LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) Last week's raid of a group of pain management clinics are having unintended side effects on patients who are now unable to fill prescriptions written by doctors at the facilities.
Bluegrass Pain Consultants reopened to patients on June 13, one day after state and federal agents raided its Louisville-area offices to collect evidence.
Officials would not confirm the nature of the investigation, however, patients who contacted the WHAS 11 News iTeam said they have been unable to get prescriptions filled because of the ongoing probe.
"[Pharmacies] said, 'Come and get your prescription because we're not going to fill it and I don't know anybody that will fill it,'" one patient said. WHAS 11 is not identifying the patients to protect their privacy.
A different patient wrote through social media, "I have called every pharmacy here ... and none can fill prescriptions from Bluegrass pain management so even if I have a prescription I cannot get it filled so again what am I supposed to do?"
No charges have been publicly filed in the investigation.
Because Kentucky and Indiana medical licensing boards show the head doctor at Bluegrass Pain still has an active license in both states and Drug Enforcement Agency officials said the doctor still has an active DEA registration, the doctor can still legally prescribe medication, despite the ongoing federal investigation.
The problem, patients said, was pharmacies are refusing to fill prescriptions from the clinics.
"I asked 'em, I said, 'Is it a legal prescription?' they said, 'Yes sir, but it's up to the pharmacy if they want to fill it or not and we choose not to.'"
The WHAS11 News iTeam contacted several major retailers for clarification on their pharmacy policy. Only one, Walgreens, responded before this story was published.
"We are unable to comment about individual patients' prescriptions or a specific practitioner," a Walgreens spokesperson said in the emailed statement.
The situation is adding to the frustration for Bluegrass Pain patients as their medication runs out.
"If I can't get my medicine, I will have to retire early and probably just go through my savings," the first patient said, adding his medication will only last him through early July. He said he wasn't able to get an appointment with his primary doctor until closer to August.
Voicemails for Bluegrass Pain Consultants was not immediately returned.
iTeam Investigator Derrick Rose can be reached at (502) 582-7232 and dnrose@whas11.com. Reach out to him on Twitter and Facebook as well.