WNYShooter Loc: WNY

Both the FDA and the DEA, which regulate prescription pain meds, are part of the Executive branch, thus under the control of Obama, and Bush before him, and Clinton before him.

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

This referenced law change has not taken effect yet, so I would discuss this problem concerning excess charges for renewal of a 30 day prescription with the doctor himself and not with any nurse. I think the administrative staff for this particular doctor has misinterpreted the impending legal revision and prematurely exposed you to this excess charge for office visit. For some pain killers, they do now advise blood analysis at specific intervals when taking multiple drug cocktails and combinations. The nurse may have mistaken your husband's situation with something similar.
Best advice is to discuss this with the Doctor and not with the nurse.

Penny MG Loc: Fresno, Texas

As I work in a doctors office, I understandd what you mean. Luckily my doctor is not a greedy one. Your physician does NOT have to do that!!! That is a way that most of them are trying to make up the money they are losing on the new medicare pricing. I personally think its horribly wrong, but to some the bottom line is $$$$. This "affordable care act" is making many physicians in our area make the decision to stop seeing medicare and medicaid patients. Its so sad, but they feel that is the only way they can meet their overhead and still have money to put in their pocket. And what's worse is having the insurance tell the physicians what they can and can't do!

digiman Loc: Brooklyn, NY/Greenville, SC

A lot of doctor's offices are doing this now. They don't call in the prescriptions anymore. Another way for the office to make some more money.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Nickey, it isn't the Afordable Care Act, talk to your husbands physician sounds like there might be something you are not aware of.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Wifie has been on this type of med for many years - the pain specialist Dr. gives here prescriptions - 3 at a time to last 'till her next mandatory visit - each is clearly dated as when they can be filled. it is 150 mi each way, all day, $100 in gas trip to visit our pain specialist - talk to your Dr. he may do the same for you if you explain to him about the financial burden - for several years it was only 2 months between visits.
Good luck on getting some change made.
.

rphret Loc: north central ohio

Just a result of too many bad apples spoiling the batch. In the attempt to crack down on "pill mills" and disreputable doctors, more and more legislation is being added. While this has helped cut down on abuse it has caused hardship on the legitimate patient. I suggest asking your doctor at your next required appointment, which you are being billed for. I do not suggest a quick change in doctors as this might lead to " Doctor shopping".
PS (rphret = retired pharmacist)

coco1964 Loc: Winsted Mn

Has nothing to do with Affordable Care Act. My MD tried pulling this same crap on me until I called him on it. I'm diabetic so I have my blood drawn every 3 months and it gives them an average of how my glucose levels have held over the past 3 months. Everytime I got my blood drawn I also got scheduled to see the MD. Why would I be seeing the MD when he hasn't gotten the results of the test and why am I paying to see an MD when the tests come back in the normal range and he doesn't want to change my meds?? When I posed the question he said he would check into it as if he didn't know what he was doing (also a probable cause). After confronting him on it I got a call from his nurse telling me I did not need to see him if tests were in normal range. Stricter laws are coming regarding pain meds because they are becoming one of the leading causes of overdoses. On long trips I at times need to get a few pain pills for my back. The MD used to be able to call them to the pharmacy but now I have to go pick up the prescription and take it to the pharmacy. No reason to see the MD, he just leaves it at the front desk and I pick it up. Your MD is scamming you and you need to confront him about it. In one 17 day hospital stay I asked for an itemized bill and after arguing with me that they didn't do this any longer I insisted and a friend of mine who is a nurse helped me plow through it. We found 208 wrong charges, most of which were double charges for the same services on the same day with the same code #. If you're elderly have someone help you if you don't feel comfortable in addressing these issues because the medical community will rip you off 10x more than the government!! Medicare is starting to notify clients about double charging, overcharging etc but the way they notify you is by telling you they won't pay the charges submitted by the hospital/clinic and they explain why.........

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

Before I left my "day job" I worked for a specially pharmacy and spoke with patients day in and day out about their RX's for controlled substances. I left my position just over a year ago, things might have changed since I last attended a class on dispensing controlled narcotics but the FDA has very strict guidelines on how, when and who can fill orders. Some prescriptions require a visit with the doctor to obtain a refill subscription, some meds have paperwork/surveys’ that need to be filled out and returned the manufacture after every fill, if a doctor fails to return the survey in timely manner he can actually be removed from the "approved prescriber list" and he will not be allowed prescribe those meds (or their generic brands if they have one) to his patients.

AlanK Loc: No. Califorina

It may seem like the doctors are trying to screw you out of more money but in my experience most doctors are getting screwed by Medicare, etc. They reduced the "pay back" to doctors SO MUCH that many docs in my N Calif rural area WON'T see Medicare patients anymore!

My "experience" is with my wife, an RN at my now retired doctors office for 35 years, I had to see him monthly for my pain meds refills. I got lucky because my doctor wouldn't charge me for my visits, a professional curiosity for my wife and family.

My wife, me & our doc have retired and knowing that early I was able to get into a VA Clinic in N. Calif. The ONLY reason I did qualify is because I'm a Veteran of the mess we call the "Vietnam conflict" and I had to PROVE I actually saw action!

I started seeing the VA doc as my primary care. It took a year with the same VA doctor to gain his trust so that he put me on "Auto Refill" for morphine every month, all other drugs I request from the VA via Internet monthly and I pay $8 copay for each drug.

It wasn't easy to get the pain meds this way! We have a home in Tucson and in N. California and we split the year between homes. While I'm in Tucson I have NO primary care provider BUT I do have access to the VA Hospital in Tucson. The doctor agreed to the auto refill because he knew I can't drive/fly back every month (2,000 mi RT), and because I've settled on a dose I can live with (barely) and I don't ask for more.

Alan

Swizzle Loc: Shoals, In.

I read somewhere, where they want to control drug abuse in people that take prescriptions they will have to see a doctor every time they need it refilled. Maybe that's it.

Fla Walt Loc: Delray Beach, Florida

I read something recently that the FDA is trying to get a handle on controlled substances so there isn't so much abuse. Sadly the people who really need strong pain killers are the ones who are suffering.

hotglassguy Loc: Jeffersonville, IN

Times are a changin' because of all the abuse in the pain med world. We just had a situation where a "pill mill" moved into our neighborhood. They could not dispense drugs but did hand out prescriptons. The clinic had been run out of Kentucky because they tightned up their laws. This clinic was owned by a nurse practioner rather than a doctor. He hired a doctor to do the actual prescribing. To visit this clinic cost $350 CASH and no insurance was accepted. Most of their patients were from out of the area -- some as far as New Jersey and Florida. We noticed an immediate increase in crime -- particularily theft and break-ins. As word got out no reputable pharmacy would accept the doctors scripts. Most people went back to Kentucky to a pharmacy that the clinic owner just happened to have a partial ownership of.

The way we were able to finally get rid of this outfit was the Indiana licensing board suspended the doctors license for handing out 8000 scripts mostly for oxycodone in 6 months. That abrogated the zoning restrictions and the clinic was forced to close. Our state senator has introduced a bill to tighten up our requirements for clinic ownership and operation.

That kind of scandal is another reason the FDA is cracking down on all pain management operations. The good get punished for the sins of the bad.

hotglassguy Loc: Jeffersonville, IN

Meant to include that the neighborhood association was the leader in getting rid of this place. They kept close tabs on it and aided law enforcement and the legislative effort.

It was the first time anyone had seen a medical facility that had to have an armed guard with a watch dog patrol their parking lot. Funny part of that was eventhough the dog. He made a lot of noise and, as he was a german shepard, looked pretty intimidating. One day he got loose and ran over to a couple of the neighborhood watchers with his ball so they could throw it for him and scratch his ears. The guard wasn't real happy lol.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

If any of you are interested in an outstanding article reference this conversation go to Google and search for this article 0615352839.pdf. As you can see it is a pdf file, when you enter the number in search it is the first result listed. It is 164 pages long but it is a great help. Just open it and then save it to your computer, that way you don't have to print all those pages.

We were getting a lot of complaints at the AG's office
but it's simply because folks don't know which way to turn when they started receiving those hugh hospital bills. I had a printer make up a stack of these and we would give them to folks needing help. We got good feedback on it so I know it is still revelent.