Cancelling Medications Without Notice

[Navy Spook]

I emptied a bottle of medication I have been taking for over 20 years. I couldn't find my renewed bottle. I checked myhealthVA and could see that I ordered it at the same time as my other meds a couple of weeks ago. The website reports that the prescription has "expired" (as opposed to being "active") and also shows 4 refills remaining. The script is only about 6 months old. Nobody called me to tell me the med was cancelled nor did I get a letter.

I am totally out for Sunday and abrupt cessation of this medication causes "Abdominal and muscle cramping, convulsions, hallucinations, confusion, tremors, depression, and suicidal ideation". If I am an hour or two late taking this med I get severe muscle cramping, I don't know what will happen if I miss a day.

If I suffer any serious side-effects because of the VA cancelling my med without telling me, do I have a claim? I mean, if I have convulsions, which is the most usual problem as I understand it, I won't have any lasting damage unless it kills me or I bite my tongue off or something. I'm not really after monetary compensation for a temporary withdrawal "detox", but I would really, really like someone to put a large boot up the rear-end of those responsible.

But i get the impression that suffering and perhaps almost dying won't get much attention from anyone and I'll just be wasting my time. I'm hoping someone will say "Fill out a form 82 stroke B and heads will roll". Anybody?

[Testvet]

Sledge the call ins are only for narcotics I think they want to make sure we are still alive and it's nor somebody else getting them by just punching the right buttons or a few mouse clicks or to justify their own jobs

[LarryJ]

and you'd be surprisedd the number of happily medicated postal employees that, for some reason, know exactly what is in those little white pouches that our meds are mailed to us in................. :D

[john999]

My VAMC changed the way they prescribe percoset. I was getting 200 a month and they said that was too much. I have to now go to the VAMC and can't get them in the mail like I used to do. They have had me on five different narcotics over the years and have abruptly decided to make me detox before, but I fought it. I have a private pain doctor for these emergencies. They get you hooked and then jerk you around. This is why I want to get off these narcotics. Remember that chronic pain is the most undertreated disease in the USA mainly because doctors are afraid of the DEA. Even VA doctors are afraid of being accused of being lax with narcotics.

[purple]

When I was on some stronger meds...many of them began disappearing in the mail. So now I'm a "Do Not Mail". Luckily, I only live about 20 minutes from my VAMC ......and un-luckily I'm there often enough that I pick up all my meds in person. The VA doesn't like that but.....oh well.

[rentalguy1]

I think they are pulling this crap on me, too. I just refilled my pill containers for the upcoming week, and I checked the date on the bottle for my Darvocet. I am still on the December bottle, and it's almost empty. So I went to the medicine cabinet where I keep the renewal bottles, and I had everything except Darvocet. I order all my meds on the 5th of every month by telephone. I have enough to get me through to the 5th of February, but looks like I'll be calling the pharmacy myself tomorrow. I wonder if this is a VA-wide problem?? :D

[cowgirl]

Meds in the mail work for now, thank God mailbox is near end of the route, mailcarrier, a vet, stops to chat near every few weeks.(even gives the family a Christmas card!) Once forgot to reorder one important med, called VA, kind pharmacist says no prob; few days later for pickup, recited the riot act, Friday pm! whoops. Once had Dr. stopped a strong med, refills were available year later, eh? Course I brought it to their attention or they wouldn't had known.