June 16, 2009 - 6:54pm
After my last appt. with my PM he scheduled to see me in a month. He says if everything is still fine with the same medications then I will only have to see him every two months which will help me out greatly because of finances. Does this mean he will write me post dated scripts and I only really see him every 2 months? I have heard other people on this site say that this means I still go to his office every month but its just the nurse that I will be seeing. Anyones advice would be much appreciated.
June 16, 2009 - 7:17pm
#2
I see my Rhuemy every 2
I see my Rhuemy every 2 months now. I get the two scripts at once, one being post dated for the following month. This works out great for me, nothing to do with the cost of the visit because of insurance, everything to do with the cost of gas since it's 80+ miles one way!
The concensus from reading on here with those that see a PM is that you either see the PA or NP, or just PU an envelope at the front desk. I know you said this MD was working with you on cost with your meds since you don't have insurance by trying to give you the cheaper drugs, so maybe at your next appt. you can casually remind him of your financial situation like: "I know the methadone was so much cheaper, but with as much as the ms contin is helping, I'm glad we made the sacrifices to be able to afford it even though it's been really tough on us, my GF is trying to work a few extra hours a month when her boss will let her,(or something like that)." early on in the appointment.
Then later when the follow up comes up, comment like: " coming once every 2 months is really going to help us financially, I really appriciate it, how does it work, do I just come up to the desk and pick up my perscription, or do I need to call the office to let them know when I'm almost out of medication?" That way you are reminding him of your situation without coming across as demanding or anything, you are putting the ball in his court with a subconcious message. I think this should work, what do others think?
June 16, 2009 - 7:31pm
#3
Thanks for the info oneir and
Thanks for the info oneir and a mom, I think he was the one that mentioned it about the two months thing. I think one time he even said three months. My girlfriend and I arent struggling but saving $62 every other month is like an electricity bill.
June 16, 2009 - 7:45pm
#4
I see my PM doc
every 2 or 3 months (she's my PCP also). When I need refills I just go to the office and pick up the script for the month. She has written me post dated prescriptions before tho. You just have to make sure you safe guard it. I think that all depends on your doctors level of trust in you. I make and keep my appts, and do everything she asks of me. Those just help foster an honest and open relationship.
Ray
June 16, 2009 - 9:51pm
#5
my Dr. wrote
Me 2 scripts this last visit since she s going on vacation for my morphine since they have to be picked up in person an hand delivered
at Our clinic there s no charge for picking up refills or a new script , if the Dr. does nt see you
June 16, 2009 - 9:59pm
#6
Good idea A mom. Its always
Good idea A mom.
Its always good to present things like that in a non demanding way. PM doctors get sick of dealing with pushy patients I'm sure. Whatever you can do to distance yourself from that group will definitely help your relationship with the doctor.
When I started on what my doctor felt was a good routine he told me I could just call in scripts then pick them up and he wouldn't need to see me for 4 or 5 months. Despite that I like to schedule appointments just to keep him informed and to ask questions if needed. To me its worth the extra 25 bucks a month to have a face to face visit...
June 18, 2009 - 2:38pm
#7
Good advice all the way around
JJ, my PCP was in charge of my pain meds up until this month. He would give me post dated scrips for 3 months, my psychiatrist gives me post dated scrips for 6 months. I've been their patient for 3 and 9 years respectively and both of them still give me a stern warning every time I see them. They tell me to look at the scrips as if they were diamonds and gold so I keep them in my safe with my meds. This gives them more time for more patient's needs and saves me a LOT of money, just treat them like diamonds and gold.
Oh yeah, the cancer clinic I go to is now in charge of my pain meds because I needed to change from Oxycodone to the 72 hour Fentanyl 75 mcg p/hr patch. Both myself and my PCP thought that it would be better if they handled that potent analgesic. My oncologist set it up so that I just call in the scrip 2 days before I need it and then I go to town (2 hr. round trip, I'm a country boy) and get it and my patches at the same time. Have Fun, my friend.........
Q
June 18, 2009 - 4:01pm
#8
most Dr. s
will place you on a 3 month maintaince plan not unless something comes up, pain increases, or infection occurs, this is standard practice
an I like it myself, my Wife suffers from depression an cannot stand crowded places an its better for her too, the number 1 place to catch a virus or staph or streph infection, in the waiting room at the Dr.s office, they sanitize the waiting rooms after each visit, but they clean the waiting room at the end of the day, with the new strains of influenza I don t want go no more than necessary
peace out Woodstock
June 18, 2009 - 7:51pm
#9
Future scripts.
I have had post dated scripts as well. I believe the DEA states the doc can give up to 3 months, if I remember correctly.
They can no longer just put the refill date at the top, because ppl have tampered with them, and so now it has to be written on the day it's given, but then they write below the instructions... **Do not fill until xxxx date**. This is how my pain doc has done it on several occasions.
In the past, when my PCP was filling them in conjunction with my pain doc, I would just call, and it would be waiting for me at the office, or they even mailed them a few times, but then one never arrived, and so that didn't work well...yikes!
My mom gets Oxy IR and Oxy ER, and I just call and leave a message and they call me when it's ready...this is her PCP, and they seem to be more lax then my pain doc...of course, she's 82 and I guess they don't see any addictive behavior in this senior citizen...lol.
If you could get them post dated and save on money, that would be great, and maybe down the road, once you are stable, maybe your PCP can take over, and that might work for you.
Some PCP's don't have a problem with working with you and your pain doc, some do....my old PCP didn't, but after moving to a new state and finding a new one, she refused.
In fact, she even said to me "Don't you want to get off of these?" "Why don't you have surgery or something to fix it?"
I knew not to even try to explain and push it. I realize that I was her patient for only the last year and didn't see her much, but for physicals, but if she had taken the time to read my history, she would have seen I have already had "surgery" (3 in fact) among many other things, and this is where I landed...lol. I was grateful that my pain doctor agreed to see me each month just for the scripts, because many don't want the monthly script filling appts, and only want to focus on procedures and new patients, once they have got you stable with your meds, which is understandable.
Hope things work out with you!
Good Luck
June 19, 2009 - 12:17am
#10
I agree Woody any nosocomial
I agree Woody any nosocomial infections are bad. You go to get helped not to get sick. Take care, htmom
June 19, 2009 - 3:55pm
#11
Nosocomial infections and Woody's wife
That's another new word for me off this site Htmom, just one more reason to love it. My Taber's Med. Dict. defines nosocomial infection as any infection caught in a hospital or other medical establishment. The sickest I've ever been was from a strep infection caught in a hospital after extensive orthodontal surgery.
I can sure sympathize with you Woodstock, my darling wife has suffered from chronic depression since puberty. That is so cool of you to be so understanding of her condition. I'll do anything it takes to make sure my wife is comfortable in whatever surroundings we happen to be in. Aurelia5 has a problem with people she hasn't met, and sometimes even with old friends that we're going to visit for an evening. Her anxiety attacks are excruciating and all of our friends are quite used to me calling in a no-show. Once I got her to believe that she could always call a social event off at the last minute and that I truly didn't mind, her socio-phobia lessened markedly.
I think it's because she feels more in control of the situation this way. We are both Rx'ed Xanax but we don't use it that often. It's sort of like a security blanket for both of us, I guess. It makes us feel better just knowing we have it, "just in case". Good on ya Woody . . .
Q
June 19, 2009 - 4:21pm
#12
Not to scare anyone, but do
Not to scare anyone, but do not lay on any X-ray (any imaging table) table without a sheet. You know those gowns do not always close on the back side. I would ask the tech to please clean the table/upright bucky and put a sheet on it. Most every patient (in and out patients) always have some kind of procedure done. Hospitals are breeding grounds for the germs.Take care, htmom
June 19, 2009 - 5:09pm
#13
Not sure if anyone answered
Not sure if anyone answered your question yet or not since I didnt read everything. If the medication you are wondering about is a CII than your doctor cannot by law "post date" the script (cannot post date any controlled med for that matter). The doctor can however write up to a 90 days supply (3 seperate scripts) and date all of the scripts for the day the doctor saw you. Underneath the day you saw the doctors date the doctor is suppose to write "Do Not Fill until XXXX" or "May be filled on or after XXXX" or any wording the doctor comes up with that has this same effect. Up until last year when the DEA decided that this was okay to do doctors were only allowed by law to script you a 30 day supply of CII medications. This didnt stop the majority of doctors from post dating scripts and it seems that a lot of doctors are unaware of the new law and still will post date scripts, which is dumb since it is illegal and there is an accepted and legal method to basically do the same thing. If you are truly interested in reading the law, PM me and I will send you a link to the DEA's info on this subject. Oh yea, it should be noted that just because the DEA and Federal Gov. says its okay to give three scripts to make a 90 days supply of a CII this doesnt necessarily mean that your specific state has or will adopt this new law since individual states can make there own legislation more strict than the Fed Gov.
August 3, 2009 - 10:46pm
#14
Rx'S
I go every 2 month's and call ahead and have them mailed to my pharmacy. I have the Compound eighter faxed then go pick up hard copy. It work's pretty good unless someone forget's about u....as I said in an earlier post I am not that fond of my Dr's staff....He had a wonderful woman there for several years and she left when her hubby came back from oversea's..it has not been the same resect/quality from front desk people since she left. Dr is a good one though..but he is getting up trhere and I worry about when he retires....
How my doctor will do it sometimes is I just go to the place where you check in and they give it to me there. It saves the time and the copay...
I've heard of other people actually just getting 2 scripts at once. One will have the next months date on it. That would be even better cuz then I wouldn't have to drive across the universe to get it.