Legal Question in Legal Ethics in Georgia
We had an incident, that was severely unprofessional of the pharmacist. Not only was she being rude stating she couldn't help/nor work with us as individuals with no insurance, she threw us out and exclaimed that she "couldn't help us" with services. This was after she said out loud in front of about 30 customers that my husband was taking suboxone she banned he and I from ever returning to the pharmacy.
Not only was this unprofessional we feel that it is a violation on our privacy. Also she treated him as a drug seeking junkie she disclosed his information in front of the customers we are sure heard and saw and know that this incident is on camera.
We were very polite and tried to explain that we had no insurance. The medication somehow TRIPPLED in price over the course of approximatly 3-4 weeks and then no one at the pharmacy could explain why Walmart changed the prices. We were initially quoted two weeks prior a price that was less than half of what they tried to charge us and did not consult us on the matter regarding the questions we had about the medication. In the state of Georgia I know that this to be a law.
We would like to speak with someone that could further assist us in a potential case of punitive damages as we were treated extremely unfair, with social injustice as well as an extreme violation of our privacy as we were kicked out of this pharmacy directly after she disclosed his information regarding his treatment plan.
2 Answers from Attorneys
There is no legal claim merely because you were not treated "fairly" and there is no legal claim for "social injustice" or someone not acting professional. There is no legal right to not be treated rudely. There is no legal requirement that a business do business with you, and there is no legal prohibition against a business raising prices. You say they violated the law by not consulting with you on your medication, but your post indicates that you did not purchase medication that day. While you may very well have valid complaints about the business and they way you were treated, your remedy is to complain to management or on various review sites. The exception is a complaint that the pharmacist may have violated your privacy by disclosing publicly the details of your prescription. You may direct that complaint to the Georgia Board of Pharmacy, in addition to store management and the corporate office. You can meet with lawyers to discuss a claim for damages, and you can probably hire a lawyer and pay several thousand dollars in fees, but the complaints you mention are not really claims that lead to a big check.
I doubt anything in your post results in grounds for a lawsuit. There could be a HIPPA violation if they identified you by name to other customers, but that's dubious and I don't see it in your post. I suspect if that is a valid claim the damages would be nominal. Most lawyers would charge you more than any likely recovery.
You can file a complaint with the store manager and the state pharamcy board. You also can complain about the pharmacy online at online review sites. You might also call the consumer reporter at your local TV station.
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