warning about the DEA

Everyone, just remember that any changes of something like this would not happen in a vacuum. The press and the internet would explode with official statement. This, I have come to think is a misunderstanding.

It's like those political forwards on facebook. People believe that stuff without backing it up, and simply just repost it.

Yep, I'm w/ LC and David.

--Tina

Vickie, I understand stuff like that happens, and given the situation in FL a few years back, it was probably a desperate move by a sheriff who overstepped his bounds, and was probably only meant to be temporary. The pharmacist should have just shredded the letter, because it was not legal, no new law was passed, and he was outside his authority. He could have been advising against it, but there's no way the pharmacist would have gotten burned for something like that. Cops, in general, in my experience, try to get gullible people to fall for things and get tripped up, not knowing what the law is. If you are legal in all things, you have nothing to worry about.

My favorite cop story, just for giggles. One of my grandfather's neighbors ran for sheriff down here a few years back. He had 400 people at a rented hall with free BBQ and booze on election night. He only got 137 votes. But I digress.

But the issue at hand is, if something really stupid is going on, who do we point the finger at? Politicians, especially at the state and local level, tend to try to overstep their bounds. The answer is almost never the DEA. Being a federal agency, with strict rules and policies, it would take a literal act of Congress to change that. The problem is the brain dead legislators in the state you live in. They have a nephew or a daughter who gets caught up in it, and they want to stop it for everyone, or some other silly thing. But not much is going to change because the pharmaceutical companies and the AMA are really strong lobbyists who would not let that happen.

We are paying for other people's stupidity in the past. Getting an oxycontin or methadone prescription filled? Might as well ask for a pound of fried cloud at the same time. The general public is uninformed, reactionary, aren't worried about your problems, and as a result, can't be bothered, unless it affects them directly.

In the end, a person is smart. People are idiots.

(edited to fix a tasteless statement that might have offended some. Apologies to anyone that was.)

how folks who believe this is just a misunderstanding is beyond me. this is real and to widespread to be a little communication breakdown or whatever, over half the pharmacies in hampton roads have been shut down so the DEA agents could audit it and leave parameters on how meds can be dispensed and who can write the Rxs. local doctors in past 24hrs are hot under the collar and my doc prob had to admit an elderly lady to make sure she can get her methadone tablets,(one med for a decade and same dose), hospitalizing some pain patients will make them worse and i know of a certainty this issue is trumping at least 5 patient privacy and advocacy laws plus prob commerce clause of constitution, i would not use that one but no laws have been broken by patients or medical providers why should they/us pay this price?

Yep..I am in VA and there haven't been any new laws or regulations passed that reference this.

I know I have talked with my PM about what is possibly coming down the pike in the next few years and this is something that may happen in the future but for the entire country. It has been discussed that either a Dr. will need to be Board Certified in PM or if they want to treat patients for chronic pain (more than 3 months) with controlled substances, they will need to have extra certification and training about chronic pain and pain meds.

So, it won't be that a Dr. can't prescribe or treat...it's just about them needing to be knowledgeable about the subject and the powerful meds they prescribe.

This is why many regular Drs. have already started moving away from treating chronic pain patients, but it isn't a Federal law or one in VA.

Here's something that may help.

www.vapharmacy.org/ - The Virginia Pharmacists Association
also
www.dhp.virginia.gov/Pharmacy/pharmacy_laws_regs.htm - The Virginia Board of Pharmacy - laws and regulations

Now, if there was something going on in Virginia, I would think it would be mentioned on these sites. There is nothing there.

A more thorough scrubbing of the news (statewide and specific to Hampton Roads as you mentioned) brought up only two remotely related things, and that's about giving the consumer the prices on generic vs name brand, and a doctor who had his license suspended for prescribing meds without monitoring the patients correctly (and he had his license revoked for something similar about 10 years ago, according to the story)

If you've run into a problem with a pharmacy in Virginia, both of those sites linked above have the way to lodge a complaint.

I'm with you if this is actually happening. But I can't find it. I can't find anything remotely connected to it. If the DEA is auditing pharmacies, well, that's kind of their job. But if more than one pharmacy in Hampton Roads was closed in the last couple of weeks, it may be the economy. And that would have made the news as well.

i love you all for putting me at ease a bit. i am thinking my Walgreens screwed up. i do know they were filling CII Rx's written by a Florida Dr. for very large amounts, (if legitimate that part not a problem), on top of it these folks coming from FA live in Kentucky. i could not even thinkabout this for 2 weeks and got hit with massive flare prob due to stress. i know i can fill my meds at a Walgreens down the street but not my original one? strange. thank you all so much for helping me get a handle on this. NICK

Glad to hear things got figured out! As others mentioned, if something is actually a new Federal or state law, there is usually something written about it in the press or .gov websites.

Quincy -

We've had so much confusing info circulating here... would you mind providing a link to the info regarding DEA selecting pharmacies in NM? I googled the city you mentioned.... along w/ DEA and pharmacy info.... I absolutely see that drug abuse (primarily illicit drugs) are prevalent in that area.... but I can't find anything pertaining to the DEA asking pharmacies to ration. (Not saying it's not there -- I would just be curious to read).

Unfortunately this is an ongoing problem in the US (DEA policies w/ CP patients).... however, the OP (Nick/Spinal Soldier) came back and said it was just a misunderstanding w/ his Walgreen's...

Thanks --Tina

I think we need to be really careful when we put things here at the forum, pertaining to state laws, DEA enforcement and so forth....

Nick - I'm not doubting what your particular Walgreen's has told you.... however, we've seen this many times that one particular pharmacy (be it a chain pharm or whatever) will say something is a "new law" - and, come to find out, it's a policy of that particular pharmacy.... or even misunderstood information from that particular pharmacy.

I don't think a particular chain can be blamed. I've had nothing but success w/ Walgreen's myself... but, again, I know it varies state to state.

Anyway.... I searched multiple sites that I have bookmarked for DEA laws.... and so forth.... and don't see anything like this for Virginia. I know we have members here from VA - maybe they can weigh in....

It's my personal feeling that we should try to back up any information we are putting out here on the forum (in terms of laws, DEA, etc) w/ some type of link to the actual source, etc. If it was a state-wide mandate - it WILL be on the internet.

--Tina

Free Rad we appreciate your opinion on any thread and welcome to the forum.


We would love to know more about you and we like to. Welcome new members in their own thread so if you would post a new post of introduction we will do just that.

My primary doctor also refused to continue filling my hydrocodone Rx and she referred me to the same physiatrist that my husband goes to.  He has a sign in his office "I am not a pain-management specialist"...therefore, I am adding this explanation.  (We also live in FL)

A physiatrist's treatment focuses on helping the patient become as functional and pain-free as possible in order to participate in and enjoy life as fully as possible.

A physiatrist practices in the field of physiatry – also called physical medicine and rehabilitation – which is a branch of medicine that specializes in diagnosis, treatment and management of disease primarily using "physical" means, such as physical therapy and medications.

Essentially, physiatrists specialize in a wide variety of treatments for the musculoskeletal system - the muscles, bones and associated nerves, ligaments, tendons and other structures – and the musculoskeletal disorders that cause pain and/or difficulty with functioning. Physiatrists do not perform surgery.

My husband has been suffering from 3 botched back surgeries, a hip replacement, and knee problems.  I joined the Fibro thread...and think he should join you here!  All he does is moan all night and I feel so helpless.  I suffer from chronic pain also, but it doesn't help me to moan about it, so I just grin and bear it....saying to myself, "Enjoy today...tomorrow might be worse!"

Mercy&Grace, you have asked about medications & pain mgt in the state of Louisiana. You can probably do a google search & see if there is a law in effect concerning this. LC has been out of pocket lately. We have had so many changes in treatment of CP , that unless a member can provide an actual link about such info we rather it not be posted here at the forum. We have learned that many changes were simply the rules the pharmacy had in place but it as not a state law after all. So, to avoid a bunch of confusion this is why we asked for the links to such info.

Take care.....Susie