Va Prescriptions - Controlled Meds - Buy A Good Quality Safe

[chicopee]

Hi everyone,

I just bought a Sentry Safe for my closet - yes, it's bolted to the floor. I have a teenager living at home and with friends coming & going, they managed to help themselves a few months ago. I had a false drawer in a cabinet that I used for a few years and they were smart enough to find my meds. The clinic would NOT help me with any sort of a refill, so I had to back off to half doses for more than 2-weeks. I talked to the head of the pharmacy and he said, get a safe. So, I did. Bought it on Amazon for less than $80 - Sentry Safe with key and digital key pad. I have NEVER discussed my meds with either one of my kids, but I would recommend that anyone getting these controlled prescriptions from the VA get a safe and use it regularly (I open mine for each and every dose). I never, ever wanted to admit that my child could do such a thing - but, she did and she has. I'm also pulling random UAs - OK, maybe I am controlling but my kid is still on the honor roll (for the past 4 years) and she's headed for college. The reaction from my daughter while I was getting the safe bolted down in my closet was priceless. It's hard enough as it is that the VA waits until the last possible moment to send out my meds via Fedex.

IF you have anyone living with you and you have these meds - get a safe!!! I even suspected a home health nurse that the VA sent out a few years ago of sticky fingers. The economy sucks and there are many people doing things that they normally wouldn't do, such as sell meds. Be safe and think this thru. I'm sorry I didn't do this before now.

Best wishes -Chicopee

[Vync]

Good post!

[Pete53]

Chicopee;

Man that sucks. My aprazolam and hydrocodone 1000/5 are in my bedside drawer.

[carlie]

It's hard enough as it is that the VA waits until the last possible moment to send out my meds via Fedex.

chicopee,

Here's a hint to help make sure you get your meds on time.

The day they arrive at your house, go ahead and order the refill

either by phone or on line.

carlie

[RetiredVet]

I forgot to renew my meds for the first time in a long time. Four of them we could not re-order because they were the last refill. I take nine meds daily. My wife keeps track of them. She gave me a list of the ones I need refilled, but I forgot to give it to the doc. I see a VA doc every month so they should have also caught this.

Do I function? Not much. Nine pain meds daily and three meds that interact with each other does not help me function. I had my wife type this so people can read it. I looked at some of my previous posts and I know I do not type well enough for people to understand what I type. At least she types this the way I talk.

If my wife is not around I never take my meds on time or I just forget to take them. Since I spend 99 percent of my time in the house no one touches my meds. And the bedrooms are off limits. We have a bathroom people can use without going back to the bedrooms.

You need to watch for the amount of refills you have left. When you get near the last refill let the doc know before you get the last refill if you can remember to do this.

[blackbird]

The safe is a great idea!!! I have a nephew that has a great jobs, benefits etc. Well he was in a car wreck which fractured several vertibras so his pain level was pretty high for months. He started taking more and more pain meds for the pain so of course he ran out and couldn't get anymore until it was time for refills. So my sisters started missing pain meds. They thought no one could find them but he did and was caught. Rehab was finally needed, since my sister was married to a Lt. in the police department and they caught him. He's much better now. If this straight laced man could sink this low it could happed to almost anyone.

The bottom line is that if you are a disabled vet the public pretty much knows you have meds and probably pain meds. That maked you a target anyway. Get the safe!

Blackbird