So, I Went In To See My Primary Care Physician 3 Weeks Ago

[LarryJ]

....................except he didn't RENEW ANY of my prescriptions........NONE........not my pain medication........not my thyroid medication...........not my Ambien..........NADA!

So, I calls the VA Patient Call Center, you know, the "One Call, Does It All" and I get this person on the line and she goes to asking me "Well, it appears that you are not taking this psuefedrin (Sudafed) every day or you would have already been out of this medication for at least 3 weeks (it's a 90day script).....and I see that that is the case with your codiene also...........you are not taking all your doses like you shoud, SIR!" To which I replied, "Look, I take the Sudafed ONLY when I have allergic rhinitis, which I don't always have, so I take it just like it should be taken...............and, as for my codiene, there are times when I hurt less than others and there are times when I have to be UN-medicated, such as when I have to drive to the VA MEDICAL CENTER for my appointments, etc, so I am using LESS than that prescribed, at LEAST you KNOW I ain't sellin the dope.............."

"Well, we'll just have to give this message to your primary care physician and let him take care of this."

NO SHIT!

I do so wish that some folks would, on occasion, take a long walk on a short pier!

[hedgey]

Larry, I feel your pain. Well, your annoyance, anyway...

Am I correct in guessing that your CBOC is managed by a contractor? Perhaps one that manages CBOC's throughout the country? Just wondering, is all. Ours is, and there are frequent mis-communications, both in house and between patient and provider (personal experiences). It also seems to take forever for the tappity-taps on the keyboard while your sitting there to actually go into the system. Sometimes they fall right out onto the floor instead and are kicked under the rug (again, personal experience).

[LarryJ]

Larry, I feel your pain. Well, your annoyance, anyway...

Am I correct in guessing that your CBOC is managed by a contractor? Perhaps one that manages CBOC's throughout the country? Just wondering, is all. Ours is, and there are frequent mis-communications, both in house and between patient and provider (personal experiences). It also seems to take forever for the tappity-taps on the keyboard while your sitting there to actually go into the system. Sometimes they fall right out onto the floor instead and are kicked under the rug (again, personal experience).

No, hedgey, this is not a CBOC. It is, instead, one of the largest VA Medical Centers in the USofA (over one million patient visits two years in a row).

I know, I know, they are "overwhelmed". Well, if so, then they need to underoverwhelmthemselves! :)

[Vync]

Larry,

They tried the same stuff with me a while back. They held my meds hostage until I went to see a primary care provider. They said I need to see him annually, because my specialty docs, the ones who actually prescibe stuff for me, don't count apparently.

Now I just call the VA nurse line when my meds need renewal. Been doing that for over a year and had no problems so far.

[LarryJ]

Larry,

They tried the same stuff with me a while back. They held my meds hostage until I went to see a primary care provider. They said I need to see him annually, because my specialty docs, the ones who actually prescibe stuff for me, don't count apparently.

Now I just call the VA nurse line when my meds need renewal. Been doing that for over a year and had no problems so far.

You don't understand. I'd just been to see my primary care physician three weeks ago. Been seeing him for, like, four years now, every three months, like clock-work.

Never missed or requested another date, always there at least two hours early, for my labs, etc.

[john999]

Larry

They probably assume you are making speed in your own meth lab and then selling the narcotics as well. It is nice to know they think we are all junkies and drug dealers. Why don't they just admit " we don't know how to treat pain, and we are too cheap to find out".