Parents Claim 3 Pharmacies Refused to Fill Oxycodone for Child with Cancer

The parents of a 4-year-old cancer survivor are claiming that 3 different Walgreens pharmacies refused to fill oxycodone prescriptions for their son.

Walgreens responded that it is concerned with both identifying opioid abuse and serving patients with legitimate medical needs.

“With the sharp rise in abuse of painkillers in recent years, health care professionals in all practices are continuously striving to find better ways of ensuring those medications are used only for legitimate medical purposes,” Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso told WESH 2 News. “We firmly believe that addressing prescription drug abuse will require all parties—including leaders in the community, physicians, distributors, and regulators—to play a role in findings solutions to combating abuse while balancing patient access to critical care.”

Four-year-old Aiden Lopez was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer and started chemotherapy this spring after having his right kidney removed, according to WESH 2 News.

Upon his discharge from the hospital, Aiden was given a prescription for oxycodone, but 3 Walgreens pharmacies rejected the prescription before he obtained the medication on a fourth try.

“It was heartbreaking and frustrating because you want to be able to help him,” Aiden's mother, Valerie Perez, told WESH 2 News.

Walgreens stated that it is looking into the incident.