Hospital Recomending Pharmacy

[coco3299]

So in addition other seriously illegal concerns I have with one particular institution, this has now surfaced. To add to their work load they day nurses (well all, but mostly will effect day shift) will now have to ask the patient upon d/c if they are interested in having their script filled at a certain pharmacy located near the hospital. If yes, then the nurse is to go through this new process of notifying the facility's pharmacy and they will then contact the neighborhood pharmacy and have the scripts ready to pick up within the hour. I mean, doing this in light of transportation or availability of a pharmacy per the patients concerns facilitated through social workers as usually in their scope of practice is one thing, but seriously asking 'hey, would you like to use xyz pharmacy around the corner' seems strange.

Immediately I was thinking how un-ethical this conflict of interest is. Then I was wondered who's pockets were gonna get fatter from this deal with the large pharmacy chain?

Anyone else experience something like this? Doesn't Medicare strictly forbid things like this? In addition to Medicare who else? I remember in working with home health patients had to understand they had the right to choose whatever company they wanted regardless of outside influences. Is this unethical or what?