PHARMACIST STEVE

Prescription for Pain: Change in law causes more delays, pain

3 Responses

1. 

   painkills2, on November 20, 2014 at 7:44 pm said:

   When you listen to those pain patients on the news video, it seems like their complaints are minor — well, it would seem that way to those who don’t suffer from chronic pain and understand all the issues. Even the newscaster ended the program with, well, there’s a problem with supply because of the rescheduling, but everything will settle down in time. I guess some pain patients believe that too.

   On the surface, rescheduling hydrocodone appears to be a logical thing to do. And there was plenty of time for everyone to complain before the new rules went into effect. But in the end, the DEA and the FDA chose not to listen — they’re allowed to do that. After that epic battle, do you think these agencies are going to change their minds?

   If chronic pain patients want the public on their side, complaining about having to get a script every month for pain meds is not going to cut it. For the 10 years I was on opioid therapy, I had to visit my pain specialist every month and follow all these rules already — and for most of that time, my doctor opted out of Medicare. So yes, I was paying cash for every appointment (with no reimbursement) — not something I would recommend these days, as your likely to get a script that can’t be filled. (Not going through your insurance and paying with cash at the pharmacy are red flags, likely to get your name sent to the DEA.)

   Reply
2. 

   painkills2, on November 20, 2014 at 7:20 pm said:

   Paincare2014:

   When I switched from pharmaceuticals to medical cannabis, I found it amusing that I was labeled a “stoner.” Since I took a bucket full of very strong prescription medications for about 10 years, I think I could accurately define myself as a “pillhead” too.

   But I’m tired of being ashamed that I require medication to manage my pain levels, and I’m no longer going to be quiet when pain patients denigrate each other. Stop blaming the victims of this war.

   Just because I was able to afford expensive doctor visits and multiple MRIs to diagnose my condition, doesn’t mean my pain is any more real than the suffering of other pain patients who have none of those records. In fact, I would say that a significant portion of pain patients don’t even have health insurance.

   And although I don’t like to make predictions, I don’t agree that after 2 years, intractable pain patients will have their lives back. It will never go back to the way it was before. Right now, the research is focused on medications without any psychoactive effect at all — and while weak drugs like Suboxone may help a few, the majority of pain patients will be stuck with even more under-treated pain.

   I remember back in the 1980s and 90s, when anti-depressants were the only drug available to treat chronic pain. And you know, that wasn’t very long ago.

   Reply
3. 

   Paincare2014, on November 20, 2014 at 8:28 am said:

   The pharmacy I use to fill the one medication I take for chronic pain has to order it each month, they don’t keep any in stock in fear of being robbed, even though he knows I will need this script each month. So I call him 3 days earlier and let him know I will be dropping off my script so I don’t have to wait 8 days for him to order it.

   The grocery store you shop at if it has a pharmacy are more likely to fill your script than a Walgreens pharmacy. If they refuse and you grocery shop there call the store manager and say your TV commercial says you will fill my script while I grocery shop, I spend $700 a month here on groceries and you cant get one script filled ,why is it a problem to fill this on time, legit , medically necessary script from a well known doctor . I promise you ,your more likely to get your script filled at a grocery store pharmacy rather than walking in a sorry Walgreens. I had my MRI on hand in case they needed to know why I use this specific medication. The pharmacist said we have lots of people come through here asking to get opioid scripts filled and I said yes but they don’t shop here and the store manager here sees me 4 times a month.

   Even though I titrated down to the lowest dose possible this past summer and it still helps with the chronic pain I suggest people slowly titrate down if you can because things will get worse before they get better.

   Over the past 13 years some doctors got too lenient prescribing opioids to anyone claiming they had chronic pain without proof of pain from a MRI or Cat Scan etc.
   Now these pill heads are being weeded out of practices, it may take a few years before true chronic pain sufferers get back the medications they need to live a somewhat normal life. I saw this happening and knew things would get out of control when questionable people showed up in my doctors office that pay cash for their appointment. This crap is going to end but it will take time as it took time for druggies to screw things up for true chronic pain sufferers. I will give it 2 years maybe less time for true intractable pan sufferers to get their life back to normal, its not like we asked for this life of pain, but we do what we need to so we don’t suffer in silence.

   Some pain sufferers that had enough are ending their lives and its being seen as a opioid overdose ,when they had enough of being treated worse than a junk yard dog. I can attest to this because I lost 2 good friends to this being treated like crap mainly from pharmacist , like they don’t mean anything to anyone anymore and they gave up. It was bad enough to lose one good friend then another friend let his bed sores get infected and it stopped his heart. His last words to me where,
   I’m tired of being in pain all the time my good friend, this outraged me ,he being treated worse than lab rats.

   I will never give up and fight this to the very end , no one person or group of people are going to send me over the edge, we as people in chronic pain of America deserve to be treated like humans , this will change in good time.

   God Bless those in chronic pain.

   Reply