""""THE LIST"""""

[63SIERRA]

If you have ever wondered why you were not offered certain medication by your VA provider, there may be several reasons. The VA uses something called the national pharmalary list..  check it out here. but first read the rest of this post.  http://www.pbm.va.gov/apps/VANationalFormulary/

what I have found personally is that due to costs of certain medications, even though they are on the national pharmalary list, these medications will not be offered to you by your care provider. heres an example.  many pain sufferers who have tried various medications such as opiate based,and other meds such as  gapapentin, tramadal , ect have not gotten much relief.  There is another medication used to treat pain called pregablin ( LYRICA)..  If you ask your primary care dr abt this medication, you will likely be either told that it is not on the pharmalary list,  or that you do not meet the criteria.. If you go to the link I posted, it tells  you what the criteria is, which many times is that you have tried other medications without success.  In my experience, the best thing you can do if you want to try a medication, is look on the pharmalary list yourself, before asking your doctor to prescribe it.. YOU LET THEM KNOW THAT IT IS INDEED ON THE PHARMALARY LIST..  Ok heres what they may do.. they may try and tell you that the particular VAMC that you go to doesnt prescribe it.. That would be a lie. so dont buy it.  they may try to prescribe something that you already tried that didnt work.. do not go for it.

there are MANY MEDICATIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO VETERANS THAT THE VAMCs  try to not prescribe, due to cost. Take Lyrica for example. its 400.00 for one month rx.  ok lets due some math, thats 4800 a year. in 10 years thats  48000 dollars.!!!!!.  CAPICHE?    Have  I earned that medicine?  YOUR DAMNED RIGHT i HAVE!!!!

Many veterans who were cut off of opiate based prescriptions the last few years after opiate gate went down and there was a big push to stop prescribing, were offered Gabapentin, or tramadol. Tramadol is killing people right and left, it is a very dangerous drug, and Gabapentin has plenty of side effects as well. often times, once those 2 meds are prescribed for pain, and found to be ineffective, that is the end of it. like bugs bunny said at the end of the cartoon., thats all folks..

well now you know that there may be other options. if the meds you are on arent cutting the mustard, do some research. most of the new, effective, but higher priced meds are on the tv commercials . thats how I found out abt Lyrica. its beed a Godsend. its great for diabetic nerve pain, spinal injury related pain, ect.

Do tourself a favor.. if your suffering in pain, have ben invoulantarily or voulentarily been taken off of opiate based meds, have tried Gabapenten, Tramadol, ect, with no relief, plz try LYRICA. IT sure helps me.. the best way I can describe it, is it doesnt let the pain consume my focus.  the pain is there, but its like I dont care its there.. weird but I like it.