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Need advice on reporting a doctor
Posted: Jun 18, 2012
A member of my family has been on pain medication for about five years now. It started with OxyContin and has slowly progressed to a combination of OxyContin, Oxycodone, Roxycontin, Percocet, and Fentanyl patches - all used on a regular basis, some for breakthrough pain. This family member does have several medical conditions that do cause her pain, but DH and I have been thinking for a while that this amount of medication seems a bit much.
We found out that the doctor prescribing all of this medication does not see this family member on a monthly basis, as is required when refilling controlled substances, and not only that, he will sometimes either email or mail the prescriptions for refill. I'm pretty sure this is illegal.
Now another member of my family has seen the same doctor for foot pain caused by diabetes and he has prescribed her OxyContin for this pain. Am I wrong in thinking this doctor is handing out the narcotics and opiates a little too freely? I worry about these two family members - I know the first one is already addicted (she sets her alarm to get up in the middle of the night to take the Oxy and Percocet) and now I'm afraid the second one is going to become addicted as well. If we were to decide to report this doctor, how would we do about doing it, who would we report it to, and can it be done anonymously - I really don't want these family members to know we were the ones that shut down thier doctor.
If anyone has had any experience with this, I would really appreciate your advice. Thanks!
;
First of all, it is not required that you see - a pain management SM
[ In Reply To ..]doctor monthly to receive your prescriptions (it may be different in different states). It is not illegal. As to your point about being addicted, please do some research on being a chronic pain patient. Yes, physically they are dependent on the medications, but that does not have the same connotation as what you seem to be implying. There are serious health issues involved when an opiate patient goes into withdrawal, requiring hospitalization sometimes and certainly requiring care from a physician. My opinion is that you and your husband are uninformed and are making judgments without any real knowledge of treatment of chronic pain patients. Your contemplated actions of "reporting" this physician could have dire consequences for ALL of his patients, some life threatening. You have no idea what medical conditions they have. If you have never suffered with CHRONIC pain, you really should educate yourself before you think about doing something like this. If you are concerned about your family members, then talk to them, tell them your concerns, don't go behind their backs and possibly make their lives harder than they already are.
as a chronic pain... - me
[ In Reply To ..]She is right. As for setting the alarm, this medication is a "round-the-clock" medication taken usually 3 times a day, which means the dose does fall into your sleep schedule. This is a long-acting medication and needs to be taken on a regular schedule and does take a few hours to work. Only a very, very small percentage of true chronic pain patients become "addicted." The majority of them are trying their best to live their lives to some degree. We not only have to function at "normal level" but have to go to appointments, injections, surgeries, and everything else on top of working, etc.
It just seems like an excessive amount of medication. - Zville MT
[ In Reply To ..]And when she refuses any other form of treatment, and I'm just afraid that this is how she's going to live the rest of her life and that this doctor is just continuing to prescribe all these drugs and do nothing else for her. Is that really all there is and I'm just overreacting?
What seems "excessive" to you may not - be excessive at all SM
[ In Reply To ..]I hear this on certain TV shows sometimes. Someone will say "Wow, just 1 Percocet will knock me out". Maybe, if you are an opiate-naive person. Your body acclimates to these meds and this is why sometimes the dosages have to be adjusted. BTW, general practitioners do prescribe these meds all the time. If they have education in pain management, why not?
He's not a pain management doc, he's a general practitioner. - Zville MT
[ In Reply To ..]She refuses to go to a pain management doctor because the last one she went to told her she was on too much medication. We have tried talking to her and have been met with serious anger. I'm not questioning that she needs help and I know there would be rehab involved at this point. I also know that if she continues on this road, at some point the medications are going to lose thier efficacy and either the dosages will be increased again or additional medications will be prescribed, again. This has been an ongoing process with medications increased and added over the years. She refuses any other type of treatment - as soon as the last pain management doctor mentioned taking her off of some of the medication, she cancelled her next appointment and never went back. My conern is also for the other member of my family who now may be headed down the same road - when I asked her if Oxy was really necessary for her foot pain, I was told it was just a small dose and it would be fine. It was this doctor who told my family member that she had to come in every month for her prescriptions, but that he would bend the rules for her because she was such a "good patient."
Leave them be. You've obviously never been in severe pain for any - length of time
[ In Reply To ..]x
I would report him - but thats me
[ In Reply To ..]Your family members are dying from all those drugs!
I agree - tulip
[ In Reply To ..]That seems like an AWFUL LOT of pain medications to be on!!! And very strong ones to boot. Why would your family member need something like Oxy just for foot pain? What about trying Tylenol or
Advil first? Seems like this doc is a little too pill happy. If it were me, I would be wary.
Chronic pain and medications - Runamok
[ In Reply To ..]I have chronic debilitating diseases and have to still work. I could not imagine being on this much medication. Also, if you research these kinds of pain medications, they can make your tolerance for pain actually go down. I'm not saying to report the doctor but you might mention to your family member about your concern about so many medications. That is quite a bit of medication. It's not like one of a short-acting and one of a long-acting and a NSAID type or muscle relaxant. A lot of narcotics there. But, I would not report them, as you have not walked a mile in their shoes and the withdrawals are deadly (as mentioned). Plus, this doctor might be the only one who has listened. It's a tough situation to be in - that is for sure. I knew of a person who abused Vicodin and now actually chewed it up for a quick high and then complained it did not work very long. I have to be alert for my job and I want to be alert for life and live so I refuse to go through life on a high or low of pills if I can help it. The prescription medicine addiction is so bad.
some foot pain is excrutiating. - gggt
[ In Reply To ..]I have foot pain and can barely put my foot on the floor. I have to use a walker to get around because of it. But, that is way too much narcotic medications. Usually they will only prescribe one narcotic and one muscle relaxer. More than one narcotic is over the top. That doctor sounds like those "pill mills" out in Texas where you go to the window and tell them you need your prescriptions refilled, you only see the doctor one time, then just go pay them money at the window of the doctor's office when you tell them you need refills, then they fax the prescriptions to their pharmacy, and there you go, and got your medicines. It is crazy out there.
You obviously have no education in pain - management. NM
[ In Reply To ..]x
no, you obviously dont - sm
[ In Reply To ..]Pain medications are intended for short term use. Using it for extended periods of time maks the pain worse, because your body goes into withdrawals between doses. You need more, and more, and more. There is no excuse for a doctor to keep prescribing it. I had a serious shoulder injury and could not get more than 60 Vicodin from my surgeon, after that, tylenol and ibuprofen, ice and heat. These doctors need to be held accountable.
I appreciate everyone's comments - thank you! - Zville MT
[ In Reply To ..]We've tried talking to her about all the medication and have even done research on other chronic pain treatments, like physical therapy or accupuncture (yeah, we got kinda desparate on that one, but who knows, right?) All have been met with resistence. I know the doctor can't really talk about her medical condition with us without her consent (which I'm certain she would not give), but would it help if we called the doctor to voice our concerns? Not in an accusatory tone, like we think he's prescribing too many meds, but that we're concerned about her quality of life on all these meds (which she has none - she hardly gets out of bed). Might that be a good route to start with?
You can speak to the doctor about her and your concerns - sm
[ In Reply To ..]He will not be allowed to give you any information unless the family member has specifically authorized that, but there is no law against you calling the doctor and expressing your concern, just understand if he thanks you for your insight and can not really say anything in turn to you about what is going on and what he might do, but I do think it is important for the doctor to hear from you if you are so concerned. I know when my husband goes to the doctor's office, he will not tell them the true amount of alcohol he drinks and I have informed the doctor, so that they know, as this is important when prescribing meds, etc. Good luck to you, that is a tough situation. I suffer chronic pain and can not take anti-inflammatories because of really severe GI issues, as well. I do use hydrocodone, but she is on an excessive amount of meds, but there might be reason for it that you just do not know.
Foot pain - Cathy
[ In Reply To ..]My mom is a type 2 diabetic and has peripheral neuropathy with foot pain and takes gabapentin with relief. I don't know if your relative has tried that or not.
Report it to the DEA - they monitor narcotics prescribed - nm
[ In Reply To ..]xx
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