Community | October 30, 2009 | 42 comments

Virginia to close pharmacy for the mentally ill

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/29/AR2009102904621.html?hpid=se...

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In a cost cutting measure, the State of Virginia is closing a statewide pharmacy which provided discount drugs to local mental health boards which serves about 11,000 people.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/29/AR2009102904621....
  1. groups:
    Community,   Voices of Advocacy,   Speak Sooth
  2. tags:
    Budget,  Mental Health,  Virginia
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42 comments // Virginia to close pharmacy for the mentally ill

  • johnsmith5082
  • amandapandalol
  • bailey78
    • 0
      bailey78  

    • Thats it take away the mentaly ill peoples meds that will fix things Oh yea thats going to do all the good in the world just what we need BuBBa with out his prozac now I'm not going in the woods for damn sure.

    • 2 years ago
  • Marbled_Godwit
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  

    • Absolutely, HickerBocker09 'get riled up when they spend it on the wrong thing instead. Absolutely, Democrat, or Republican this is wrong? Unless I have missed their plan to make up for the loss? Just closing pharmacy for the mentally ill is abuse, just because they can. Mentally ill already have problems, their own government should not be adding to their problems and fears. That's just crazy and terribly sad. How low can we go? Cutting services for the mentally ill, should be a last resort, not before many others things are eliminated?

    • 2 years ago
  • NickerBocker09
    • 0
      NickerBocker09  

    • Whats interesting is that a Democrat Governor did this, and were about to elect a Republican most likely, a highley conservative one at that. I expect Virginia to be back ont he right track in maybe.....10 years. Half of that time getting out of the mess McDonnel will create by cutting money to education in order to save the budget. What the hell is the point in saving the budget if your destroying one of the best public school systems (Virginia's) in the nation? The government is supposed to spend money. too many people get riled up when they hear the government is spending money. How about we get riled up when they spend it on the wrong thing instead.

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  
    • NickerBocker09:

      I really don't think electing a Republican will be the answer to this problem. It's just me, but I don't think they are known for standing up for mental illness. They have so far sided with the health care industry, not the people, regardless of mentality.

    • 2 years ago
  • dmass5
  • chabucha
  • axion775
  • Manatee_man
  • mojojuju
  • carmalite
    • 0
      carmalite  
    • Manatee_man:

      The conservative states hate poor people . Or people who need help. Calvinism belileves that if you are poor or unfortunate its because God wanted you t that way. If is a corruption but they actually teach that poisen in Fundamentalist churches.

    • 2 years ago
  • PepsiJuror
    • 0
      PepsiJuror  
    • Image

    • The altruist plan should now be to wean these VA’s safely off these mind altering medications before it kills them (typical of coming off these drugs cold turkey) and find some real help!

      This is absolutely wonderful news. I am 100% behind closing this dope peddling, state funded drug dispensary, providing drugs on the level of cocaine to our honored VA who put their lives on the line for our country!

      Beyond the obvious reason of not enough state funds; guess why this facility is closing..??..

      It roughly costs big Pharma 2 ½ cents to make somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 pills. Big Pharma turns around and sells a prescription of 30 pills at $140-$170. Do the math and you will see 1. these medications only, only, only treat the symptoms (they don’t cure) 2. (like the heroin dealer) these drugs create a lifelong customer 3. big Pharma ran this facility dry.

      As for the Psychiatrists or “on the take” MDs who knowingly proscribe mind altering, mood stabilizing drugs, who accomplished getting these honored VA addicted to drugs deemed by the FDA as addictive as cocaine, these charlatans need to be put behind bars or better yet, serve a life sentence in one of their own so call mental prison hospitals.

      Then there are those "naive" customers whose analytical judgment fell to zero the moment they felt the euphoria of such a drug or combination of (and don't think for a moment any differently) - which I might add is no different than the heroin user on the street. Since when do we as Americans put any faith in the judgment of a heroin addict, let alone their dealer? Their yardstick is "ohhh, I feel better. I don't feel quite so depressed". No kidding you feel better, you're hooked on DRUGS man!! WAKE UP!

      When my parents inject themselves with insulin to treat their diabetic condition (after of course taking all the precautionary and appropriate readings with their fancy little blood reading machines), they know exactly what they’re doing and how much to take. There’s no question as to what they're balancing.

      What exactly does heroin or Pysch drugs balance?

      What about Psychiatrists? At least heroin dealers freely admit to being to being dealers.

      http://www.cchr.org/#/videos/making-a-killing-introduction

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  
    • PepsiJuror:

      Are they planning to move away from drug therapy and replace it with psychologists? I totally agree that medicating, instead of dealing with the problem is often the wrong approach, but not all mentally ill are medicated soldiers. Some people have mental problems, which are not due to horror of war. Some are chemically imbalanced and all the therapy in the world is not going to change their imbalance.

      All mental illness is not equal. Do they plan to treat the vets with something other than pills? Or, are they going to leave them out in the cold? I really don't know what they plan for mentally ill patients after they close the pharmacy?

    • 2 years ago
  • RabidC
    • 0
      RabidC  

    • well, i hope the people who made this decision are still happy with it when their parents are losing their minds to alseimers and can't remember their name, or who they are.

    • 2 years ago
  • kjc7823
    • 0
      kjc7823  

    • Actually, our facility encourages a holistic approach in the true sense of the word. Medicine, is just one factor in the treatment. But it is a highly important one. Treating someone with counseling, spiritual treatment (as they choose it, not dictated) and generally treating them like they are....humans. Don't knock the holistic approach but make sure it is the correct meaning.

    • 2 years ago
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  

    • We can thank Ronald Reagan for the mentally ill, who are homeless. He closed many facilities, where they could live and put them on the streets. If they are going to be on the streets, shouldn't they at least be able to get their medicine?

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  
    • Conniepae:

      He did kill a bunch of them off too something like 15k of them were dead in the first year iirc. Horrifying and Orwellian, but ya gotta admit it did bring down health care costs... Or did it?

      The primary reason in the united states for buildings under construction burning down though is mentally ill people trying to live in them and setting the building on fire trying to keep warm. It's a huge problem. They've probably used up all the money they saved health care in additional building insurance claims. All they did was move the money down the hall to a different department.

    • 2 years ago
  • kjc7823
    • 0
      kjc7823  

    • I work in a level 2 psych facility and I can easily tell you that this is indeed a poor decision on Virginia's part. For those of you made the comment "Maybe they'll realize they're not that fuct up" I have to say, woooooow what world are you living in? Over 90% of our homeless are seriously mentally ill, because they can not afford medication.The jail houses have a large population of mentally ill because, they can not afford their medications and they become violent. Some commit crimes because they know that in jail they'll at least receive something to help stabilize themselves. I work with the mentally ill population everyday and we work hard to teach them the need for their meds and hook them up in the community because we see them successful when they are on a good regimen. We see them go from aggressive, paranoid, and delusional to functioning members of society. Medication is a highly important part of treating a mental illness. Wise up Virginia, you did your state a total bad.

    • 2 years ago
  • cougarbritney
  • bombastinator
  • Conniepae
    • 0
      Conniepae  

    • Hell yes, who wouldn't close a statewide pharmacy, which provides discount drugs to local mental health boards? It's a 'no brainer', being done by people with no hearts. It's gotta be easier than going after groups with powerful lobbyists. Heck yes, go after mentally ill people, it's not like their families don't already have enough to deal with.

      My above comment is total sarcasm. Unfortunately the choices being made in Virginia are reality. Sad, sad, sad.

    • 2 years ago
  • EmperorThan
  • CarolynGillis
  • Conniepae
  • Toughth
    • 0
      Toughth  
    • CarolynGillis:

      I can tell you from experiance that in many cases where a mentaly ill patient goes without meds it can make the life of everone around thatt person a living hell. My wife is mentaly ill, Schysophrenic,bi polar, andI can tell within a day or so when she stops taking her meds. prefer not to be anywhere near when this happens.

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  
    • CarolynGillis:

      you can keep the holistic schizophrenics in your neighborhood thankyouverymuch.

      Real mental illness generally laughs at holistic medicine. Then sometimes nails it to the front door and sets it on fire.

    • 2 years ago
  • spacemikey
    • 0
      spacemikey [removed]  

    • Suits me just fine, I've worked in a couple Assisted Living Facilities, and they (as most do) had several people highly over medicated. It's a racket, it makes all kinds of money for facilities and doctors but the whole system needs reformed. If several thousand "mentally ill" people in Virginia sober up enough to realize they aren't that fuct up, it will be a wonderful thing...

    • 2 years ago
  • mojojuju
  • carmalite
    • 0
      carmalite  
    • spacemikey:

      You really don't have a clue. I have a friend who is recovering from a bad breakdown and if she does not have her meds she becomes almost catatonic.
      They are not talking about valium, but meds for schitzophrenics and bi-polor people who really need these meds to functions.

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  

    • this is almost the definition of a false economy. It saves more here but it is going to cost more in the long run.

      At least some of the people the place was helping are not going to now be able to afford medication, and at least some of them are going to become dangerous. If even a few wind up in jail from it, it's going to wipe out all the cost savings. And there's probably going to be more than a few. Plus the added emergency room visits, deaths, people who can no longer work, etc..

      Sometimes the point of a program is not to be socialist and nice, but to actually save money. If you're going to have to pay somehow eventually anyway, it makes more sense to pay a lot less now than a lot more later.

    • 2 years ago
  • eldamon
  • JonRaymond
  • kelto
  • artemis6
  • kelto
    • 0
      kelto  
    • artemis6:

      Oh, no, no, no. Remember, we still have the death panels coming so we can cut back on the elderly. HAha. This is just one more problem that is taken care of with a better health care policy in this country. Are we entitled to health care? medical? Dental, Mental? I'm lucky to have all through my employer, but, how long will that last? If I don't like the job and want to change, well, its a total crap shoot what I may get next.

    • 2 years ago
  • Nettle
  • keanu101
    • 0
      keanu101  

    • THIS IS INSANE WE CAN SPEND BILLIONS A DAY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN BUT YET WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP A PHARMACY OPEN FOR THE MENTALLY ILL!!!

      THIS SAYS ALOT ABOUT OUR VALUES.

    • 2 years ago
  • carmalite
    • 0
      carmalite  
    • keanu101:

      Not your values and not mine but Conservatives think that this is how it should be. The market should wean out those who are losers or who can't make it. You would be suprised how many feel like that. Not all, but lots or them.

    • 2 years ago
  • Toughth
    • 0
      Toughth  
    • keanu101:

      Maybe we can do like the germans did in the 1930s. We are suposed to keep the losers from infecting the rest of us arn't we. We can do as Harry turledove sugested in one of his books and build a camp to keep them in out in the desert and ot of sight. Many think that mental deseases are somthing that can be controled by force of mind and it is a decision to be ill. Many discount the proof that in many a chemical imbalance is the root cause of mental illness.

    • 2 years ago
  • Lecti
    • 0
      Lecti  

    • This is such a tragedy, but not unfamiliar. Frankly, I'm surprised Virginia had a program even this robust. If I recall correctly, the Clinton administration cut federal support for housing mentally ill patients, and the Bush Administration cut federal dollars for outpatient treatment and medication. This article makes it really clear that States can't continue these programs without federal support. Really: consider the impact this has on communities, especially urban ones

    • 2 years ago
  • dj_ioglyphics
    • 0
      dj_ioglyphics  
    • Lecti:

      Great information Lecti, and I concur. We are spending billions overseas in the name of spreading democracy when we aren't getting it right here at home. I'll never understand this nations priorities.

    • 2 years ago
  • carmalite
    • 0
      carmalite  
    • Lecti:

      But the USA can find compassion to give the upper2 percent a tax cut during a war, and let RNC contributor Halliburton steal us blind with no bid fraudelent contracts.

      Its American capitalism. Isn't it just great for a small percntage of people who have
      high incomes that are very secure.

    • 2 years ago
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