Troy King claims Pharmacy Lawsuits Frivolous – OR – “I practice law AND (bad) medicine!”

Using my “Bob Riley and Troy King: The Saga Continues” post on Monday, February 1, 2010, as a guide, I crafted a “Letter to the Editor” (LTE) which was published by “The Times Daily,” a Florence, AL area newspaper serving the Shoals area and greater Northwest Alabama.

Here, in its entirety is the letter. I have redacted my name – though if you ask politely, via e-mail, I will share. I have nothing to hide.

“Alabama Attorney General Troy King has recently come under fire for requesting judges in five counties to dismiss lawsuit cases those Districts’ Attorneys have filed against the pharmacies of several “big box” pharmacy retailers for wrongfully filling prescriptions by substituting with generic medications instead, when they were not specifically allowed, ordered or authorized.

“He may likely find himself answering to the Alabama Supreme Court – and possibly the State Bar Association, if ultimately not the people – for his actions. He describes the DAs’ lawsuits against CVS Caremark Corporation, Rite Aid Corporation, Wal-Mart Stores and Walgreen Company for deceptive trade practice as “frivolous.”

“Colbert County Circuit Court Judge Jacqueline “Jackie” M. Hatcher has already dismissed the case filed by District Attorney Bryce U. Graham, Jr.

“By not following the physician’s direct written order, and not filling prescriptions exactly as written, the pharmacists involved have also jeopardized their license by infringing, and embarking upon the practice of medicine. To have contacted the prescribing physician for clarification would have proper, but apparently they did not. At the least, they should be severely publicly censured, heavily fined, and temporarily suspended from practice.

“This issue is clearly about public health, safety, trust and ethics – which they willingly violated.

“Just to set the record straight, if a judge specifically ordered you to purchase a Ford, and you went to buy a Ford, had a piece of paper upon which were the handwritten instructions “Buy A Ford,” and were instead given a Toyota which was represented as a Ford, and which you bought believing it was a Ford, would you, the judge or any reasonable person believe that you were wronged, or had fulfilled the judge’s order?

“It’s disappointing that Judge Hatcher caved to Troy King’s purely political grandstanding and so disgraced the office, law, public health and trust of the people that DA Graham so vigorously defends.”

X X. X, RN
BSN, BS, AS, NREMT-B,

Certified Volunteer Firefighter-I,
First Responder
Huntsville, AL