Community Chat

[SahmIam]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

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@Lucky Charm wrote:

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

I can understand them needing to crack down on fraud .....  BUT ......   when people with legitimate chronic pain can't get the relief they need, then something has to be done.    

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I wasn't thinking about this in terms of fraud, but more of addiction.

If someone is in pain, and needs the meds, they would oblige and sign the paperwork.  

I would think.

I mean, who would/should refuse?

And if it's a chronic pain issue, then a pain management clinic would be the only option.  There, the patient can be treated, monitored, etc. properly.

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There are a great many chronic pain sufferers out there who barely manage. They have no desire to become addicted. They monitor themselves to ration their medication, and in many cases take less than they actually need, and don't take medication when they should, out of fear that it will be cut off for no good reason. And that's happening right now.

The govt cares about a "national opioid epidemic." The doctors care about being monitored. Both the govt and now most doctors care far more about the "crisis" of addicted users and being punished for "over"-prescribing, than they care about patients in pain with genuine need.

A lot of "pain management" is basically just suck it up. You get this much medication - after that, here's some useless coping mechanisms to try and take your mind off the pain we know you're going to have but no one's allowed to medicate you for. Good luck.

And honestly, the general public of all ages who has no chronic pain or doesn't know anyone who does, often reacts as if there's no such thing as genuine chronic pain. People must be faking it, people must be weenies, if it hurts too bad, just stop being a big baby and deal. Because...if they haven't experienced it, it isn't true. And everyone exaggerates - except them, of course.

And the same clueless, self-righteous people clutch their pearls at the thought of using medical cannabis - which has none of the negative qualities the govt and its crisis are freaking out about.

You're in pain? Well here, you can have this, but I won't (not can't, but won't) give you any more. Need more for that pain? Too bad, so sad. Is there anything else you could take that would help your pain? Well yes, there is actually - but you can't have that either because it's....well, because...because, that's why. Now shut up and just go hurt.

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@Moonchilde  I had to fight back tears reading your post. My son and many others are on the list of having a "suicide disease" and the fact that he and others may choose this route BECAUSE they can't get their meds makes me sick. 

People have NO clue as to the TRUE suffering many are going through with pain that is not controlled, not cured but has the edge knocked off so they can FUNCTION in the most primitive way via opiates.

Geez, it makes me so angry that they are lumped in the same group as others who.....never mind.

[Kachina624]

Opoid abusers have no trouble at all getting what they want.  People who have a legitimate need for pain killers have to jump through hoops. 

[Moonchilde]

@SahmIam, it happens because it's the easiest way to deal - in absolutes. Gray areas require thought - reasoning, common sense, changing a judgment or not making one. People who "need" anything, no matter what it is="bad" people.  People who don't "need" anything="good" people.

Requires no thought at all, only moral judgment. And so many are happy to hand that out like candy mints.

[viva923]

wow,

I can't take pain pills, I take them and they make me more sick than not taking them. I never could take pain med's..  If I did take any pain med's (after my surg's I have had) it was 1/2 to 1/4 of the pill. I only took the pain pills for maybe 1-2 days at most and only  every 12 hours or 1 every 24 hours.

[Moonchilde]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

Opoid abusers have no trouble at all getting what they want.  People who have a legitimate need for pain killers have to jump through hoops. 

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Which is the equal criminality - of innocents - in the "war on opiates."

[GenXmuse]

Where are all these doctors that give out pain medication liberally?  I sure haven't met any.  As a chronic pain sufferer I have never had a doctor like this.  I wish. 

The government should not have have control over this. It seems many people cry outrage at the government getting involved in anything except when it dictates the morality that they agree with. Needing pain medication is not a sign of personal failure and immorality. 

[GSPgirl]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

I can understand them needing to crack down on fraud .....  BUT ......   when people with legitimate chronic pain can't get the relief they need, then something has to be done.    

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Completely agree with you.   

[hyacinth003]

I am against the government INTERFERENCE in the doctor-patient relationship. 

Just because some people abuse or hurt themselves taking drugs doesn't mean EVERYONE needs to be punished for it.

My daughter lives in constant pain because NO DOCTOR will even let her TRY an opiod prescription.  So I could care LESS about abuse, overdose, etc.  Those are choices.  My daughter does not CHOOSE pain every single second.  If it didn't help her, I know she wouldn't take them.  My husband (rheumatoid arthritis) has had to jump through hoops to get medication.

People who have true medical needs are now being made to feel like criminals to just get a medical issue treated.  They can just go after those they investigate for truly prescribing wrongly.  Leave everyone else alone.

People are so willing to react emotionally and demand the government crack down.  Really?  Let doctors be doctors, not police guards.

Hyacinth, RN

[Allegheny]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@Allegheny wrote:

Visited my physician today.  Upon leaving his staff asked me if I had received notice of their health system's new opioid policy.  I had not, so they handed me a copy.  I read it and just said "wow".  But they got to do what they got to do.  It read:

"Please be aware that Blah Blah Health Network will be changing the policy of prescribing Opioids.  If you or a family member of our office takes a controlled substance, it will be mandatory for all patients to fill out a new controlled substance agreement, pill counts on all office visits and for urine drug screening.

If any are refused, the patient will be referred to a pain management facility (or you can choose one) and/or psychiatrist.

No opioids will be prescribed by our office if there is a refusal of any part of this policy."

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@Allegheny  Are they saying the patient has to hand over their pill bottles so that the PCP can count how many pills were used since the last visit???

Or would this be an assessment based on the urine test to see if the patient had more opiods in their urine than they should have based on the strength of the script and number of pills prescribed???

eta:  Ok-I see some clarification.  Tests to see if the patient is taking the pills as prescribed or taking more than prescribed or not taking enough (selling).

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@Cakers3

I am not sure and it wasn't explained.  My pain medication is prescribed prn x2 daily for lower back pain.  So on any given future appointment it could be absent in my urine.  It is my understanding they will count the number of pills in the bottle since the prescription was ordered but how they are going to use that for prn scripts isn't clear.

[LTT1]

@Allegheny

This is a WOW situation

It seems to me that the problem has gone too far with trying to control an out-of-control situation.

My understanding is that doctors are tasked with endless paperwork when needing to RX pain meds, so they just don't (which is not a very good solution).

And the doctors seem to fear losing their licenses over this, too.

A couple of consequences of an overly zealous approach are 1) people in dire pain are not allowed to have the medicine and 2) the healthcare community is now only willing to RX if a patient goes to THEIR hospital. 

I see, in general, more alternate medicine being incorporated into treatments. Also, use of medical m seems to be gaining ground.