Are Dr.s Using Dea Rule As Excuse, Or Opportunity To To Stop Meds?

[Chuck75]

The law changes do apply to all doctors. VA practice guidelines and directives apply to the VA only.

[63SIERRA]

OK , I have an update. I emailed the chief pharmacist at the VA and told him I recieved the letter that was sent out stating that it was the PHYSICIANS option to either continue or discontinue narcotic pain meds, and asked if there was another letter or directive from the VA regarding this matter. I was told IT IS up to the doctors discretion,

I then called patient advocate and told them I was told by my doctor that the reason I was being taken off hyrocodone is it was VA POLICY. and I had that in writing in the notes of my records that he signed.

I asked to speak with the hospital administrator and was told that he or she does not speak to patients unless they have spoken with patient advocate (trip wire) first.

So recently I get a secure message, from the nurse stating they are going to refill my pain medication.

Basically what it boils down to is my primary care team l told me it was va policy to discontinue the pain meds. They dont want the hassle of writing a new rx every month and are afraid that DEA is digging in thier ass. So they choose to make the patient suffer. .

Unless they take EVERYBODY off of the pain meds they shouldnt just take a some off. Pain is pain and suffering is suffering. '

I understand why they are clamping down, but it is not fair to punish those of us who are using the medication correctly . The fact is, VA used to just throw pain meds at vets to save money and not do MRI s , expensive surgerys, long term therapy ect. Now that the DEA is on them they just want to cut people off, and tell you to go home and deal with it/

Also I believe alot of it is tied in with the compensation side of the VA. Ok say they cut you off the narcotic pain meds. In a couple years you get a re evaluation/ Then they say, well sir or mam, you dont seem to be having problems, you arent on any meds, you havent had surgeries? it must not be a problem. ( even though THEY Iinvoulentarily took you off the meds,) , the record will still reflect that you are recieving no treatment. MEDICATION therapy is treatment, So its like a house of cards, remove one main support, and the whole house falls.

Edited January 7, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[63SIERRA]

Ok here is the current situation. My Tdoctor has discontinued my medication for hydrocodone after informing him that nothing else allieviates my pain.

I was told that the VISN in Temple /san anntonio/ dallas AREA NO SUPPORTS THE USE OF VICODIN FOR CHRONIC PAIN.

Ok so heres my question, why are other VAMC still allowed to administer the hydrocodone to vets with debilitating chronic pain? Is one veteran more deserving than another? Should one suffer and not the other?

I have been requesting an official letter from the VA that states the directive, order, regulation , ect, and they cant provide one.

If there IS a directive from the SEC of VA, it needs to become public information, so that potential enlistees in the armed forces will be aware BEFORE HAND , that if they recieve a debilitating injury, and nothing else works , they will be subject to a lifetime of pain, and suffering because the VA NO LONGER SUPPORTS narcotic pain medications for chronic pain.

Edited January 7, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[Vync]

Sounds like yet another violation of the VAMC Patient Bill of Rights' statement regarding we have the right for treatment of our pain.

[63SIERRA]

I went to see my Dr. on Nov 6th and I had my brother take me b/c I am unable to walk or stand. Me and him have been discussing why he is weaning me down from my Methadone to a totally

ineffective dose. I have been on this medication successfully for the past 12 or 14 years now and not once have I had any, not one problem with anything or anybody, never violated my

contract, no unclean urines in all this time..took them as prescribed. Even talked to the Medical Director on about 4 or 5 occasions at the Fayetteville, Ark. VA and was told it is happening all over the VA system. I received Hydrocodone as a breakthrough pain reliever but never took them unless absolutely necessary, I could get my relief totally from my Methadone but when they started weaning me down I had to rely on them. They have a conversion rate of morphine to Methadone and also to Hydrocodone, personally I cannot understand it, but it use to be so much morphine to methadone down to 300 mg then it went to 200 mg, now my Dr. tells me what is coming down the pike is conversion down to 100mg equivalent of morphine, been on morphine does absolutely no good at all, neither does Fentanyl or any other narcotic except methadone. Anyway my Dr. when he said it was coming down I ask him not to take me down until it actually happens, then when I get home I see he refilled my meds on eBenefits pharmacy and the lying sack of **** took me down anyway. He kept asking me if I wanted certain

things like an eye exam, ear exam or go down to Florida for a 21 day in patient pain program or go to Little Rock for Steroid injections. He knows I cannot stand walk or travel unlessI have help. I receive Aid and Attendance and have been waiting on my appeal for 6 years now for a higher level. I receive the "M" rate right now but would like a little bit higher to

help pay for someone to come in daily. Last person stole all my narcotics but I couldn't prove it as I didn't see her but it was her. The doctor kept referring to my brother who was in the room with me stating, "You heard me ask him and he declined"..he must have said that about 10 times during my appointment, which accomplished absolutely nothing except lab work.

I hate to say this but this policy is here to stay and nothing is going to change it. It's all politics I think but that is another story. Also, I just can't believe 22 vets are killing themselves everyday, that just seems way out of proportion, that is 7200 veterans a year, in 10 years that is 72000 vets, I say BS to that story. When I get my medicare I will be

looking for an outside Doctor. Then my question does this apply to all Doctors are just the VA??

DONT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT GO HERE. 22 A DAY http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/01/11/3150531/young-male-veterans-more-likely-commit-suicide/

Edited January 7, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[texrcanna]

okeveryone

i am a new member here and i am glad i found this place, i am pissed off like a lot of you. we are being mistreated,

our VA patient bill of rights are being violated #18 stated that we have the right to be treated for chronic pain,with medicine that works for the patient

there is no valid reason that anyone has come up to suddenly discontinue the precriptions of oxycodone

and replacing if with more dangerous drugs,everyone has different reactions to medicine that why there are side affects some people have them some people do not

Alot of people over the age of 50 have a great chance of heart problems going from oxycodone to Methadone,Morphine take larger doses and the side affects can be worse ,such as hullicinations or breathing problems,ect

why, reclassifing a drug has nothing to do with weither it works or has worked fot the paitent,when it comes to taking our oxycodone away from the vets,civillan doctors do not have a issue with this yet

after being on this medecine for years there are obgliations that our providers need to comply with that they are not doing, you cannot just abruptly take a paitent of this medecine without complications,pertaining to conquences such as,increased depression,stressand other health/body complications to vital organs in our body

also the dea has no business in the medical feild for pain management especially the va

everything for pain management for a vet needs to be done on a paitent by paitent needs and if they(the va) prescribed oxycodeone to the paitent for years,it is apparent that this is the proper med found to help regulate most of the pain,correct me if i am wrong(The Drug Enforcement Administration was created by President Richard Nixon through an Executive Order in July 1973 in order to establish a single unified command to combat "an all-out global war on the drug menace." At its outset, DEA had 1,470 Special Agents and a budget of less than $75 million. Today, the DEA has nearly 5,000 Special Agents and a budget of $2.02 billion.)WE AS VETS/AMERICANS need to protect our constitutional rights ,unite and somehow establish a voice represented by congressmen that support vets and put forth a law in congress to put the dea back on tract to fight the war on drugs (as ronald regan said) going after cocaine,herion,crack,meth,

go after the people making smuggling illegal drugs,in and out of this united states and to stay out of the va and private doctors business practice to help paitents,

the dea is becomming a communist/socialist state of power where they want to control the quality of our life!!!

this is agnist our constitutional rights! we need to get our ducks in line(shit together) and put the dea in check

WE THE PEOPLE have this right,and i know that some of you people that read this are educated enough to help us the disabled veterns/american people, who gave to our country to keep us free! and to keep us free in the use of prescriptions for pain medication, doctors when they became doctors took a oath of first due no harm,what are they doing now? treating some of us like bad people all of a sudden and changing up our meds with no valid reasons or concerns, i was told that my pain is not caused from cancer therefore my precpription will no longer be filled,also that oxycodone is not used or inteded for chronic pain,unless it is cancer,come on, what REALLY!