Complaints have been made that social service workers at Charity hospital have been directing patients to certain drug stores to buy prescriptions.
The complaints were revealed by Victor H. Walker Jr., Gret-na, vice-president of district one and two of the Louisiana State Pharmaceutical Association.
On May 15*, Walker wrote a letter to Jesse H. Bankston in Baton Rouge declaring that the pharmaceutical association "deplored" such a practice. Banks-I ton is director of the state department of hospitals. j A copy of the letter was also i sent to the governor.
Walker said that an investigation was made by the hospital | He said he was informed about I two weeks later by the hospital that no violation of hospital pol-
icy was found.
Dr. Adolph Flores, assistant director of Charity, said Thursday it is the policy of the hospital not to send patients to particular drug stores for medication or prescriptions except in needy patients' cases.
"This is unethical, and we instruct all our workers not to do this," said Dr. Flores.
But Walker said Thursday that the answer he received from Charity officials was evasive and "kind of avoided the meaning of my letter." -
Walker said he was not referring to poor patients or welfare patients who receive hospital funds to buy prescriptions. He said he was referring to patients who hold jobs.
Walker said:
"We have had these com-
plaints before. We have been told that some patients, who are working for a living, have been told by social service workers to go to a certain drug store.
"We deplore and frown upon this method of operation. A person should be able to go to any drugstore he pleases. X"I will write another letter tomorrow to the social service department."
Under hospital policy needy patients are given funds to buy medicine out of hospital funds, Dr. Flores said.
Dr. Flores spoke in the absence of Dr. Leo Kerne, hospital director, who is on vacation. Dr. Kerne was at the hospital when the investigation was conducted.
Dr. Flores said that in the case of "indigent" patients, meaning the poorest of the poor, the hospital shops around at drug stores, trying to find the best buy for the patients. The hospital then directs the patient to the drugstore where he can make the best buy.
Walker said the answer he received from the hospital, after its investigation, mentioned indigent patients. He said Thursday he is not referring to this type of patient.
Dr. Flores said records in the matter showed that Dr. Kerne had written to the governor on May 28, stating that the matter had been thoroughly investigated and that the hospital had found no infraction of its policy.
He said that if any complaints are given to the hospital, "we will be glad to conduct an investigation."
