Spineless pm doctors
 

My pm doctor of 8 years just dropped me cold, without warning, and cut all meds just like that. Said he was afraid of "diversion". I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the visiting DEA agents. I had my pcp doctor refer me to another pain management clinic and they took me right away. Avoided a major set back just by the skin of my teeth.

So I was thinking... here is a list of things I'm sick of. Anyone else who can think of anything else, feel free to add to it!

I'm sick of feeling like a criminal every time I get my multiple pain med prescriptions filled, hoping that my pharmacist doesn't talk to loud about my so called "problem". At least that's what he likes to call it. Really?

I'm sick of having to pee in a cup every single time I go in for a pain management visit.

I'm sick of having to bring in all my prescription bottles to every pm doctor appointment just so they can count them. Really?

I'm sick of having to settle for a pain score of 5-6 when I know if my pm doctor was not afraid to prescribe properly, I could keep it at a 2-3 score.

I'm sick of DEA intimidation tricks that take away my ability to have my pain properly managed. My only consolation is the hope that every single DEA agent, cop or rent-a-cop will someday get a brutal case of RSD or at least a swift kick to the crotch that will give them everlasting pain.

I'm sick of not having access to my states so called, "Public Health Surveillance Program" that gives every medical provider full access to my pharmacy records. I want to know who has been snooping into my history. It's my health information and I want full access too!!

I'm sick of over hearing murmured words of "addict" and "seeker" coming from behind the check in desk at my pm doctors office. Is it because I have been there for so long? Really?

I am sick of being mis-represented as a chronic pain patient in every story that comes out in the media, headlined with, "91% of Chronic Pain Patients Abuse Prescriptions". SICK OF IT!

I'm sick of being accused of something I have never done or been guilty of doing. "Guilty until proven innocent" is the pm doctor's mantra.

I can only hope that in the near future they will require all pain management doctors to go through "pain management realism training". That would be where they attach a pair of vice grip pliers on the doctors arm nice and tight. Then every day, unexpectedly, someone walks up to them and cranks down the vice grip pliers another notch or so, until it becomes so excruciatingly, exquisitely painful they have to run to the emergency room only to be met with suspicion and accusations of "seeker" and "shopper". Oh ya, and did I mention the vice grip pliers are red hot and there is nothing you can do about it 24/7/365??

Allrightythen. I feel just a tad bit better.

Feel free to add a thing or two my friends. :mad::cool:

Hi,
 

I would have put the pliers somewhere else. You are being too nice. LOL

I do think we are going to see more of this due to this new Healthcare program and people overseeing that know even less about medical issues.

Too, they have talked about people overdosing accidentally lately, so I think that's going to make things get worse.

I think it's sad too that these Drs. aren't offering other medical care besides just one thing and then when people find out it doesn't work then they are back to square one. I still say these Drs. have a one track mind and aren't willing to learn more about RSD and more options for the patients.

I think a person needs a Dr. that is open minded and will listen to the patient as well as thinking he's God.

I thought about that public records issue a few days ago. I donot like every Dr. being able to see what Drs. I have been to and what has been done. I went to a Dr. in the Springs months ago that was able to pull up my records at the University of Denver. He thought I should go there and when I told him I'd been there, he was able to verify it.

My medical history is long and I have been to many Drs. not just for RSD. I have been to several in the same fields until I found the one that was willing to help me but I wonder if some Drs. would look at that as what I was doing or just Dr. shopping. What saves me is that I have had the same PCP for 20 years and he gets copies of everywhere I go and everything I get done so I feel safe in that but there's always those Drs. out there that don't care. I've also had the same Pharmacist for 20 years, I don't like them since they moved but I just don't want to change and have to go farther out of town.

I am glad you found another PM Dr. so fast. Hopefully he will keep helping you.



Ada

You certainly are not alone Jetjock!
 

Not only is it the ANGER part......but to me it's the HUMILIATION...... !
http://dl8.glitter-graphics.net/pub/...lpseaqa94x.gif

I'm very curious about these open records of our medical profiles I hear about. Is there a way we can find out HOW they are being accessed?
I've heard that some states have them, but ...... how creepy.

It was very irresponsible of your Dr to just abruptly withdraw your meds like that......they are supposed to be safely tapered.....!
This sounds very heavy!

I would really like to know what 'my' records show! What an invasion of privacy!!!!! :eek::eek:

jetjock1, reword what you posted and send it to your congressman and representative. This business of the DEA has always disturbed me to no end. It is the equivalent to a modern day witch hunt. I've been looked at as a drug seeker I'm sure, can't prove it but many times I've gotten those vibes. The thing is it's my wife who has RSD, I'm fine. I go to all her appointments because of the first 4 years of her condition she was treated very poorly and I had enough of that BS. I get so angry with this that I've contemplated moving out of the US and rid the both of us with this greedy cut throat business, lockem all up mentality. I never felt that way before my wife became ill, I was in-fact very conservative. We are in a nation that allows strong meds to be advertised on tv, give kids speed to slow them down, take a pill for this and that, allow outragious rates for treatment and medicines and at the same time when someone has a confirmed terrible, painful condition like RSD, eyes start rolling, DEA agents are looking at your records, RSDers and other chronically ill people are forced to doctor hop convincing these idiots that "yes in fact these are drug seekers only.

As I stated in earlier posts my wife and I lost our insurance coverage. Her doctor has recently started doing drug tests on her. She follows the rules, no issue there, however, these **** tests cost me $600 a pop, out of pocket. The last silly test couldn't confirm anything yet it costs $600.

In our state, the only records that are "public" are controlled RX histories. Only medical offices or pharmacies have access to these. When requested it will show which doctors have been prescribing which drugs in the Controlled class only, to that patient, quantities and dates. They can be very helpful in detecting diversion and potential problems with drug seekers.
All pharmacies in our state, send in electronic records on every controlled drug purchase with ID of patient (driver's license or state ID card).

HIPPA should be in place for other records and data. Unless you signed it off when you went to that doctor, etc.

Hi Mrs. D,
 

The last time I was at U of Colorado was about 4 or 5 years ago and what I find is the form usually ask which Dr should recieve a copy of the visit. The only one I list on there is my PCP. I didn't expect for it to go global and wasn't ask if it could.

I went to see my Gynocologist last week and he had a copy of where I went to see another Gyno a month ago for another opinion on my pelvic pain. I was shocked when he ask me about it but thank goodness he was ok with me seeking a second opinion. I just couldn't figure out how he got a copy of it without me putting his name on the form. Again, I only put my PCP's.

Our records should not be out there where anyone can see them and I believe this will be used by WC and other insurance companies to find out things about patients we'd rather they not know as well as Drs. again thinking we are Dr. shopping and drug seekers.

Ada

Couldn't have said it better myself!!! Awesome post!! I refuse to go to PM anymore...they do nothing for me. My GP has MS so he knows about pain and does a great job helping me keep it under control as much as possible....:D

When celebs start overdosing on pain meds it gets the media's attention. I've been with the same pharmacy for the past 11 years. It is out of the way, but I've developed relationships there. I've had the pharmacist refuse to fill prescriptions a few times. It turned out he was right, my doc had made errors. Can you change pharmacies? Maybe a small, locally owned one, and not a chain...

I'm not fond of having to pee in a cup either, but I also realize that it is nothing personal. It only started in the last few years because of pressures from the gov't.

Personally, my goal is a level 5 or under most of the day, and to have some hours in the evening at the 2-3 level. I'm not a fan of feeling the narcotic, and to keep me that low all day would bring additional side effects I'm not willing to live with...like becoming Sleeping Beauty.

And as you know, the more you take, the quicker you develop a tolerance. There is a point where we can put are lives in danger.

Have you considered a morphine pump? It would take care of any concern about drug seeking behavior, and might give you a higher quality of life...??? Lower dosages, yet more effective.

To cut you off, when I'm assuming you'd go into withdrawls, is bizarre and scary as hell. I wish you the best of luck.

Geez..........He's a pain management doctor ! Shouldn't the DEA figure out that some of the patients need pain meds ? DOH !

Concerning medical records... I do know that some hospitals here have gone completely electronic. But I do not know the laws involving access to these electronic records.

How this bypasses HIPPA, etc. I keep seeing a "goal" of making ALL records electronic. That is really going to be the future soon.

But I am still cloudy on that access. I think you will have to ask the doctor on how he obtained yours, Ada. I do know in my state it is complex to get the controlled drug history from the state database. Special ID is needed, for that access.

Because it is a "law" here, there may be ways around the HIPPA issue. You know HIPPA was really passed Federally back in the early 1990's. But it was a decade before it reached our daily social level. HIPPA is complex, and I know law enforcement can get around it when it needs to. But I don't really understand the other record keeping.

totally agree. the first pm doc i was seeing, when i asked him for something for pain. he said " we dont do narcotics!" I got instantly upset. i never asked for those. i said..i want some pain control. Doesnt have to be narcs, just something to help me. I dont want to be drugged up..its riduculous that i have to suffer for no reason.

Why do they make people pee in a cup? I'm not clear on that one? :Hum:

for drug testing.....to make sure you have been taking what's ordered (instead of selling it) and to make sure you haven't been taking anything that's nor ordered

As for as peeing in a cup, to make sure you don't take more of your pain meds at anytime than what you are prescribed to take, also.

Actually you have Medicare to thank for medical records going electronic. They are the ones who pushed & pushed for this to be the way it is. They are the ones behind HIPPA also so that medical records could go electronic. That is the only way they will accept claims now from what I understand. They will not accept written or typed claim forms that are mailed in. They have to sent electronically.

I am really really lucky, seeing as how I live in California & they are so strict on DEA crap here. I don't have to pee in a cup every month. In fact I have only had to do that twice in 6 yrs. I have never given them one reason to ever suspect that I am a drug seeker. But then I have not had to have my pain meds, opiates, increased since 2005 when we reached the dose that finally contained my pain to atleast about a 4 to 6. Sometimes my pain has gone down as low as a 1 to 2 & those days I relish & even think, WOW if I could have every day like that maybe, just maybe I could back to my old job at the county I work in. Then of course reality bites me back again & the next day I am back in the 4 to 6 pain zone. *sighing* One can always dream I guess. Right?

DebbyV

Thanks for the reply's folk.
 

I have to say I am a bit amazed at the amount of comments this post has generated. I'm glad I'm not alone on this subject. Thank you for the support!
This board is my life saving connection!

Just to answer a couple of questions that have come up.

Yes, it is very dangerous to cut someone off of their meds cold turkey. Tapering should be followed every time. You could actually throw your body into serious shock by not doing so. I was scared to death when it happened, thus my motivation to find another doctor fast. My primary care doctor covered my prescriptions until my new pm doctor took over. He was pretty ripped at my old pm doctor and wrote a nasty-gram to him. I was thankful for that!

Requiring a person to pee in a cup is done to find out if you have been taking your meds, or not, and to find out if you have been "self medicating" with anything else. This has never been an issue for me, I'm just sick of having to do it to prove my innocence every month.

Yes indeed, it's because of Medicare that our medical files are now available to any health care professional. Thank your lucky stars if you haven't had to use Medicare yet. Who knows how many HIPPA violators have had a looky-loo at your records.?

There is definitely a witch hunt going on at your friendly local DEA. I can almost guarantee they have full access to your states pharmacy records. I had an attorney get a copy of my "Patient Health Surveillance Record" and every single medication I take is on there, including non-schedule II meds. I have it in my hands as I post this and it goes from Jan 1, 2002 to Dec 31, 2009. It includes my name, my birthdate, my address, the RX #, the drug dispensed, the date filled, how many days it's good for, the doctor, and the pharmacy and all relevant phone numbers. Way too much information for just a doctor or nurse to need. The state would not release who had been snooping only to say it had, "been accessed several times by non-medical personnel". What "non-medical personnel" would have a need (or suspicion) to look into your personal health records? Lovely.

All a doctor has to do to access your pharmacy record in those states that have it, is to go to his/her computer, type in his/her DEA # and your id, and bada-boom bada-bang, up pops your medication history. Nurses, RN or not, are included in that bonanza as well. Hospitals, the same way. Don't lie about your meds or you're busted folks. Honesty is the best policy.

What is pissing me off is that I cannot have full access to those medical records. I have been denied every single time I have tried and given the lame excuse that I am "not privy to that information". It took an attorney to get them for me. Really? I have to threaten a law suite to gain access to part of my medical record? This reeks of law enforcement all over it. Someone is going to expose this for what it is and all hell is going to break loose. The states running these kinds of programs will go broke settling law suites.

I can see it now; in the wee hours of some bitter cold morning the black, unmarked vehicles drive up on the lawn. Feds bursting out of the cars and breaking down my door. They run into our bedroom, cold clock me, cuff me to my bed post, punch me in the gut, wrench my RSD infected appendage and then taze me for good measure, all the time screaming, "where the #%@## are your pain meds??" Then I moan out, "you mean my legally obtained medications sitting locked up in my gun safe?" Now the ATF is called in due to the mixing of drugs and guns. I'm looking at 25 to life aren't I????

One last thought; with obama (non-capitalization intended) care coming, I can only see it getting more intrusive. I'm just saying.

Thanks again for the comments. It's all great information, negative or positive.

While I don't have RSD I do have spinal disorders and neuropathic pain. But, wow, I have never run into this with my pain docs. The first group was at a teaching university. And the only reason I left is because they couldn't seem to find the pain generator; otherwise they were okay. The one I see now is affiliated with a local hospital. But with both of them no, no contract, no peeing in cups...none of this! He performs injections when warranted, prescribes meds, conservative therapies; all of it and I have never been questioned on anything for 10 years. I don't know maybe it is the state of Indiana or something. I do know Indiana was one of the first if not the first to have a statewide database. So, maybe that is part of it. I have no idea really and am not doubting your story. Just saying it constantly amazes me what people have to go through. And, oh, yes, I have Medicare, BC/BS and Tricare and have never had a problem at all! And I had access to my records; just had to pay for a couple of them once. And when I ask for copies, they usually just give them to me and/or clear it with the doc. In any case, I love my PM and would follow him to the ends of the earth! And I honestly don't have a problem with the sharing of my medical records. The only problem I can foresee though is that under Obamacare you might be placed in certain "risk pool".

I problem with many with RSD is the solid confirmation that they in-fact have RSD, for many it may take years, then the other can of worms is how much a doctor really knows about and how to treat RSD. In my wifes case, here in an area just chock full of doctors Washington DC, I've witnessed doctors say they know nothing please go away. And even when we would visit clinics who state they treat RSD, soon will'll find out they don't have a GD clue. The latter makes me the most angry, akin to bate and switch. The switch usually means a lecture and a lap around the pool.

Amen Jimking
 

You are spot on Jimking! It took me two years to get a correct diagnosis. Those two years were hell. No one took me seriously. "it's all in your head" they would say. It's the same old song and dance. "Don't do this and don't do that (interpretation: sequester yourself, take your activity to zero and take a lap around the pool) and go swim.

Kathi49; you are so lucky!! I would give my left you know what to get that kind of treatment. I don't know the intricacies of the Indiana pharmacy data base, but I bet that it's impossible to request those specific records. I don't have a problem getting my normal medical records, to the contrary. However, when it comes to accessing my states "Patient Health Surveillance Records" which are the pharmacy records, it is an insurmountable wall of red tape and questions. Frustration to the core, not to mention a bit scary when you find out that "non-medical personnel" have been accessing your record.

obama risk pools? Yikes!!:eek:

Hi,
 

I haven't never peed in a cup but the only Dr. I ever found that would give me any med I need is my PCP. I see him often enough that he trusts me so I'm ok there. It did take me about 2 to 3 years to get diagnosed and a friend from the TOS forum told me what I had and only when I knew did the Drs. know. My PCP had only had one other RSD patient in his 20+ years. I went to so many other Drs. though that didn't know what I had or didn't want to diagnose me. I think some feel if they diagnose you then you are going to expect them to help with it. I honestly think I saw two Drs. that knew but wouldn't tell me.

As far as records, you know we talk pretty openly on here and we most likely have people reading such as WC and insurance companies. That happened on the TOS forum before.

I'm sure too with computers there are hackers that know how to get into those medical records if they want to.

When I was on braintalk, I actually had someone figure out where my Drs. office was and called them for info. My nurse took the call and refused to give them any info and she let me know. I will say too, you don't have to come to this forum to find some of us, you just type in something you want to read on and some of our stories pop up. Diana A had found old threads on me that way and pointed them out to me.

We have to put our trust in people but we also get in trouble sometimes doing it.

I too think things are going to be worse with this new healthcare program.

Ada

JetJock1,
Talking about going without pain meds cold turkey can be very very horrifying & very very dangerous. When I had back surgery last June 1, they thought they gave me too much pain medication right after surgery as I was in the kind of pain that I would have willingly taken my life over. Not only were my feet in a flare from hell with RSD, my buttocks & leg muscles were twitdhing & cramping from the surgery. I kept crying & screaming to let me die, to just let me die. I started throwing up from the pain even. I could be wrong but I have had 15+ pain with this RSD in the beginning & felt that if God called me home I would go willingly, but after surgery I was in 25+ pain & truly begged them to let me die. The doctor thought I was a darn alcoholic, he kept asking my family if I was & when I drank blah blah blah. He just wouldn't believe I wasn't one because the way I was behaving is how an alcoholic behaves when detoxing. Anyway he stripped all the meds out of me with Naltrexone. And it stripped everything out of me & when I say everything I mean everything. I was basically catatonic from late Monday to late Thursday. And then it took until Sat before I could say who the president was. I didn't know who I was or anyone else for that matter. When asked I said Richard Nixon was the president. When I started to come out of it after a neurologist told them to put me back on morphine they were giving me shots for diabetes even. And I am not diabetic nor have I ever been diabetic. The only way they could keep my BP normal was with 2 meds & I don't have high BP either. They had to give me thyroid meds, magnesium, potassium & even a multi vitamin who knows what else. I mean when they give that crap to you for that purpose, it strips everything. My blood work was all over the place & nothing was normal for days. Anyway no one should ever go cold turkey in any form off of pain meds. It almost killed me literally. Then I almost ended up in a skilled nursing center & then a nursing home because of what happened to me. So I don't advise cold turkey at all.

Luckily the back surgery was a success after all that.

DebbyV

This has been such good discussion......a big eye-opener, that's fer sure! :yikes:

With all this 'obama-ism' and healthcare change......yikes!

I would NEVER wish this upon ANYbody,......but I'm thinking, in reality, it's gonna have to take some high-profile figure to get struck with this nightmare of RSD......THENNN all of a sudden it'll get 'attention' and that's when we'll see a 'change'........ and we'll all be like........
http://dl.glitter-graphics.net/pub/8...ph2kxo8e3o.gif

yeahhhh, NOW we're cool......
But, for now......:(.....yeah.........pee in the cup and take yer number.
How humiliating.......

I understand the point about 'proving' you didn't do anything wrong and disliking drug testing, but I'm not sure that I agree. Maybe the DEA would shut up on the matter if we all pee'd in a cup every month. I've been on narcotics for 5 years and I've never been asked to. Maybe some standardization would help our cause and make it easier for people to get the pain relief they need.

I also thing there should be more standardization in doctor's care. I believe if they say 'it's all in your head' they should be required to send you for mental help and follow up on that, so when the shrink says we are not crazy, the doctor has to dig a little deeper to figure out what's wrong.....and maybe pay us for our pain and suffering for making us needlessly wait for treatment.

I'd happily pee in a cup if I could see some doctors being held accountable too.

I live in So Cal, so it happens here as well. The more patients a doc prescribes opiates to, the closer they're watched. PMs can be waaaay stricter than PTPs for that reason.

I've never had a problem with a test and I'm positive my doc isn't worried that I will. The fact that the tests cost $600 a pop as someone said, makes me think that the financial incentive is a factor as well.

Swimming in water 98-102 degrees is actually excellent advice. I get SUBSTANTIAL relief from being in a pool. I've had some pain free experiences in warm ocean water. Not that we all get relief from the same things, but it certainly is worth a try if you haven't.

Do you have a work comp claim? If yes, that might be the non-medical personnel accessing your records. If you don't and want to spend the time to get access, give me a PM, and I'll see if I can relocate the info to send you on the right path.

Not a bad idea Finz
 

I think Finz might be onto something. After all, if we are not "users" then we should have nothing to fear right? I think you're absolutely right in the fact that there needs to be some kind of "standard of care" for RSD and chronic pain patients. Anything to hold the doctors more accountable for the proper care of chronic pain, I'm very in favor of.

I look at all the other posts on this board regarding standard of care and it is clear there is none. Sad.

Lit Love; I don't have a WC claim. I've suffered for over a decade from a very nasty biking accident. I'm not clear on how you relocate the information? Sounds intriguing though. You must have a law background I'm guessing?... Great reply by the way. Thank you for the input.

There is a very real need to treat RSD patients differently than any others because this disease is so much different than almost any others. Yeah, I know that there are some that are pretty similar in many ways especially in the short term. I know that there are other pain conditions which also need special treatment and I don't envy these folks their problems.

But RSD crushes life in a way that is different. It saps the spirit and takes the wind out of the sails. It causes a pain that is excrutiating to even contemplate and fear that never really goes away.

I don't know what the proper treatment protocol is. I'm not even convinced that the pain is even harmful to the degree it can be tolerated. All I know for certain is my own experience and this is that triggers must be identified and avoided. It's obvious we need to stay as busy as humanly possible and exercise at least as much as it doesn't cause pain immediately or later on. It's pretty obvious that there are medications which make this condition tolerable and will allow a sort of life if we can do it in between the raindrops or the tossing upon the waves. I don't know if it's fortunate or unfortunate that none of the powerful painkillers seem to help. It certainly has saved me from needing to experience the kind of problems mentioned here. When you're already fragile as glass you certainly don't need a doctor who uses a surgical two by four.

This pain is so horrible it's just inhuman to make people suffer it when it can be alleviated. It would be mighty nice to have a register of those who need access to these medications. Doctors might need to monitor their patients a little more closely but it's hard to believe that this would open up the flood gates and result in millions of dollars worth of illicit drugs on the streets.

bad facts make bad law (or getting all the porcess they're due)
 

Recently, LA saw this problem emerge in microcosm when Senior U.S. District Judge Manuel Real - who is known to be somewhat "unpredictable" - surprised a lot of people and gave only a four year sentence to a doctor who plead guilty to a charge serious enough for the sentencing guidelines to recommend a term of 17 to 22 years: intentionally distributing oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose. The remaining 16 counts against him were dropped in exchange for the plea. See, 4-year prison term ordered for 'drug-dealing doctor,' Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2010 http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,2146647.story

The doctor in question let things get a little out of hand, to put it mildly:

Healy, according to prosecutors, led the nation in 2008 in ordering hydrocodone -- painkillers sold under the brand names Vicodin and Norco. They accused Healy of wildly overprescribing and selling the drug, for which there is a thriving black market, particularly among young adults. Some of Healy's patients were in their late teens and early 20s and had been friends of Healy's sons.

* * *

One man who was observed by police entering Healy's clinic before it opened for the day was pulled over a short time later and had 12 commercial-size bottles of Vicodin and three containers of Xanax in his car -- 7,500 pills in all. The man told police he'd just paid Healy more than $5,000 cash for the drugs, and was planning to sell them for profit, according to court records

.

Sandy Banks, a columnist of the LA Times, ran two subsequent pieces on the story. The first expressed populist anger at the relatively low sentence. Peddling prescriptions like candy, Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2010 http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...48,full.column The second piece, run a few days later, attempted to tell the other side of the story: the chilling effect this would have on the legitimate use of pain medications. Doctors’ second opinion, Los Angeles Times, April 25, 2010 http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...6414204.column But it was a probably well-meaning statement of “Medical attorney Alan I. Kaplan” in the second column, that I found the most disturbing of all:

Kaplan said there are safeguards doctors can employ to insulate themselves and protect their patients.

"Be skeptical," he advised. Take a detailed history, try less-potent painkillers first, solicit a second opinion, require urine tests. Track patients in the state's database, use contracts that require patients to commit to using only one doctor and pharmacy and listen to family members' concerns and complaints.

Bottom line, the DEA has succeeded in imposing requirements on physicians that appear nowhere to my knowledge in any statute of the United States or agency rule promulgated under the safeguards of the Administrative Procedures Act. Furthermore, in creating a standard that the physician “and listen to family members' concerns and complaints,” they open the door to the very real risk of threats and intimidation of doctors by overbearing family members, one egregious incidence of which happened to a close friend. Furthermore, in “listening” to these complaints, if the doctor is to remain anything but infuriatingly silent, the patient’s privacy rights under HIPPA are all but thrown out the window.

Bottom line, if the government wants these requirements to be in place, it has mechanisms available for legally doing so. But to make their implementation a quid pro quo for physicians to avoid criminal prosecutions can easily be seen as a naked power grab that should be strongly questioned as an apparent violation of due process of law.

Mike

Hi Jetjock1, Welcome to this wonderful group of compassionate and informed friends. We all need a place to and share our frustrations-we can learn so much from each other. It sounds like you are having a rough time with your meds. There has to be respect and trust from the Doctor to the patient. I wouldn't stand for it any other way. I've had RSD 15 years and seeing this last Dr. 6 years. He is a neurologist, pharmacologist, and psychiatrist. Good combination huh!
I can't help but wonder if you are a pilot? I recognize the plane. My son in law is a pilot for one of the commercial airlines. If you are, could it be your Dr. is scared of being involved in some future possible lawsuit. My daughter is a courtreporter and I know for a fact, some Drs. don't want to treat patients if they are involved in litigation or possible litigation. They hate going to court and being pulled into a suit.
Counting pills sounds like they are dealing with you like a street seller. Not right. You will find a Dr. that is respectful. Take care, and glad to have you join our supportive friendly group. One of your new friends, loretta

Good Point~
 

Well Wow! This would put a whole different 'twist' on your particular situation JetJock! I mean, as in 'insinuating circumstance' type thing!
The doctor completely cutting you off cold - I will never understand that, unless there were obvious legal reasons, but I see why you have such frustration.

IF, say, you ARE a pilot, or in a profession similar, in which renders you 'under a microscope', that would make a lot of this bureaucratic 'madness' come into a bit more of a perspective..... you'd be in a category that would require further scrutiny .......
certain professions require extensive background checking and things of that nature. This wouldn't be directly targeting 'YOU' as a 'badguy'.....it's just what comes with territory of being in certain positions of responsibility.
Right? ...or not? I'm not claiming to know beans, but Loretta brings up a good point and this would sort of make it clearer why someone other than medical personnel were tapping into your prescription records.
I'm certainly not implying one way or the other what should be considered 'right' or constitutional......but if this were your predicament....it would make things a bit more clear as to WHY you are having to jump thru these seemingly 'over-the-top' hoops........
.....well, either way....my heart does indeed go out to you. But, by seeing this situation in a different light, it should come somewhat as a comfort to you knowing that it's really not YOU so much......it's just that the position you are in may put you in a category of having to be scrutinized......
You aren't being perceived as a criminal......it may just be that you are a 'topgun' :) and perhaps it is some sort of government protocol.

Well, whatever the case may be.....you are in the RIGHT place to vent all you want! And you've got plenty of support backing you up.......those of us in general who take controlled substances have to accept (to a certain extent) that this is the way it is........thanks to the 'real' badguys who gave these meds the 'bad rap'..... it's a bummer. simple as that.
It's a reality that diversion does take place. There's no doubt about the fact that the whole 'War on Drugs' since the 80's has really made this a taboo issue to some........of course we can rewind history back in the days of prohibition when alcohol was the big 'diversion issue'.........
ok, i'll shut up.
This certainly has been very good discussion tho!
:Tip-Hat:

I agree with you about the pm Dr's. When I went there they made me feel so degraded! I have been on my med's for full body RSD for over almost 9 years now. Thank goodness for my GP! He is the one who prescribes all of my RX. I will never go back to those pain DR's again! They said things like you do not even know what day it is today? This was after I told them what day it was? Every time I tried to ask them a question,they would just interup (sp?) me before I had the time to ask them! Then right away they wanted me to stop all my meds! So I could come back in two weeks to be tested for their Medtronic Neurostimulation Therapy! They gave me a DVD about the surgery for the stimulater and sent me home,without even talking about it with me! Oh! I forgot I am a drug head so what did it matter anyway! Also you are right,this is the first time that I have every had to pee in a cup :eek: Welcome to this caring and loving group! Breezy55 :welcome_sign: :hug:

No law background other than representing myself. Here's where I would start, the following link tells you where to order Prescription Drug Purchase History Reports

http://consumerist.com/2010/02/get-a...r-reports.html

If the report doesn't list who "pulled" reports on you, I'm sure you're legally entitled to it like a credit report. Keep me updated. :winky: