General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Working While Poor and In Pain in the United States [View all]moonscape
(4,664 posts)regulations changed and things got a whole lot tighter.
I'm fortunate. I've had low-level chronic pain for decades and have been going to the same rheumatologist (Director of Rheum at a noted hospital clinic.) He knows I don't abuse, and prescribed about 5x the Vicodin I took. Back then, there'd be a script in house and I could refill at will. I filled a fraction of what he prescribed, but still warehoused. A friend would have back pain and I'd be able to share a few.
Then, Vicodin was replaced with Norco several years ago, but I still have a boatload of Vicodin - enough for a couple of years. Got cancer and was given oxycodone. Again, I don't take as much as prescribed but resumed my habit of warehousing. Thank goodness!
This Spring, regulations changed, and I've heard scattered reports of even fellow cancer patients not being prescribed what they need. WTF? I was at my GP of 25 years last week, and told her I was getting edgy. Said I didn't need more pain meds but was warehousing and she was very sympathetic. She said since she doesn't write many scripts for narcotics, and knows the local druggist, she has no problem (whipped out her pad and wrote me a big script), but the issues are real. She's hoping things will calm down a bit and become more rational, but for now ... it's really tight.
Gone are the days of faxing scripts. One now has to hand-carry everything.
I have been a pain patient for decades but have never been an addict. I didn't expect meds to get rid of my pain, only to snip the sharpest knife-tip off.
I'm fortunate to be prepared, that I can continue filling what I need and maintain my stash, but I'd be in a crazy panic if in the more vulnerable situation of so many others.
It's wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.