Chronic Pain Patients Will Have More Trouble

[tednlou2]

I thought this was coming.  I know there is now an epidemic of abuse.  Of course, many just use them for recreation, or sell them to make money.  I always get pissed off, when I hear someone is going to their doc, making up pain, and selling them. 

This will mean legit users will have to make an appointment for each prescription, because hydrocodone will now be like Percocet, where a doc cannot add refills or call in the med to the pharmacy.  More time waiting and more money out of pocket.  Many family docs have sent all their chronic pain patients to pain clinics, because they were tired of the hassle of all the new state requirements.  Pain clinics are growing, but can't keep up.  They definitely won't be able to keep up, if you have to get a prescription for each and every refill. 

There was a news report here how heroin arrests have gone up something like 1,000%, since the state made it more difficult for family docs to prescribe.  That is huge.  I guess many turned to heroin, because it is easier to get and cheaper?  My brother-in-law is a doc.  He said due to the prescribing restrictions, they cannot prescribe more than 3 days worth, without doing a patient narcotic contract.  I think they are required to do piss tests, too, for more than 3 days.  So, he said many docs are under-prescribing, because they do not want the hassle.  Pain clinics are now the business for docs to be in.  More will pop up.  I don't think this will do much at all, except to make it harder on people in pain.  They will end up suffering in pain, when they can't get an appointment, because the pain clinics can't keep up. 

I know there is an epidemic.  It seems like everyone has a prescription for them.  I know many have died from overdoses-- although I believe most were from Oxycotin.  But, they also give many some quality of life. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/health/fda-vote-on-restricting-hydrocodone-products-vicodin.html

[mikeyb39]

has this been approved already or in the process stages?   i read the article, but can determine if its a done deal.

[Jeff G]

Maybe I am lucky to have the doctor I see for my chronic pain condition but I have never had a problem getting medication to treat my pain .

If people need to be on pain meds for the long term its best to see a pain management doctor . I have often heard story's about how hard it is to get a doctor to write a script for pain meds only to find out they are asking it of a general practitioner who simply cant afford to have the reputation as a doctor with lots a patients on narcotics .

Asking a doctor for pain meds for an extended time without a proper diagnosis or medical findings will often get you no where fast but if you are truly in need of pain management , have a diagnosis and see the right specialist you wont run into these problems I hear so much about .