+++New Pain Drug+++

[*Bergie*]

If approved this new drug may bring good news to those with difficult side effects. Hopefully the VA will pickup this in their formulary.

Bergie

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20100723/new-pain-drug-may-be-an-alternate-to-oxycodone?ecd=wnl_cbp_072910

[john999]

If it is expensive the VA won't use it. If it has some generic form then maybe. I would not hold my breath waiting for the VA to think outside the box. They are the box.

[*Bergie*]

If it is expensive the VA won't use it. If it has some generic form then maybe. I would not hold my breath waiting for the VA to think outside the box. They are the box.

Yes John I agree, but it is nice to see that researchers are working to improve treatment options for those suffering from chronic pain.

JMO,

Bergie

[blanco63]

Why don't they prescribe what are already in their formulary like Hydromorphone(Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone(Opana) - both stronger and better than Oxycontin and Morphine. I cannot even use the VA because they won't prescribe my monthly 120 Hydromrphone 8mg(for my 50% SC migraines) that my private doctor does. So let them add it to their formulary so you can look at it but still will be prescribed cheap crap called Morphine.

[halos2]

Sounds good bergie. I get all my controlled meds from my private physician too. I will ask him about this with my next visit. Thanks for all your recent medacal information posts too

[john999]

The VA is very sensitive to all the bad publicity around the abuse of presciption pain killers. They prescribe a lot of oxycodone which is now the main drug of abuse amoung people in my state. Expect even less cooperation from the VA for new and better pain meds that have a big price tag. If it is expensive or has a bad reputation among drug abuse enforcers don't expect the VA to help you. Drugs like oxycontin and dilaudid would cause my pain doctors at the VA to fall down in a faint. That is why they like fentanyl patches because they are pretty hard to abuse unless you boil them and make fentanyl tea out of them. My VA doctors are tying to get me off the oxycodone and onto the fentanyl even though it has not worked for me. After using the VA pain clinics for ten years they still think I am a drug addict or drug pusher who is just fooling them. By the way, are fentanyl patches expensive? I do know fentanyl is a very powerful narcotic. My thesis is that cost and the DEA are the main drivers of all pain care at the VA. They are afraid of the DEA as are all pain clinics and doctors. The DEA would be better named the Drug terrorist Administration. DEA is the police agency that most resembles the Gestapo. They terrorize both doctors and patients.