Hello Countrymouse Thanks for the note. Im a 82 year old city mouse in NYC. Yes I am asking my pain doctor because of the pandemic - to see me - for the duration of this craziness to prescibe me medication via video link. I have been quarantined for 3 months. Again. I am 82. If I wanted to OD I would have done that long ago. Also I am lucky enough to have to have landed a low income apartment on the 21st floor with a balcony in the middle of Manhattan. If I were a high risk opioid dependent drug addict I could have just stepped off the balcony. Something should be done to change these stupid laws.
Nick, is your PCP willing to prescribe your percocet?
I would use them from now on and cut out the pain clinic.
The laws are most likely state laws that are in place to stop unethical doctors from writing scripts for addicts. The really sad thing is that 93% of patients that receive pain management do so with no problems, it's the 7% that misuse the services and meds that make this a problem for everyone trying to have quality of life by reducing their pain.
You can call your state's attorney general and get the laws governing narcotic prescriptions.
Do you mean that you are asking a pain management specialist to examine, diagnose and prescribe for a patient by video link, and the specialist is refusing to do so?
Its part of the CDC guidelines as well as the law in many states. We don’t know where you live so you should consider researching your state laws yourself. If you have an opioid prescription, you can blame the CDC and their ridiculous guidelines that punish those who are in pain.
Hey Barb. Thank for the note. But I intend calling my primary care doc on Mon. morning. He will treat me - I'm sure - like a patient in pain and not a druggie. Have a great day and stay safe.
I am also a 'chronic' pain patient, but take a very low dose of codeine, which must not be so highly regulated, since my PCP handles it and I see him once every 3 months and he writes a scrip for 1 month with 2 refills.
Prior to the back surgeries which 'fixed' the horrible pain, I was taking Norco and I had to see my PCP monthly. I rehabbed to a point where I am just always going to have some pain--osteoarthritis in most joints and a miserable life w/o something stronger than Ibuprofen (which I can't take much of, stomach issues!)….
Dealing once with a pain management dr I came away in tears and feeling like an utter junky. They are under such scrutiny---and so they prescribe the minimum drugs possible. It's awful. Yet, I know my 'local' drug dealer (everybody has one in their neighborhood) can get his hands on anything. I don't know how and I don't care, but I find it interesting.
My DIL is an anesthesiologist. She said that the worst abusers of narcotics is anesthesiologists. Not the common man in the street.
I'd go to my PCP with this, if your pain dr is unwilling to do a televisit. Things are going to be different for a few more months and drs have to figure out how to treat 'virtually'.
So, the laws on prescribing opioids are Federal DEA statutes. The above link is a clarification from DEA on prescribing during the pandemic. It clearly seems that prior regs are loosened now.
Have you discussed with your doc your reasons for not venturing out?
My nephew has had two phone "visits" with his Neurologist and his Endocrinologist in the last month. But he is on no meds.
Normally, Medicare requires the patient to be seen personally to be able to bill Medicare. But I would think under the circumstances, restrictions have been relaxed. If you are an ongoing patient, I don't see where the Dr. can't just give you a new prescription.
Pain management centers have begun to see patients in person this month here in Maryland. Prior to this month PM was seeing patients via televisit. My good friend goes monthly for chronic pain. During the telehealth phone visits my friend needed to show her picture ID during the video to verify who she was. Her next appt is tomorrow and she was told she must go in person. These are the facts here. I don’t know where you live. Yes we had to pay our co-pay for each visit. I was surprised his appt is in person this month but it is.
PCP’s will not write ongoing pain medication refills. This may actually cause a problem as each patient signs a contract at PM that the patient will not see any other doctor for pain meds else the contract will be voided. Yes the opioid laws stink but it is what it is these days. Wear a mask and follow CDC guidelines but get there.
Thanks for the note.
Im a 82 year old city mouse in NYC.
Yes I am asking my pain doctor because of the pandemic - to see me - for the duration of this craziness to prescibe me medication via video link. I have been quarantined for 3 months.
Again. I am 82. If I wanted to OD
I would have done that long ago.
Also I am lucky enough to have to have landed a low income apartment on the 21st floor with a balcony in the middle of Manhattan. If I were a high risk opioid dependent drug addict I could have just stepped off the balcony.
Something should be done to change these stupid laws.
I would use them from now on and cut out the pain clinic.
The laws are most likely state laws that are in place to stop unethical doctors from writing scripts for addicts. The really sad thing is that 93% of patients that receive pain management do so with no problems, it's the 7% that misuse the services and meds that make this a problem for everyone trying to have quality of life by reducing their pain.
You can call your state's attorney general and get the laws governing narcotic prescriptions.
Nick, have you tried calling 311 to report the issue that you are having?
If the are not helping, please post back here. I'm in Brooklyn.
Thank for the note.
But I intend calling my primary care doc on Mon. morning.
He will treat me - I'm sure - like a patient in pain and not a druggie.
Have a great day and stay safe.
Prior to the back surgeries which 'fixed' the horrible pain, I was taking Norco and I had to see my PCP monthly. I rehabbed to a point where I am just always going to have some pain--osteoarthritis in most joints and a miserable life w/o something stronger than Ibuprofen (which I can't take much of, stomach issues!)….
Dealing once with a pain management dr I came away in tears and feeling like an utter junky. They are under such scrutiny---and so they prescribe the minimum drugs possible. It's awful. Yet, I know my 'local' drug dealer (everybody has one in their neighborhood) can get his hands on anything. I don't know how and I don't care, but I find it interesting.
My DIL is an anesthesiologist. She said that the worst abusers of narcotics is anesthesiologists. Not the common man in the street.
I'd go to my PCP with this, if your pain dr is unwilling to do a televisit. Things are going to be different for a few more months and drs have to figure out how to treat 'virtually'.
So, the laws on prescribing opioids are Federal DEA statutes. The above link is a clarification from DEA on prescribing during the pandemic. It clearly seems that prior regs are loosened now.
Have you discussed with your doc your reasons for not venturing out?
Normally, Medicare requires the patient to be seen personally to be able to bill Medicare. But I would think under the circumstances, restrictions have been relaxed. If you are an ongoing patient, I don't see where the Dr. can't just give you a new prescription.
During the telehealth phone visits my friend needed to show her picture ID during the video to verify who she was.
Her next appt is tomorrow and she was told she must go in person.
These are the facts here. I don’t know where you live.
Yes we had to pay our co-pay for each visit.
I was surprised his appt is in person this month but it is.
PCP’s will not write ongoing pain medication refills. This may actually cause a problem as each patient signs a contract at PM that the patient will not see any other doctor for pain meds else the contract will be voided.
Yes the opioid laws stink but it is what it is these days. Wear a mask and follow CDC guidelines but get there.
Hope this helps.
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