in flying related jobs, so lots of time zone changes and unpredictable schedules. I'm pretty sure they do a lot of testing while in training.

I'd imagine places like subs where they're on artificial less than 24 hour days (do they still do that? I learned about them in a circadian rhythm senior seminar of all places) they also have to have chemical assistance.

[tacokick]

Jan 29, 2024 14:39:41 GMT -5 bears said:

So sounds like the big issues were around dispensing brand-name rather than generic and not making sure that the appropriate person was picking up the medication. Which... At a regular pharmacy, do you need to pick up your own medicine? I don't think someone like Ambien requires it, but I believe opiates do.

My old job prescribed Ambien if you were traveling overseas and I would not have been terribly productive without on those trips.

I picked up morphine for my mom and just needed to provide a photo ID and they made a copy of it.

From what I read, it sounds like they didn’t track who was picking up what properly which is not good!

[kiminky]

The amount of Ambien dispensed is crazy. I take Ambien daily and am currently working with my doctor to get off of it. It is hard. I am lowering my dose a bit each month, but it is still really hard. I have been taking if for years. I would never recommend it to anyone to take on a regular basis. I also have to take a drug test every 3 months due to my Ambien prescription.

[SusanBAnthony]

Jan 29, 2024 14:56:47 GMT -5 audette said:

Jan 29, 2024 14:44:03 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

My main takeaway is what are we doing to our military that we require them to take heavy hitting medicine to be able to function appropriately?

Also, just regular civilian jobs dispensing ambien is problematic. Is this where we are as a society? Give people the uppers and downers so they can work a job? I'd like off this ride, please.

I think the health clinic at my employer has the ability to prescribe a couple ambien for helping with travel jetlag.  No clue if they dispense - the only travel I've done with them where I went to the health clinic was my first field trip, which didn't involve substantial time zone shift.

For that field trip they did give me some basic OTC stuff for bug bites, aches and pains for doing stuff quite a bit different than my normal desk job, as well as a small course of antibiotics in case of traveller's tummy issues for "just in case".  They also checked my vaccines to ensure I had what I needed for where I was going.

This all felt rediculous to me, because I was going to western Canada, a place that I have _lived_ before.  But, my company also sends folks to a variety of other places, some of which have WHO required vaccination needs, and we are typically going to field sites (as in, farmers fields, somewhere best defined by a geo-tagged pin than by an address).  So the employer clinic certainly helps for some of that travel.

This was my experience working for a global company and traveling overseas. I had an appointment to check vaccinations and stuff and they prescribed a couple ambiens and an antibiotic for upset stomach proactively. I used one ambien when I landed after 24 hours of flying, and the antibiotics after I ate something that made me sick.