New Dea Rules For Hydrocodone Combination Medications

[carlie]

I brought this info over from my healthevet. "New DEA Rules for Hydrocodone Combination Medications

After October 3, 2014, many Veterans may notice VA prescription changes for hydrocodone combination (HC) medications. It's important to know how these rule changes affect your HC prescription when using My HealtheVet.

Brand names for HCs include AZDONE, LORCET, LORTAB, IBUDONE, TUSSIONEX or VICODIN. VA prescription bottles will typically list HYDROCODONE and another medicine such as ACETAMINOPHEN. These medicines may be used to relieve pain or to reduce coughing.

The change comes from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The new rule changes HC medicines from a Schedule III drug to a Schedule II drug. They will now be more strictly controlled. The DEA did this because these medications were found to be highly abused, habit forming and potentially deadly in overdoses. These stricter regulations should improve their safe use for everyone.

If you have a prescription for a hydrocodone-containing medication and use My HealtheVet's Prescription Refill feature, the number of refills showing on the 'Refill My Prescription' page may reflect your original prescription. It will change when your doctor re-writes the prescription based on the new restriction on refills and expiration date. Refills of new HC prescriptions will no longer be allowed on or after October 3, 2014 and quantities will be limited to a 30-day supply.

Each VA Medical Center pharmacy will make changes to make sure there is a smooth transition of HC prescriptions for their Veterans. In some instances, the HC prescription may continue to appear for a few weeks or months. If you have questions, it is best to contact the pharmacy at your local VA Medical Center. The phone number is on every prescription label, or you can look on the local VA Medical Center website under 'Health Care Services' for the pharmacy telephone number.

If you need to discuss your prescription with your health care team, remember that you can use My HealtheVet Secure Messaging to reach out and ask specific questions in this safe and secure channel."

[Vync]

Our DEA... "looking out for you"

[Buck52]

Ms Carlie

My PCP called here at the house and ask me to go to labs at my vamc anytime this week for urine test and then they would refil my other half of prescription because when I ordered my prescription (hydrocodone 10) for this month at the end of last month they only sent me half...so I got to go take a urine test to get the other half.

I sure hope we don't have to start doing that twice a month but maybe it was just at random?

..............Buck!

[captain soggy]

Does anyone know if there is any veterans groups starting to complain to Robert McDonald or Allison Hickey about veteran patience suddenly being denied thier pain meds? In some cases without offering a tapering plan. The withdrawls from abruptly stopping can be very severe and in my opinion constitutes mal practice by any physician doing this. In my case I have been told he will no longer order my hydrocodone that I have been on for the past 3 years. I find it hard to believe he has any justifiable medical reason for this since he has not seen me in almost a year. It seems to me they are violating their oath to " first do no harm".

Anyway, if anyone has heard of any news on this subject I would like to read about it.

[#1Cavtrooper]

A change that has taken place at my local VA outpatient clinic is frequent urinalysis testing. I had a urinalysis test in October and then again yesterday. I was expecting them to draw blood so I fast only to arrive at the lab and they handed me two cups. They stated one was for opiate testing (I am prescribed Hydrocodone 10/325) and the other cup was for illicit drugs. The lab tech informed me that everyone with these prescriptions are getting these test.