Every three months, I was required to go see my Dr. to renew my hydrocodone scripts. He would take vitals, ask about my plants and write three months worth of prescriptions. I never saw it as an inconvenience as the Dr. is just following orders.

Today, he told me that I no longer had to come in to get those script as he is now allowed to submit electronicly.

Also, he said the State passed, last week, a law stating that prescription opioid users must now, tri-monthly, submit to drug screening to the tune of $200.00. The State AG is cracking down on opioid abuse by going after the easiest targets, Doctors, manufacturers (he's already filed suit against five major drug companies) and by punishing patients who need it. (sound familiar?)


Section G states (paraphrasing) Any prescribing physician that deems the patients opioid needs are directly related to cancer, said patient will be exempt from screening.

You're lookin' at a happy Section G.

PS: the ticker is no better of worse, four years left on the battery, no sign of cancer, I lost 11lbs and got a sucker. (I sense a dichotomy between the weight loss and the sucrose reward)

He also gave me a 'do-it-yourself colonoscopy kit. Guess it's no different than the drywall mud bucket back when the kids were rasslin over the toilet and snapped the tank off.

Everyday is a sideshow and I have a roll of tickets.

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

Glad things are looking up. Keep on truckin

Other than all that, how's your day going?

I got a "Explanation of Benefits" today from BC/BS...I see a new item called"Coinsurance", in addition to the Co-pay amount......

What do you mean.."You can't get blood out of a turnip". But they're sure as Heck trying to get blood outa me.


Ain't being some what sick wonderful. (Not)

WuzzFuzz

Rusty--at least you are not a Section 8! (Yet).

__________________
Possum—The other white meat!

Missouri just passed the opioid tracking/regulatory laws that Ky., Tenn., W.Va., Ohio, (Indiana maybe too) enacted years ago to solve their states' opioid misuse crises... Every state attorney general & law makers of those states all cry out on TV news against the pill mill doctors who write almost nothing but opioid scripts for their patients & pharmacies who fill those scripts... yet I've never read anything about highly publicized arrests & prosecutions when those crooked docs & pharmacists were shut down & prosecuted for illegally writing/filling scripts for patients who don't need them.

Missouri just enacted those laws... & I sure hope they work better here than they have in those other states.

A well meaning friend, who truly believes that some forms of oils/medicines derived from cannabis , will either cure or effectively fight my late stage 4 non-operable cancer... But Missouri has no medical marijuana laws.... and I will not put my relationships with my oncologists & our family docs in jeopardy by using something that at best is still considered an illegal drug that has had almost no clinical investigation & trials here in the USA as to it's therapeutic value here.

__________________
be safe,enjoylife,journey well

I figured by now your doctor would give you a beer instead of a sucker for being good during your visit.

I've been using hydrocodone for pain management for over 8 years mine are meds I get thru the VA and they are seeing the effects of a CDC advisory to reduce this medication across the board
My VA doctor has told me they will eliminate this medication to all patients except cancer patience amd end-of-life patients so I'm trying to see my future as far as what do I do to manage my pain because the VA hasnt offered any type of alternate pain medication
(Take two aspirin and call me in the morning)

Sent from my LG-K371 using Tapatalk

So you hit the G sp--never mind.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

Sorry to hear that. A lot of needy folks are gonna feel the squeeze on this "clamp down".

I hope you figure something out.

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

For my vicodin refills the Doc wanted stool/blood/urine/semen samples. I left him my undies on the way out.

this I get...
With my ongoing quest to become post cancer... after 2 years of treatments and surgeries for colon/rectal cancer... when someone asks me "How I am doing?" I have to fight the desire to drop trouser and request they tell me since I can't really see... once again the problem is politicians are "fixing" things they don't understand...

Alot of weird stuff health care wise for sure. Heart valve done 2013. Will be on warfarin ( blood thinner) for life. No other option. Those that are on know its a rollercoaster with levels. From 2013 till last year I was a doc office every week being my levels are always all over the place. Last year they now went to monthly check hmm. Last week doctor doubled my dose . Can't but wonder is it health care or insurance thats changing all the normals??

__________________
Spin The Wheel

Its sad that some governmental goon decided because a few outlaws abuse these medications then its necessary to over see our lifes with these medications alot of us have a quality of life that will be removed because our doctors have to comply with a stupid advisory that the CDC issued
I guess we need to call this modern medicine 😖

Sent from my LG-K371 using Tapatalk

Rusty, I'm glad that you are doing well...hang in there. Next Tuesday, 6/27, I go for my now annual cancer screen. It has been a couple of weeks over five years since my operation at UPMC. First I went every three months for about a year and a half, then every six months, now yearly. Each one requires a CTScan, and I've lost count on haow many, about ten, I think. The good news is I no longer need a flashlight, as I glow in the dark!! I'll let you know how I come out.

This national hysteria over opioids is going to hurt the people who need them the most. I agree that there were, and still are problems with the illicit use of them, but current strategies mostly hurt those who were lawfully using the drugs.

Sort of reminiscent of gun control laws which have no impact on criminals who don't obey the laws anyway, by definition, but impact honest folks.

Best Regards, Les

__________________
SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Exactly!!! (hence my 'sound familiar' comment.

Bonne Chance on your screen.

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

Hot Damn, pal never a dull second at Casa Rusty

__________________
Always Stay Strong!

Here in Taxachusetts the legislators want to make "safe" spaces for the addicts to shoot up. My tax dollars at work.

Just yesterday here in PA I had to sign a contract at my Drs office in regards to getting my "wonder" drug prescriptions!

Trying not to hijack Rusty's post altogether, but in relation to your quip Chuckie..

My dog is diabetic.So she needs insulin injections (Note a syringe is required)...I went to Illinois to visit my sisters there...I left home with one old syringe and "THOUGHT" I could buy some more syringes in Illinois, at a Wally World, over the counter like I do here.

NOPE..Won't sell me any syringes with out a Dr's prescription. They'd sell me the insulin, but not the syringes...But it's for my dog, and she's due for her shot NOW...I can't drive back 400 miles to home just to buy a syringe from Wally World at home.
(Insulin is not a regulated drug, so you can buy it over the counter) Even in Illinois, a person can buy the insulin over the counter, but no syringe to administer it.

Nope, it's a Illinois law, no buyee syringee's with out a prescription...WHY I ask.."Why can't I get syringes over the counter for diabetes like I do back home"?

"It's so the druggies won't share needles" in Illinois.......DUH!!!

A woman at a local grocery store that also has a pharmacy felt sorry for me and under stood my predicament, so she gave me three syringes so I could complete my stay in Illinois, and be able to get back home here. SHHHHHH..don't tell any one she gave me some needles..(I even badged her to let her know I was for real)

To me...all this new stuff of limiting what people (and animals) need is like limiting water to people dying of thirst.

It's no wonder the "NEW" thing is to hold up pharmacies to get the drugs..They're worth more than holding up a bank now.


WuzzFuzz

I used to work for a PM&R doctor. All of our patients were required to submit to a UA every 90 days. What we were looking for was patients who didn't come up hot because that meant they were selling their drugs instead of taking them.

I suspect that's what's going on in your state.

__________________
Retired Career Security Guard