BROKEN VIALS. EVEN LIFE-SAVING DRUGS LEFT IN EXTREME
WEATHER.
HERE’S CYNTHIA
McFADDEN WITH MORE.
>> DEEP BREATH IN.
>> Reporter: SOPHIE
DEAN HAS BEEN ON
MEDICATION FOR CYSTIC
FIBROSIS HER WHOLE
LIFE.
>> THERE IT IS.
THERE IT IS!
>> Reporter: ONE OF
THOSE MEDS HELPS HER
GROW.
THE LABEL SAYS THE
MEDICATION SHOULD STAY
AT ROOM TEMPERATURE,
AND HER MOTHER, ERICA,
SAYS IT USED TO ARRIVE
WITH A DEVICE
INDICATING IF THE
MEDICATION GOT TOO
HOT.
BUT WHEN SHE STARTED
GETTING IT FROM
EXPRESS SCRIPTS ERICA
SAYS SOPHIE STARTED
HAVING TERRIBLE
STOMACH ACHES.
>> WE NOTICED THAT HER
BMI WAS DROPPING AND
DROPPING.
>> Reporter: WITHOUT
DELIVERY NOTIFICATION
ERICA SAYS THE
MEDICATION COULD SIT
OUTSIDE FOR HOURS IN
THE HEAT AFTER
ARRIVING IN AN
UNAIR-CONDITIONED
POSTAL SERVICE TRUCK.
AND WITHOUT A
TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
ERICA HAD NO WAY OF
KNOWING IF THE
MEDICATION GOT TOO
HOT.
>> WE WERE TOLD WHEN
SHE WAS TWO WEEKS OLD
DON’T EVEN KEEP THE
ENZYMES IN THE CAR
BECAUSE THEY WON’T BE
AS EFFECTIVE.
>> Reporter: ERICA
SAYS SHE CALLED
EXPRESS SCRIPTS,
ASKING THEM TO SHIP IT
DIFFERENTLY.
BUT WAS REBUFFED.
>> WE SHIP THEM
EXACTLY HOW THE
MANUFACTURER SHIPS
THEM TO US.
>> Reporter: IS WHAT
THEY TELL YOU.
>> IS WHAT THEY TELL
ME.
YOU’RE NOT A
PHARMACIST, MA’AM.
MY RESPONSE WAS THAT I
DON’T HAVE TO BE A
PHARMACIST TO READ THE
BOTTLE TO KNOW WHAT
THE TEMPERATURE
REQUIREMENT IS.
>> Reporter: PROVING
SOPHIE’S FAILING
HEALTH WAS DUE TO THE
WAY HER MEDICATION WAS
DELIVERED IS NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE, EXPERTS
TOLD NBC NEWS.
NEVERTHELESS, SOPHIE
CONTINUED TO GET
WORSE.
EVENTUALLY GETTING A
FEEDING TUBE.
>> I REMEMBER JUST
LAYING ON THE FLOOR
AND CRYING UNTIL THERE
WAS A PUDDLE OF TEARS.
>> Reporter: BUT LIKE
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE
WE SPOKE, TO ERICA’S
INSURANCE PLAN FORCED
HER TO FILL LONG-TERM
MAINTENANCE
PRESCRIPTIONS BY MAIL
OR PAY OUT OF POCKET.
WHAT WAS THE PRICE OF
THIS MEDICATION?
>> ABOUT 8,000 A
MONTH.
FOR ONE MEDICINE.
>> Reporter: IN THE
COURSE OF OUR
INVESTIGATION WE
TALKED TO NEARLY SIX
MONTHS PATIENTS WHO
USE MAIL ORDER
PHARMACIES.
THEY DESCRIBED A RANGE
OF PROBLEMS INCLUDING
INSULIN, WHICH ARRIVED
FROZEN OR IN BROKEN
VIALS, AND REFRIGERATE
REFRIGERATED MIGRAINE
MEDICINE THAT WAS HOT
TO THE TOUCH.
>> IT’S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR
MEDICATION THAT’S ARE
ROOM TEMPERATURE ROOM
TEMPERATURE.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN 90
DEGREES AND IT DOESN’T
MEAN 40 DEGREES
EITHER.
>> Reporter: NBC NEWS
REACHED OUT TO ALL 50
STATE PHARMACY BOARDS
WHICH OVERSEE MAIL
ORDER PHARMACIES.
THE VAST MAJORITY
DON’T HAVE SPECIFIC
RULES ABOUT HOW TO
SHIP MEDICATION SAYING
IT’S UP TO THE
PHARMACY TO ENSURE
IT’S DONE SAFELY.
>> SO THIS IS WHERE WE
ACTUALLY PUT PILLS IN
BOTTLES.
>> Reporter: WENDY
BARNES IS THE
PRESIDENT OF HOME
DELIVERY FOR EXPRESS
SCRIPTS.
>> WE AVERAGE ABOUT
100,000 PRESCRIPTIONS
OUT OF THIS PARTICULAR
FACILITY.
>> Reporter: 100,000
PRESCRIPTIONS?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: BARNES
SHOWED US HOW EXPRESS
SCRIPTS PACKAGES
REFRIGERATED
MEDICATION LIKE
INSULIN IN COOLERS
WITH GEL PACKS BUT
SAID FOR ROOM
TEMPERATURES
MEDICATIONS LIKE
SOPHIE’S NO SPECIAL
PACKAGING IS USED.
EVEN THOUGH OUR
INVESTIGATION FOUND
THAT DEVICES
INDICATING IF A
PACKAGE HAS GOTTEN TOO
HOT OR COLD CAN COST
UNDER A DOLLAR,
EXPRESS SCRIPTS TOLD
US THEY VERY RARELY
USE THEM.
>> WE’RE VERY
CONFIDENT THAT WE’VE
TESTED THE MOST
DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
THAT THAT PACKAGE
COULD ENDURE.
>> Reporter: THE THING
I REALLY DON’T
UNDERSTAND IS WHY A
TEMPERATURE MONITOR
INSIDE THE PACKAGE
WOULDN’T BE GOOD FOR
YOU AND GOOD FOR YOUR
CUSTOMERS.
AND IT’S CHEAP.
>> I WOULD NEVER
SUGGEST THAT IT’S NOT
A BAD IDEA.
IT’S JUST NOT
SOMETHING THAT WE DO
TODAY.
>> Reporter: HOW
CONFIDENT CAN PATIENTS
BE THAT YOU’RE GOING
TO PROVIDE THEM WITH
SAFE AND EFFECTIVE
MEDICATION?
>> I WOULD SAY
INCREDIBLY CONFIDENT.
>> Reporter: EXPRESS
SCRIPTS SAID THAT WHEN
PATIENT ISSUES ARISE
THEY WORK QUICKLY TO
RESOLVE THEM.
EVENTUALLY, ERICA DID
GET AN EXCEPTION
ALLOWING HER TO FILL
SOPHIE’S PRESCRIPTIONS
AT A LOCAL PHARMACY.
AND SHE SAYS SOPHIE’S
ISSUES THEN WENT AWAY.
BUT THE EXPERIENCE
STILL HAUNTS HER.
>> THEY STOLE A LOT
FROM US EMOTIONALLY.
I NEVER GOT AN
APOLOGY.
IT WAS JUST TOO BAD.
YEAH.
SHE DESERVES MORE THAN