Renewing Pain Medication

[Guest guest]

You would think after all the pain med.'s I've been prescribed, had filled and

re-filled, I'd know better by now, but when you're hurting, you don't think

about the insurance company or the pharmacies or the DEA or the doctor's rules

and reguations - BUT, to those who are new to this situation let me clue you in

to something a very nice young pharmicist at one of the major drug chains told

me when I presented him with a renewal prescription for pain medicine my pain

management doctor, whose office I'd just come from had given me -

he politely said I still had 5 days before the insurance company would pay for

the prescription. I asked him if I could pay for the prescription out of my

pocket and take it up with them later, he said yes but the cost would have been

about 31 times the cost of what the insurance company co-pay is.

He asked me why I had almost run out of the medicine so early. I told him that

some days I took more of it than prescribed because I was in pain longer and

took less of it on the days when the pain was less.

He told me that the reason doctor's prescribe a specific quantity of pills and

direct them ( the pharmacists to indicate it on the bottle ) is because they

want you to take the medicine as prescribed - Period, never mind if one day

you're feeling a little more Ok than another when you need more medicine just to

get through the day.

Yes, you can ask your physician for more medicine, but remember, you often get

to a point where the more you take, the more you need on a regular basis.

My intent is to get one of those " by the week " pill boxes, put the prescribed

dosage in the little compartments when I have a prescription refilled and if I

find I can't stick to it, then I'll take it up with my doctor.

He's fairly understanding, but he is the one who verified verbally what I found

to be true on my own and stated earlier, the more you take, the more you need

unless you discipline your body to get by on what's been prescribed.

I hope this helps someone just starting out with prescribed daily narcotic pain

medication because the first time you run out and can't get a refill for several

days, you'll know why I posted this.

Keavan

[Guest guest]

I have dealt with insurance companies when they decide that you need a

pre-authorization for a medication that you have been taking for YEARS.

I have also been in the spot of running out of my meds when I need them. So my

doc and I have worked something out. He gave me my base meds that I take daily

and med to have on hand for those days when my meds aren't quite enough.

To get around the insurance company he writes my script for 1 pill 3 times a

day. That gives me enough meds to get by with and takes care of my really bad

days.

Blessed be,

Ms.Katurah

[Guest guest]

It's true, we should never take more or less than prescribed. Pain management

doctors are supposed to up the dose as needed, if they are good about keeping

your pain under control.

Most doctors I've run into aren't trying to control pain, they are controlling

the amount of medication they feel comfortable prescribing.

If you can't discuss the need for more medication or a change to get your pain

under control, maybe it's time to find a pain management doctor who is dedicated

to his/her chosen profession.

I understand when all you can find is a doctor who gives you " some " pain

medication but not enough. I've had to live with that too.

Getting a pill organizer will help keep you on track. I couldn't remember what

I've taken or what I haven't taken without one.

Jennette

Keaven wrote:

He told me that the reason doctor's prescribe a specific quantity of pills and

direct them ( the pharmacists to indicate it on the bottle ) is because they

want you to take the medicine as prescribed - Period, never mind if one day

you're feeling a little more Ok than another when you need more medicine just to

get through the day.

[Guest guest]

Ms Katurah,

My Doctor did the same thing. He gave me a bottle with a bottle with less mg in

it. I also keep a pain diary and explain the explanations.

[Guest guest]

Yes, that is why when Doctor's prescribe the meds, you are supposed to follow

the instructions. If you tell your Doctor that you are taking more than

prescribe on certain days, he might get mad at you and drop you as a patient,

because in their heads you are abusing the medication, even if you take less on

certain days.

No pharmacy will filled a schedule 2 medication ahead of time, the most that

they will do is 27 to 28 days out. Case in point, I went to see my pain

management Doctor last Wednesday the 9th, my scripts do not run out until the

27th of this month.

I can not take that paper script to my pharmacy until at least the 25th.

Medicare will fill it 3 days ahead of time (private insurance too), but not

earlier. So if your Doctor gives you a paper script for a schedule 2 med, make

sure to take it to the pharmacy on the allowed time, if not you can raise red

flags, not only with the Pharmacist,but with the Doctor too.

[Guest guest]

--- " tipper1207 " wrote:

>

> Case in point, I went to see my pain management Doctor last Wednesday the 9th,

my scripts do not run out until the 27th of this month.

> I can not take that paper script to my pharmacy until at least the 25th.

Tipper -

If I understand you correctly, your doctor wrote a script for a narcotic on the

9th of the month that you cannot have filled at the pharmacy until the 25th. Be

aware that by federal law in the U.S., a narcotic script cannot be filled if it

is dated more than 7 days before it is taken to the pharmacy to be filled.

If your doctor post-dated the script for the 25th, then you are fine. But if he

gave you a script dated the 9th, you will not be able to fill it on the 25th!

You will need to get a new script from him with a fresh date on it.

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator

[Guest guest]

I agree I did not lose a child but I am a mother!

God be with you!!!

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Cheryl in AZ wrote:f your doctor post-dated the script for the 25th, then you

are fine. But if he gave you a script dated the 9th, you will not be able to

fill it on the 25th! You will need to get a new script from him with a fresh

date on it.

Good info Cheryl! I did not know that. My pain management doc was giving me

three months RX at a time, that is three separate RXs. I never looked at them,

but now that you mention it, perhaps he was forward dating them all!

I did note that they all read " fill after " but I didn't note the date on the

bottom next to his signature.

Recently, a couple months ago, that same pain management doc said that now that

he considers me on maintenance mode, he requested my primary doc to write me the

RXs, and she said yes, that she would do it.

I was very surprised that she would do it. But, she did. I just requested my

2nd RX from her.

Jade

[Guest guest]

A suggestion for everyone who suffers chronic pain, make sure that the

medications you've been prescribed are for that exact problem.

I've noticed that in my own care that often so of my doctors prescribed

medications for me that were not exactly what I needed.

Now, I have what is called a long term pain med, which is a slow release and

handles my primary pain. And I have what is termed as a breakthrough medication.

Not all doctors prescribe both.

So long as the breakthrough medication is listed as a breakthrough pain. Which

releases usually within 15 minutes of taking it.

I also have another prescription for neuralgia, and myalgia. which to my utter

surprise I have found that when I'm off of it my knee pain which is due to

cartilage damage is much less. Somethings just don't make sense.

Hope this helps everyone.

Mist