Question about changes on prescription pain medications: I have not verified this yet and wondering if any of you guys have come across something like this... my husband is on...

Nickey Loc: Arizona

I have not verified this yet and wondering if any of you guys have come across something like this... my husband is on maintenance chronic pain medication (happens to be a controlled substance so, he gets prescription enough for 30 days at a time only). He is also on other maintenance meds which we refill every 3 months. Last year, for his pain med prescription, usually he would just stop by the doctor's office to pick up the prescription order, or the doc's office will call it in to the pharmacy. BUT NOW... to our surprise, my husband has to go see the doctor every time he needs a refill prescription for pain meds. We only pay 4.00 (the cheapest I could find) for a month's worth of pain med. But now, we'll have to pay 4.00 plus 45.00 for each office visit, every month. So frustrating. This Affordable Care Act is not affordable after all. Anyone having issues similar to mine out there? Please comment.

BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida

Sounds like something else is going on there. You should ask your doctor's office about that.

Frank T Loc: New York, NY

What you're experiencing has nothing to do with Obamacare. It does however have to do with new FDA regulations on certain pain killers by making them harder to prescribe.
You can check out this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/health/fda-vote-on-restricting-hydrocodone-products-vicodin.html?_r=0

Nickey Loc: Arizona

BW326 wrote:

Sounds like something else is going on there. You should ask your doctor's office about that.

:thumbup:

Nickey Loc: Arizona

Thanks for the info. Very informative.

Frank T wrote:

What you're experiencing has nothing to do with Obamacare. It does however have to do with new FDA regulations on certain pain killers by making them harder to prescribe.
You can check out this article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/health/fda-vote-on-restricting-hydrocodone-products-vicodin.html?_r=0

LLucas Loc: Upstate South Carolina, USA

Nickey, without having more details, it sounds as though he has a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans are not suitable for people who have to see MDs on a regular basis because of the co-pays they require you to pay for each visit...
If it is Medicare Advantage, you may want to consider going back to standard Medicare, which will have the 80/20 co-pays associated.
If this is a private (commercial) insurance plan, you may not have many options. Another option is shopping around for a different pain management specialist who does not charge a co-pay for each visit/prescription. Hope this helps a little.

Nickey Loc: Arizona

LLucas wrote:

Nickey, without having more details, it sounds as ... (show quote)

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Beowulf Loc: Aquidneck Island, RI

Nickey wrote:

I have not verified this yet and wondering if any ... (show quote)

Nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act. Seven years ago, while living in GA, it was common practice among doctors in the north metro Atlanta area to require an office visit about every three months if you were taking meds for chronic conditions like hypertension, etc. most RX would be limited to 2 or 3 refills, then the requisite office visit. I called around to almost a dozen offices and was told this was the procedure at each of them.

In contrast, here in MA and RI, most typical meds like Lipitor or the many hypertension meds are usually prescribed for typically 6, or as many as 11 months at a time.

busted_shutter

Same here. Used to get 3 months prescription refills for $10. Now, after seeing new doc, he wants me see him every time I need a refill@$25/visit. Not all my meds refill at the same time either. Cha-ching...Cha-ching!!

Nickey Loc: Arizona

May need to plan ahead now. Get all things done, including the regular lab work and tests done at the same time.

Nickey Loc: Arizona

Not that many options because we have a private insurance, as now now. May need to start looking around.

LLucas wrote:

Nickey, without having more details, it sounds as ... (show quote)

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I think that your husband should have been seeing the doctor all along. I don't think that anything happened other than the doctor is now doing what he should have been doing all along. That is why the prescription has to be written every thirty days, that type of medication requires that the doctor examine the patient each month to monitor for ill effects caused by the med.

BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida

Blurryeyed wrote:

I think that your husband should have been seeing the doctor all along. I don't think that anything happened other than the doctor is now doing what he should have been doing all along. That is why the prescription has to be written every thirty days, that type of medication requires that the doctor examine the patient each month to monitor for ill effects caused by the med.

I think you're right about that. I was talking to my wife about Nickey's question and she said that her sister, who recently moved here to Florida, now has to do that as well for some of her medications which are extremely powerful pain medications. Originally from New York, her previous doctor would just automatically renew them with a phone call.

Mulachabu Loc: Sydney Australia

OK I'm not from your neck of the woods and I'm not a pain management expert so this is just my opinion. Controlled pain relief medications are by definition quite powerful and there effects can be felt beyond the therapeutic area, in other words the more powerful the drug the more powerful the potential side effects can be. Therapeutic effects are desireable, side effects are not. The side effects of powerful medications are potentially lethal and need to be monitored regularly and systematically, your life is worth more than $45 so make the most of your consultation and get the best value for money you can. In other words make sure that the doctor does the physical and pathology checks that are indicated and ensure that you are getting the optimum care for your dollar, make your doctor earn his reward, I wish you the best.

Nickey wrote:

I have not verified this yet and wondering if any ... (show quote)

FutureLook Loc: Florida, USA

Nickey wrote:

I have not verified this yet and wondering if any ... (show quote)

I live in Florida and the scandal with the pain clinic. The state is now enforcing a limit of prescriptions on controlled pain medications as a result. It depends on the control level of medication such as morphine or opium derivatives require that patient must see their doctor on a regular basis to ensure that the medication is used properly and not over used in many cases. Other control pain medication drugs including anxiolytics can now be prescribed only for two months but does not require the patient to see their doctor on a monthly basis. Also, the patient is now being required to sign a form upon receiving their medication at their pharmacy. People used to order this controlled substances sometimes for three months but no longer permitted. This is the era we live in. This is the result of people getting their controlled medication and selling them in the streets. Very unfortunate.