Hello Everyone,
Perhaps a pharmacist or DEA person here can answer this one, because I have thought about it and the whole thing becomes more stupid the more I think.
I have a chronic pain condition that requires me to take some heavy duty narcotics. I will be on these, barring some medical breakthrough, for the rest of my life. The drugs I am taking that require DEA oversight (on the doctors and pharmacy) are Morphine, Percocet and Amphetamine. The doctor can only write me a 30 day supply of each one. Not really a big deal, but to get a refill he can’t call it in I have to go to his office, have an appointment mainly so he can write me my monthly prescriptions.
It all seems such a waste of resources and money. I have to make an appointment that takes the doctors time away from other and the insurance company pays for another visit. He writes out the scripts and then I have to go to the pharmacy and get them filled. I like my doctor and don’t mind the visits and the pharmacy can set their calender by my monthly visit.
So, the question is: Why can’t my doctor just call in these meds or have them on a continual refill with the pharmacy. I understand that this wouldn’t work with someone with an acute problem, but mine is chronic. Same scripts every month for the last 8 years. And God forbid if something happens to my doctor and he can’t see me for my refills I am in trouble. (Let’s say an out of town emergency required him to leave and his stay got extended). He can’t call in the script, so what in the hell am I supposed to do? Go to the ER? Hah! Hi ER doc, would you mind writing me some scripts for narcotics and speed? That would fly like a lead balloon.
Why is the DEA putting chronic pain patients like myself on such a short leash? Why can’t a doc call in a script? What is someone supposed to do that is too ill to drive to the doctors office and then the pharmacy? I understand that narcotics are abused and there are plenty of people trying to scam the system. But my doctor knows my usage, my pharmacy knows my usage so if a script is called in for me that isn’t my usual stuff they would know and alert whoever they needed to.
How about computer prescriptions? Why are doctors still writing scripts on a pad? It seems that way is open to so much potential abuse. Why aren’t there secure connections from a docs computer to a pharmacy? That way no matte where he is or where I am he could just send it via the internet. Saves time, money and would never leave a patient without the meds they need. Stupid DEA.
Actually, by law, you don’t have to go to your doctor to get a script every month. It is within DEA regulations for your doctor to write you 3 months worth of CII prescriptions at one time. He just needs date it the date he wrote it, then put “Do not fill before xx/xx/xx” on the script.
Also, by federal law, you ARE allowed to use an E-Script to send CII’s, however, most states (including my own), do not allow it at present.
Thanks, didn’t know that he could write them three months at a time. No big deal for me as I like my doc a lot and enjoy our conversations. It just seemed stupid to have to go to get the scripts. Why would the individual States have a problem with Escripts? Seems to be a much more efficient way to do things?
One other question, since you seem to have some knowledge in this area. My insurance has their own mail order pharmacy and it is very inexpensive, no co-pays on any of my scripts if I get it through them. However, the insurance rep told me that I can’t use them because they aren’t allowed to ship Schedule II drugs via mail. Is that correct?
We have a prescription that falls under the same category. We get 3 months’ worth at a time, dated the way Hirka T’Bawa described. The doctor’s office mails it to us, though, so we don’t have to make a trip in.
It could be that your doc is just covering his ass. Some pain docs have a lot of problem with the law coming down on them for being “doctor feel-goods”.
That very well could be. I live in Florida and I know that Local Law Enforcement has been actively coming down hard on pain clinics and doctors treating pain patients.
From what I understand, it’s become a real problem for many doctors and patients. There are a lot of folks out there in real pain that go under treated because of our war on drugs.
Oh, Florida, yeah…unfortunately, that’s kind of a center for fake “pain” clinics…I’m not surprised your doctor feels a need to cover his ass.
However, to speak to more immediate and practical concerns…you really need to talk to your doctor about what happens if you need a script and he’s unavailable. He almost certainly has someone that covers for him when he goes on vacation, etc. You should make sure that back-up doctor knows about you, knows your history, etc., so that the first time he (or she) is hearing from you isn’t on Sunday night, when you’re in crisis.
I call bullshit on whoever told you CII drugs cannot be mailed.
When my son was small, he took drugs for his ADD that had to be prescribed on special triplicate forms issued by the DEA. I’d mail the Rx to the Mail Order Pharmacy, and the drugs would be mailed back to me. Signature required upon receipt.
If you do decide to obtain your medications through a mail order pharmacy, COUNT those pills after you get them. I got shorted one prescription of my son’s medication, and the pharmacy made me obtain a new prescription to obtain the pills that SOMEBODY probably pocketed.
~VOW
VOW, FWIW the person who told me that the in house pharmacy wouldn’t deliver Schedule II drugs was the customer rep at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In fact they put me on hold while they asked a supervisor for details. I will call the in house pharmacy after the 1st when my policy becomes effective. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky.
with CVS Caremark for example, they can mail CIIs as long as they get an actual CII prescription mailed to them. Also, they are present in every state meaning they can mail to every state that a CVS is in. (dunno about other mail order pharmacies) CVS is in every state right?