Woman claims pharmacy refused service

CHARLESTON - A Belle woman says a pharmacist would not fill her prescription and accused her of being a drug addict.

Anissa Price filed a lawsuit against William S. McFarland and Loop Pharmacy and Home Medical May 5 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Amanda J. Davis is counsel for Price, who says she suffers from a rare neurological condition that causes her severe pain. She says her prescription was a special compound designed by her physician, but McFarland would not honor her request to have it filled.

On May 5, 2004, Price says she had an ugly incident with McFarland, who was working at Loop.

"McFarland became enraged and loudly shouted at Plaintiff and refused to fill the prescription," the complaint says. "McFarland then threw the prescription at Plaintiff. McFarland made several very thunderous allegations to imply that Plaintiff was a drug seeker."

Price says she was forced to get another prescription, because Loop is the only pharmacy in her area that mixes compounds to produce medication prescribed by physicians.

The new prescription was costly and not covered by her insurance, she said. She added that she filed a complaint with the West Virginia Pharmacy Board, and McFarland was found to have acted unprofessionally.

Price is charging the defendants with tort of outrage and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

Judge Irene Berger has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 06-C-857