2011 30 Mg Oxycodone Shortage (Page 9)

I am a 51 y/o who lives in Florida, suffering from chronic back pain, and have been prescribed to take up to six 30mg oxycodone tablets a day for over two years by my Pain Management doctor. However, when I went to fill my prescription almost 4 weeks ago, my pharmacy told me their distributor had stopped shipping oxycodone to Florida pharmacies. Since then, I have personally visited about 100 pharmacies but have been unable to find them in stock anywhere. As a former paralegal, I attempted to research the situation, but could only confirm that the DEA has yearly quot on all controlled substances (for oxy's is 98 million grams in 2011). From I gather from the Internet, it appears that the ENTIRE state of FLORIDA is not getting any shipments of oxycodone 30 mg. from distributors, but are other states having this problem as well? Also, can anyone confirm whether (and HOW) the DEA is pressuring distributors to avoid Florida?

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Have you tried ( Medicine Shoppes)???Chain of Pharmacy.They have them but have quadrupled in price.Sucks because they really help for break through pain when the time released isnt enough.Good luck

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@JH. Today is better than yesterday? right? well tomorrow will be better than today.. I Promise you :)

you're right it does suck.. imo, most people that have had back surgeries,have a life time of some type of pain even when the weather changes.
It really pisses me off when the Pill Mills took over on every corner it seemed and addicts from different states came to FL for an easy script.
The Legal Drug Dealer Doctors made millions of dollars

The New Law IS working here.. no more Dr. Shopping thank goodness, the Pharmacies and Doctors are linked and they "have" to use the system that the DEA and FL, Govt. set up..like other states have..

Now hopefully it's over~pretty much~ in FL and I've read that the Pill Mills have moved North to Georgia,Tenn, KY.. and wherever else ..anywhere but here in Central Florida I say!
You hang there JH I promise it does get better and you will find a pharmacy that won't give you such a hassle..

like I said before it took my hubby 2-3 months before we found a pharmacists that is decent.we are 50y/o and he has been with the same Doctor and Walgreens for over 10years. you would think they would've seen that right? nope.. Hubby still got hassled..I really think they were scared of losing their licences. by spring/summer Florida will be an after thought and other states will have the problems we had for several months.

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Donna I really appreciate the kind words. I can tell from your compassion, that you are a sweetheart. I wish I could share your optimism. I've been dealing with this crap for almost four years. I was actually down in Florida in October visiting friends, when my back started really acting up, traveling didn't help it. I spent hours on the phone when I was in Florida trying to get some help. Since I was from out of state, no one could see me. But you're right, they all told me to drive to Georgia. So I guess all the people that made millions dispensing pills, have simply picked up and moved to Georgia. Literally some of the pain clinics I called in Florida went directly to Georgia. Even though they were local Florida numbers, they were forwarded directly to their new Georgia branches. So the Sranan continues on to the next state. Pain clinics in a perfect world is a noble undertaking, it's the junkies that are the one's ruining it. They can be craftier than you think. I finally got the medical treatment I needed out here in Cali. Just to find out that the pharmacies have nothing in stock right now. The strongest dosage my pharmacy had was 10mg percocet, which is like children's Tylenol once you're on oxy's. I'm losing my mind : (

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..percocet is better than 'nothing'..or even oxy 15mg? But morphine will do the trick same as oxy if you know what i mean. some folks are getting dilaudids(sp?)

now.. we have to call the pharmacists 2 weeks in advance to remind her to order the meds. in case they do not come in the 1st week..

I was told the 80 mg oxy have some type of "weird" stuff like plastic LOl (it's not),,even if you can cut them into or crush them they jell up..but if you can get those they are time-release for all day..

again seriously if you can get someone to drive you around to as many RX's as possible it could take 6 hrs more OR less in a day it will be worth to you once you find the "One" Pharmacy that will take care of you..

get off the beaten road away from where 'everyone' goes.. or if you have to take a taxi or a car service think of the money compared to the aggravation every month!
havr you noticed.. not as many news articles etc about people dying of overdosing on oxy's..
well i hope your Dr. did give you methadone (the break thru pain) to "maintain" if you don't get your oxy's filled right away..

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Seeing that I'm not puting in an email address so I won't get any of your replies, it's not worth your time in even responding to anything I say here, so please, keep your hate for your doctor and go b**** them out instead of me. And, just so no one can say anything about me being high and mighty and not knowing anything about what I'm doing to people who are in pain every day of their lives, you might want to know that I've been in pain for every minute of every day of my life that I can remember because of a birth defect. The first thing that I feel when I wake up is pain and so is the last thing. I don't rely on potent medications to releive me of my pain. I do rely upon some medications, but I have never relied upon opioids to do it and there are very valid reasons for that. First of all, I want to say that as a pharmacist, I am taught how the medications work, and how they are supposed to be used appropriately. This includes appropriate dosing, therapy, and medications. When it comes to therapy, there are many guidelines that discuss pain management and the concensus is that you are supposed to have goals of therapy. These goals are to be listed in your chart and are supposed to be the bench mark of how your therapy is working. There isn't just one goal of pain management (to not be in pain). Because, the goal of pain management is to get your pain down until it reaches the minor pain range. If you ever get to the point that you are in no pain, that means that you are over medicated. So ask yourself, what are my goals of therapy? And, have you reached any of them? If not, then you should be penalized for a month by having your pain meds backed off and then upped again the next month to get you on track and understand that fixing the problem will make the treatment work correctly. Next, all treatments are supposed to be individualized and tailored to each patients' needs. No one responds to medications the same way as everyone else, and no two people's problems are the same. So, when you get a prescription from a clinic that has 180 oxycodone 30mg 1 every 4 hours, that just means that the clinic is bogus and that they are treating everyone the same way. First reason being is that if you sleep for more than 4 hours a night, you CANNOT take 6 in a days time. If you do, then you are taking the medication inappropriately. Next, all doctors AND pharmacists were taught the same thing, that 90% of the pain medicaiton should be in a long acting form, with only 10% of the dose in a short acting form. So, that means that if you are taking 30mg oxycodone, you should also be on 300mg oxycontin or equivelant per day. Are you taking that medication too? NO???? OMG. Then your doctor doesn't know anything about the medications they are prescribing. There are also studies out there that will tell you that when you take the medication 6 or more times per day, that it will create dependence very fast and will not lead to any improvement. Where as when you take a long acting one to keep the pain level down and only need 3 or 4 short acting doses per day to deal with spikes of break through pain, the problems that the patients face usually do not change and they can actually show improvement. There are patients out there who get 20mg methadone and 90 norco 10/325 with your same problems and are fine on those strengths. Why aren't you? The answer is because you were never treated appropriately and they were. I also see several patients that have a long acting medication on board but it isn't as potent as their short acting medication. For example, 60mg MS Contin twice per day and 180 oxycodone 30m every 4 horus. Well, to do the numbers here, that 60mg MS Contin is equal to 40mg Oxycodone. Now, when that medication is given out over a 12 hour period, that will be about 3.3mg oxycodone per hour and you're taking 30mg at a time with the immediate release tabltes. Even an idiot can see that 30mg is way more medication and if your body is given a dose of one of these, they will have more of a response to the 30mg than to the 3.3mg. If you're on 180 per month, then you should have your doctor change your therapy and you will probably have better pain relief and an easier time finding your medications. For example, 40mg oxycontin 2 times per day and percocet 10/325 four times per day should give you the same relief. And to note here, the tylenol in the percocet is actually appropriate too because when used in combination with opiates, it has a synergistic effect on the medicaitons (which means that the effect is more than either agent would give on it's own). So, 1+1 would have a result greater than 2. Ask your doctor what synergistic means at your next visit too. If they don't know the word, then I would run and find a new doctor. Oh, and if you want to find a good doctor that will treat you right, then go and see your pharmacist and ask them for some. They will gladly send you in the right direction. If anyone has actually read through this, then they should understand that it's not the pharmacy's or pharmacist's fault that you don't have your medications, it's the doctor's fault. If thye had done things right from the beginning, you wouldn't be in this situation.

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Clap! Clap! good for that Pharmacists he's correct in all that he has said.
But there are some Pharmacists that DO judge unfairly even with norco's.. and usually it is the ones that are "fresh" out of school.
well I hope no one gets pissed @The Intelligent Pharmacists" .. he knows better than most of us what has been going on..

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since you do know the area Trinity has them also but you will pay costly per pill.. is this Clearwater-Largo Rd? where? a bit more land marks or better the road cross road etc.. lol

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Donna K. I contacted you on FB. Nothing else to say :) Everything has been, it's just repetition now. Carl, so believe it or not, Carl has nothing to say! Must be a first. lol

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its not getting better, its getting worse. im good friends with a pharmacist and i still have a hard time getting them. and the bad part is, he showed me his invoice for his shipment, $0.35 per 30 mg oxycodone.

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how near to tampa is this? my script is written in temple terrace will they fill it/

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That is sickning how much proffit per pill they really do make.Meanwhile we have to decide to get our medicine or food.Something has to change.

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Relief and back on track getting oxycodone 30's....MY BUTT. It really seems to be getting worse, and one of these rude kids working in Walgreen's is getting close to getting a slap. Demeaning SOB's. Been all over lower Pinellas and ain't none nowhere.

Posted by a highly intellegent 60 Y/O sick of being treated like a junkie and living in Mega Pain.

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Went to 26 pharmacies in West Palm today. No one had Oxycodone 30 mg anywhere. I'm in so much pain tonight from fibromyalgia. I'm going first thing in the morning to the doctor to try and get something. I'm guessing Oxycontin 60 mg 2 x a day. This really sucks.

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read post #158 JON he mentions a Pharmacy in Largo that Does have them..
also Trinity usually has them(use to) there's only 2 of them either in Largo or Clearwater but they are expensive and I don't know if they take insurance

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The search continues today, and still nothing to be found. It is impossible to get a straight answer from anyone as to just what the hell is going on. While at a Walgreen's I asked if it would make a difference if I had the Rx written for brand name. Reply, " we don't carry them anyway". I neglected to inquire if Oxycodone 15Mgs where available. *** Anyone having a problem obtaining them? *** I have problems from A ~ Z and am totally F. U. B. A. R. and can't keep this up. The runniing around is killing me and thanks to the MF'ing oil companies I'm going broke paying for gas to try to get my meds. I have decided that when my Norcos run out I'm simply going to detox again and then drink to keep in check. Next month when I see the doctor I plan on telling him to Rx Dilauid ( Check Spelling ) or MS ir's as for some reason the CR s*** just doesn't give me any relief at all. It is a CRYING SHAME that those of us that really need this crap can't get it. ****** SORRY NEEDED TO VENT *****

For those that may question, I am not going to list all my ailments, Just let me say this. Have you ever heard of anyone getting Social Security Disability in 7 ( yes seven ) months??????? NOW YOU HAVE !!!!

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Just to update you Donna its not getting better for me either. I know of several mom and pop places that have them but they all want $5 each or more. I have been a Walgreens customer and my regular Walgreens stopped having them for me in November and hasn't had them since. I also have drove around all day and probably went to 30 different pharmacies just to be told no by everyone. I also am sick and tired of how the pharmacists and the techs look at you. Also someone mentioned Medicine Shoppe. They have them but will now only fill if you have been there before and they even handed me a list that they will only fill for certain doctors that they choose. I have been told by both Publix and Walmart that they don't carry these referring to the oxycodone. Although I have heard of people filling there before. I have also tried CVS. Target, Sams Club, Sweetbay, Win Dixie, Albertsons and Costco they said they were out.

I know that not every pharmacy is out, I also know that they hold them for their regular customers. If I could find one place that will have them and let me fill then I will become a regular and go there every month.

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@Mike #175..read my post below yours #174 because the person in #158 Jon claims there is a place in Largo that sells them and he gives so-so directions of where it is if you can decipher it.. worth a shot

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i need pain manegment help.. i live in orlando plz text me. 407xxxxxxx[1] if you know of a doctor

[1] Editor's note: In order to protect privacy we do not allow individuals to post their personal contact information on the discussion threads.

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Donna your story sounds familiar. I too learned to call my pharmacy 10 days in advance to let them know that I plan to bring in my pain meds RX on a certain date and they make sure that they order enough for me well ahead of time. CVS in Lakeland, Fl. This sure beats running to 100 plus pharmacies like we were forced to do in Nov,Dec & Jan. I am so relieved now that this is working out as the extra problems for legitiate pain sufferer, caused by the earlier shortages here, were causing a TON of unnecessary stress...and of course more stress always equals more pain for my conditions. Also driving to pharmacy after oharmacy...searching around for meds while going through vomiting & withdrawal symptoms is just dangerous. I could have passed out at the wheel on quite a few occasions from withdrawals and pain on a 10 scale. VERY distracting and dangerous to other vehicles on the same road as you. Goodness I hope this shortage thing does not occur again at the end of the year as it has in the past 2-3 years. I would rather just die than go through that again!

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Have completely given up hope of getting mny 30's. Spoke to the Pharmacist and got the same old FDA pressure story. Called my MD and exchanged my Rx for DL's. Got back to my regular Walgreens and low and behold " Sorry we're out of stock " Almost lost my mind. But the next one I went to had them, My god, Thank You tonight will not be another night of needless suffering.
PS: May be a mind thing but I am fairly comfortable right now. Much more so than when taking the Oxy 30's

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