Community Chat

[Mj12]

On 10/8/2014 occasional rain said:

On 10/8/2014 MJ 12 said:

On 10/8/2014 occasional rain said:

This is America and we are supposed to have freedom to pursue happiness, to make our own choices as long as those choices don't hinder the freedoms of others. How does a person's desire to take pain medication or any other medication or supplement hinder my freedom or yours? I don't want the government in my business or medicine cabinet.

Really? When said person gets behind the wheel, or operates machinery, pilots an airplane/subway/train, etc.

(I'm NOT referring to the OP just your question)

The same could be said about someone who is drunk, hungover, or hasn't gotten enough sleep. Do you want the government monitoring your sleep?

ok, have a nice day.

[CouponQueen]

On 10/8/2014 chrystaltree said:

You KNOW why, they told you. It's the law. So, stop whining and just go get a new script! If you hadn't held on to it for 5 days, you would have this problem.

I am thinking she could not fil it on 10/3 cause it was too soon!

[occasionalrain]

Suppose there weren't all the issues getting drugs legally, the prohibitions and they were sold at an affordable price. There would no longer be an incentive for street vendors because there wouldn't be any profit in it. We wouldn't have people shooting people over territory or drug deals going south. It would free up the police, imagine the hours spent chasing drug dealers and their clients.

To me, the ship has sailed on Just Say No. There is an element of the population who will indulge in drugs no matter the laws and there will be sellers of illegal items, drugs and knockoff handbags, because of the money to be made

[lulu2]

On 10/8/2014 BonnieBelle said:

Wow, my Rite Aid takes prescriptions that are months old but that is just for my son's acne medication. Maybe pain medication is different.

These new laws, which vary from state to state, deal with narcotics.

[winamac1]

On 10/7/2014 hyacinth003 said:

This will inconvenience every legitimate user.

It will most likely do LITTLE to curb true abuse.

Hyacinth

I would agree.

[Lindsays Grandma]

Abusers go to pain management doctors for narcotics and if they can fool the staff they get a prescription, have it filled and sell each pill for seven to fifteen dollars, yes, each pill. The people buying them are not using them for pain relief, they are addicted and they are at the mercy of the greedy people selling them. It is sickening.

Here in AZ I have been able to fill prescriptions that are six months to a year old. I see my pain mangement doctor once a month and am able to fill the prescriptions three days early if I want or need to. Perhaps the law will change here as it did in PA. As for narcotic medicine, those cannot be called in to the pharmacy and there are no refills. A prescription has to presented to the pharmacy and copies are submitted to the DEA from the office of the doctor writing it. The DEA supposedly is keeping a watchful eye on pain management doctors and one facility was shut down about three years ago. It is a sad world we live in.

[shoekitty]

I see a whole new problem with this law. The law states you see the Doctor every time to get new script in hard copy. If you are a chronic pain person or have a disease that requires pain meds, it can be a lot more trouble for the Doctor and the patient. My friend is disabled, her Doctor is 90 mins away due to insurance. I drive her once in a while. She sees an internist and a rheumatologist. She is allergic to NSAIDS. I forget which Doc she gets pain meds from,. Okay so the Doctor is to see all the patients they administer pain meds to each time? They would be seeing these patients all day and not be able to see other patients, LOL! What about disabled patients. How can a Doctor see all these patients once a month.? I am just trying to figure this out. Do they give larger quantities, or have blank scripts for nurse to give to patients? Many insurances wouldn't allow you to see the Doctor every 30 days would they? That is a huge cost to insurance companies and a burden to the medical industry, that is suffering from customer service anyway

Thoughts?

[CouponQueen]

I don't think the law requires you to see the MD every month. It requires a new prescription not a new MD visit!

Most MD's/Pain Mgt have a dedicated line to patients to call in..they have to pick up their script in person..and they DO watch the # of days..You cannot consistently refill early. I think the law in our state is a total of 7 days cumalitive on a script that the dose and time has not changed.

There is also a web site for prescribers - who are supposed to look at before prescribing ANY narcotic. It will have the patients name, what they had filled, where, MD and if they used insurance or paid cash.

I think this alone should be just about what is needed to stop issues in their tracks..but you have MD's who do NOT check the site. I know for a fact I was working with a MD who told me that he just had a new consult who wanted pain meds..had his MRI with him etc. He checked the site and in fact had three other scripts within 30-days. Different MD's and Pharamcy's. Pharms can also refuse to fill but they didn't. He told him he is sorry but he could not prescribe.

The man when confronted said his wife filled them in his name..to get insurance to pay. He was a Teacher!

Do I think he was selling..of course not - I think he had chronic pain and got caught up in the cycle of taking more to get pain relief.

[shoekitty]

On 10/9/2014 CouponQueen said:

I don't think the law requires you to see the MD every month. It requires a new prescription not a new MD visit!

Most MD's/Pain Mgt have a dedicated line to patients to call in..they have to pick up their script in person..and they DO watch the # of days..You cannot consistently refill early. I think the law in our state is a total of 7 days cumalitive on a script that the dose and time has not changed.

There is also a web site for prescribers - who are supposed to look at before prescribing ANY narcotic. It will have the patients name, what they had filled, where, MD and if they used insurance or paid cash.

I think this alone should be just about what is needed to stop issues in their tracks..but you have MD's who do NOT check the site. I know for a fact I was working with a MD who told me that he just had a new consult who wanted pain meds..had his MRI with him etc. He checked the site and in fact had three other scripts within 30-days. Different MD's and Pharamcy's. Pharms can also refuse to fill but they didn't. He told him he is sorry but he could not prescribe.

The man when confronted said his wife filled them in his name..to get insurance to pay. He was a Teacher!

Do I think he was selling..of course not - I think he had chronic pain and got caught up in the cycle of taking more to get pain relief.

hanks for the info, coupon queen! Interesting. What I was referring to is people who do not go to pain management clinics, but go to their Internist or other doctor. If you live 90 mins from a doctor it will require traveling that distance for disabled to pick up hard copy RX. I was trying to figure what someone would do in that situation.

[millieshops]

CVS and Walgreens and Rite-Aid and the neighborhood pharmacist, too! They have to do what the state requires!

What angers me is that the restrictions come because too many someone's with MD degrees are writing scripts for hundreds of painkillers hundreds of times a day. They don't see real patients, just druggies and/or dealers willing to buy these scripts. Then there are the out and out thieves of pills.

The rest of us who really need painkillers get caught in the restrictive laws which are passed in attempts to restrict the misuse.