2014 New Pain Medication Laws Dictating To Doctors That They Cannot Prescribe Anything Equivalent 120 Mg Of Morphine Or Higher A Day Per Patient (Page 4)

I was told Friday by my Pain Management Doctor at my monthly appointment that the DEA was implementing a new law dictating to doctors on how much pain medication they could prescribe per patient per day. It could be equal to no more than 120 mg of Morphine per day per patient and they had to comply within 3 months for all of their patients. I am trying to find out as much information on this as possible. I don't know if my Pain Management Doctor is stating fact or if he is just running scared and if he is stating fact, I don't know if this is federal or state (Alabama) mandated. I spoke directly with the Southeastern division of the DEA in Atlanta this morning and they are not aware of any law of this nature coming into effect and I also contacted another pain clinic locally that has never heard of it either. So I have been trying to reach my Pain Management Clinic and get a copy of the law itself so I will know if it's federal or state and if it is an actual law or just a state regulation and if it's even true but so far no one has called me back so I thought I'd try my luck here and see if anyone has heard of this. This really has me bothered. It looks like either way, true or not, to get adequate pain care I am at least going to have to move out of state if not the entire country. I will ask my questions about that in a different post. But if this is in any way true, and it seems my pain doctor is going to be going by these guidelines whether it is or is not true, it is going to cut my pain meds by almost half. I am on 120 mg of Oxycodone and 8 mg of Dilaudid per day which I was told equals 212 mg of Morphine per day. And before someone decides to tell me that I don't need that much pain medication, I will go ahead and say to you, you don't know me, you don't know what conditions I have that cause me Daily Severe Chronic Pain and other Daily Severe Pain to warrant that much medication, you don't know my tolerance for pain meds, I do NOT take any pain medication to feel high, I ONLY take pain medication to relieve some of the pain as what I am on doesn't even relieve all of my pain, I do NOT drink, I do NOT do street drugs, I see my doctor every 28 days just as I am supposed to, I take my medication as prescribed and the way I am supposed to take it except when I had extreme oral surgery a month ago and I did have to break up my tablets for about a week but they were put on my tongue and NOT up my nose and they were IR tablets so I was fine doing that as I had checked with my pharmacist prior, and you don't feel what I feel or see me lying in bed 24/7 crying from the pain because it is so excruciating and unrelenting so please before anyone starts telling me that I don't need that much pain medicine just stop now before you even start. Those of you that have to live with daily pain will surely understand where I am coming from being this defensive as I'm sure you know you are treated as a drug addict by most doctors even. Thanks in advance for any help with my question.

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Posters,

If those who can die from intractable pain (and will not name my 400 plus disorders) who went to the highest pain specialist in America are being affected--left without recourse and worse yet no referrals to take us because WE ARE SO RARE it is a true symbol of the fact that government is now controlling our physicians.

The DEA only uses medical physicians WHEN THEY TAKE a physician to trial not on their set up busts in PM offices never. Now the FDA who never put out such a suggestion associating our medications with OD's and TRUE they are but due to NON patients dying from prescription medication.

So we suffer YES because our physicians need to grow their balls back and do what they were trained to do; "do no harm."

They are doing harm, we are dying off at a rate too high to measure.

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I am in Florida. I go to a doctor who writes for pain management and for recovery. He had to pay an extra fee as he is a multiple opiate prescription writer. He gets monitored but does not have to change anything. He just has the pain patients fill out a form ahead of time and they receive their medication after a visit. Nothing is changing in the upcoming future as Florida has already rearranged everything to stop all the pill mills. Since 2012 98% of the pill mills that were giving Florida the title of "most opiates prescribed" have all been shut down.

Some things have changed like the pharmacies can only have a certain percentage of their sales narcotics. This makes for a lot of patients having to find a place to fill their prescriptions. The pharmacists are becoming more strict and interfering with patient care. People have had their scripts refused because they live more than 5 miles from the pharmacies. I have been on subutex for years and I can not afford the whole month at once. So I split it up and get what I can when I can. If you go over 6 times getting your medication, you lose all the rest of your prescription. Which usually just means you have to track your doctor done and he calls in and then its usually a few days without meds to get you back on track. Anyone on schedule 2 medication is treated with contempt and judged by the pharmacist. Its not impossible to get prescribed your medication in florida, its just very difficult.

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As many people say. I am new to Portland (moved back after 4yrs) and haven't been able to find a Doctor who will continue my pain medicine of morphine. As soon as I call they say they don't prescribe opiuids. Without knowing my situation! I have been going to a ' pain clinic" taking some crsp that doesn't work well and in constant pain. This is no way to be treated and Norway to live! I had great care in SC. No problems. I came back to care fore family but pain management wise wish I would have stayed where they understood. Please if you know of a good doctor that doesn't treat you like an addict let me know in the greater Portland area. I have had two back surgeries with no help. You can send a personal message if that would be better. Thanks in advance.

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I will start researching but I am curious if anyone has looked up stats for any state for before and after implementation of restrictions on..

1: suicides
2: supposed overdose
3: heart attacks
4: opiate addiction cases

Especially for targeted group like us. Unless they botched numbers it would be very telling.

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Posters,

ALL physicians other then those who are mentally deranged or ego maniacs (there are a few) are following this MANDATE fearing the DEA will implement it, and further the same outcomes they already suffer.

As I've said before the DEA storms your office its an automatic $1,000,000 fine NOW and your physician then must pay a lawyer to win this case (another million plus) and even if your physician WINS the first million is must money for the DEA to perform more witch hunts. Be it known it is unconstitutional for the DEA to train agents to be pain patients, to send them in with forged MRI's and how to behave to attain pain medications; that is what you call a set up. But it continues and we lose more physicians and their patients get arrested too.

I strongly suggest you keep a daily pain journal and copy it for your pain doctor each month, force it so that it appears on your records--it will keep you out of jail.

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Jenny,

You do know that the laws were changed so that pharmacists can WRITE above your physician?

What does this mean?

That a pharmacist can look at you in the snotty way they do, decide that they will not give you the 300 Percocet written for you but change this to 300 Lortab ABOVE your physician's orders. That is correct.

F the pharmacists. I am usually on such a high amount of medication and such a high bill ($25,000 monthly) if I have a physician which currently I do not that my medications are filled states away in a mail order setting and trust me it ain't Walgreen, CVS or the other opioidphobic pharmacies.

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Jenny

Florida has the following a stats:

447 heroin deaths up 250%
538 fentanyl deaths up 200% and is mixed with heroin
1316 xanax deaths up 5%
978 oxy deaths down 7%

This is all for the year 2014. The increase in H use is because of the pill mills being shut down and Dr shopping being stopped. No increase in treatment at all. Thank god I have my subutex and that I am clean.

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A Pharmacist Cannot Change a Prescription Without A Physicians Authorization. A Pharmacist Can Refuse To Fill A Prescription. President Obama has nothing to do with this. It is a matter of liability.

"The responsibility for the proper prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances is upon the prescribing practitioner, but a corresponding responsibility rests with the pharmacist who fills the prescription."

Purpose of issue of prescription:
deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/cfr/1306/1306_04.htm

Role of Authorized Agents in Communicating Controlled Substance Prescriptions to Pharmacies:
deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/2010/fr1006.htm

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Jenny,

Public suicides occurred when "Dr. Bill" was arrested in Virginia the first time; patients on high level opioids were viewed on the news begging for physician help. No one helped them, they took their lives. The second time "Dr. Bill" went down my physician of 10 years now deceased took the overload in Texas. It meant less time for us but he did the right thing. God bless his deceased soul, he was a good man.

There will be higher suicide rates for you cannot treat pain patients who are legitimate suddenly like dope fiends.

That is what your voted leader came in wanting to do rid America of chronic illness by non treatment to reduce the cost of health care. The wannabe socialist had this plan in progress when he was voted in.

Learn if you are a pain patient to do what I did (put 10% aside per month) for without a specialist for 10 months and an overjudicious and murderous workers comp group attempting to kill me for the lifetime medical award they could have settled years ago, they have effectively attempted to kill me literally, I will not share details here for clear purpose. I took them to court and won, they appealed holding off a panel of physicians of course that won't work but I have had this lifetime award for MANY MANY YEARS. It only became a problem when Odumma held up shortages of opioids to increase prices and then the little insurers thought they could take WC cases, old SSDI cases and make them Odummacare which they cannot.

IF Dr. Famous threw 30 out of state clients out cold without a solution and is sucking up to the vultures who are trying to kill me after 5 years well that's what the best did to me.

You don't need the statistics, you need to find the few physicians left who are courageous enough to practice proper medicine.

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BL that was very clear. The guy who insults the pres and calls him a murderer was very wrong in what pharmacists can and cannot do. You Dr determines the reason you take something. But as I have experienced many times is that if something is not clear on the script, your Dr will be involved before you get something. My dose of something was increased and that pharmacist made sure it was valid. No Pharmacists can change a script or substitute, they can not even give a dose of something in a less amount of they are out of your meds.

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John, I was replying to P450's statement ''That a pharmacist can look at you in the snotty way they do, decide that they will not give you the 300 Percocet written for you but change this to 300 Lortab ABOVE your physician's orders. That is correct.'

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BL I was agreeing with you. I have said this many times and it just hasn't sunk into that guy and some others

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Posters,

Any pharmacist can change your opioid above the physician's written prescription.

Ask one that you do not need to use again and watch it unfold.

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chg swabsticks by Chenyanglobal Group

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john, I apologize for misunderstanding.

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So true! It's about money and lowering our group. If we complain and speak truth we get fired or an asylum for us. Time to stay strong or the only other logical choice is end life now. We MUST remember we have an ally in Christ! I drove myself crazy tryin to explain how and why my dose should be what I think it should be. And in five years it hasn't increased! (My personal dose) not the prescribed dose. All the medical facts back it up and the doctors and silly child nurse practitioners get a glazed look on their face and say, "oh we never give more than four. For your own good of course," HOGWASH! There is a plan in motion and we are the pawns.

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Spyz , "oh we never give more than four. For your own good of course," Leads me to believe that you're taking immedicate release tablets and not extended release. When a patient has pain that is severe and they need it managed 24/7, extended release are the best. Some dr give immedicate release for break through pain and some don't. When a patient takes immediiate release and they take it every 4-6 hrs, there is a greater chance of them taking more prescribed, which is not good for the patient. Also the more pills that are prescribed the greater the chance that some will be diverted, which isn't good for the patient and others.

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Spyz,

I was normally on 80 and 80 of brand Duragesic a month and have weaned down to less than 30% and that is LA. The FDA 120 mg. morphine equivalent is now dictating your physicians. It's not a LAW. It's not the DEA but the FDA has never done this so they are all backing down. Listen these physicians have illness and families. They do not need to go to prison over our pain management either!

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Not about long acting vs short acting medications. The 2 types take care of completely different types and levels of pain long acting meds help the very deep pain but do nothing for break through pain and vice vs for the short however short can help the deep pain but you would need alot more to manage all of it the combination of both makes it to where someone like me can manage. Long acting meds last 7-9 hours even though listed as 12.. short acting will last 4-6 until body builds individual tolerance and lasts 3-4 hours at the most effective levels. So in hindsight 2 long acting meds and at least 4 short term for 24 hour period shorts you 2 not only that cutting type of med to morphine that is not effective for everyone unless we are no longer individuals shorts you almost all relief all the years working with my Dr to see what kind what strength and how many flushed away to someone that does not walk in my shoes.

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If I'm not mistaken rulings of a State Board of Pharmacy are considered to have the force of law. When Federal and State regs class — the more restrictive regs win out — an that is in the law. It bothers me having to write scripts for Klonopin as if they were for Oxycontin, etc.

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