New Florida Law Prohibiting Drs From Prescribing Oxycodone To Patients With Chronic Pain

My dr said they were limiting prescribing oxys to just cancer patients, took me off oxy 30s and now im on 4mg hydromorphones. Pain doesn't stop. What can i do?

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My pain Dr.told me they got a memo stating that they were no longer allowed to prescribe Oxy's to any patients that were not cancer or terminally ill. So I was taken off Oxy 30s and put 4mg hydromorphone as my NEW (again for the fourth or fifth time) pain "management" medication. I always try to be tolerant of there educated ideas but I tire of there gross disregard of my comfort and the fact that i am the one that has to live in pain and agony when their new drugs don't work and me and my family have to pay the price...It took over a year to find relief and now it starts all over again. Can anyone tell me if such a law even exists? I have talked to patients nurses, doctors, and even my medicaid pharmacist and no one can find any evidence supporting my pain doctors allegations. Did she lie to me people? Feeling let down and betrayed by someone i should believe in and trust...Should not be feeling this way.

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Hello, Dan! How are you? I'm sorry about the problems you're having.

That could be a law in Florida, but I don't know for sure. I know there is one throughout the U.S. that came from the DEA, which instructs general practitioners to not prescribe pain medications, except for those with intractable pain from cancer and even pain management specialists are supposed to try all other non-narcotic treatment options, first.

However, your doctor can prescribe, as they wish. Even if this isn't a law there, they still don't have to prescribe it for you. Your only option is to switch doctors, if you can find another one that's willing to treat you.

The FDA lists these medications as being narcotic analgesics, so they have the potential to be habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation.

Does anyone know more about what's going on in Florida?

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I get oxcy an I live in FL

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Christine we share same name & I live east coast FL been on pain meds over 10 yrs just lost my dr. to DEA "review"? He had no idea they just came shut him down & said he may be back in few months if all OK. SO no warning no meds--Help!!! Pls if you could let me know where do you find dr. to treat me?? I have tried over 10 drs already no luck. I love my dr. hope he shall return but not help while he is gone!! Am in wheelchair so really difficult for me (not to mention immobilizing agony).
Thanks-
Christine

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Hi Chris. A friend of mine was going to a doctor whose nurses were selling scripts with his signature from the back door. I think your issue is going to be that they're more than likely holding your medical records also. If they won't release your medical records, it's going to be difficult o get anyone to treat you. If they decide to treat you anyway, they might change their minds when they hear that your regular doctor has been shut down. Even more than that, it will be nearly impossible to find a pharmacy that will want to fill a prescription with all of that going on. My friend went three years with no treatment whatsoever, as they held her medical records hostage while they investigated her doctor. I'm sorry, I hope I'm wrong!

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Be glad U aren't on Oxy...since the coating their put on them, many of us who previously used it now are dealing w/ teeth 'dissentigrating' from the inside out. Pls. believe me, you don't want to loose your teeth and have expensive implants or awful dentures. I knew immediately when the supply changed. Upset stomach and everything in stomach travels up espohogus where it then destroys your teeth. I had abruxia (tooth grinding) so bad I chewed off half my skin inside my mouth.

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Re: Chris (# 4)

Omg NO that's not right. I know Florida was known for there pain clinic and over prescribing but making a law that states if you don't have cancer you can't be in pain or on any long term pain meds. That's simply ridiculous. I have spinal stenosis herniated disks, pancreatitis and no never drank, tietz syndrome where my chest and ribs inflame causing massive pain. No doctor is educated about this disease either and well the list goes on. I don't usually state my illnesses but I will name a few for this comment. I was on the strongest of all pain meds and that was Opana. I do not have cancer again I do not have cancer so for your doctor to say that I think he is just making this news up to get you off the meds. Now it may be Florida law but I doubt it. There are many causes of pain and they don't have to be just cancer. Not saying that cancer is not painful my mom died of cancer and all she could say to me is how was it possible for me to deal with all the pain I have? Ya that hit my heart so bad. Anyway they took the Opana off the market and give me oxycodone and no by all means does it work for me. If your in legit pain. I would advise you to look up pain management places. Legit pain management clinics. Research the doctor and make sure he runs a clean legit clinic. Good luck to you. Hydromorphone only lasts like two hours. I should know I was on the same as you for break thru. Currently I'm taking Percocet 7.5 as opposed to the Norco 10mg. The Norco wasn't cutting it for me so I needed the switch even though they are soooo very similar. There trying to cut out a lot of pain meds that's every state but as far as I know. They can't deny you pain control based on the fact that you do not have cancer. That's totally ridiculous.

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Re: Cactus Arizona (# 7)


"THEY" cannot deny you pain meds because you do not have cancer"? "THEY" do all the time. A Doctor can deny to write a narcotic script for any or no reason. I used to be a Florida resident and went to a pain management Doctor for YEARS. However, I left a little over a year ago and I am not sure where the issue stands in Florida now. Keep in mind that Florida back in 2009 or so had a reputation for being a pill mill State and the backlash was awful for awhile. It seems that it is impossible to find a center ground stand. Either it is too loose or too tight.

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As an Internal Medicine Dr can they distribute narcotics to People in chronic pain?

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Re: Mike (# 9)

CAN they? Probably if if is medically necessary AND they have the appropriate medical records to support the prescription but they only want to give you a bridge prescription long enough to get you into a Pain Medicine Office. Most Doctors can prescribe pain medications but if they start prescribing them long term that is when they are under extra scrutiny.

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Re: Dan (# 1)

Here is a "copy and paste" from an article printed in March of 2018: "The new legislation mandates that most initial prescriptions would have a limit of three days for Schedule II painkillers like Oxycontin and Fentanyl, but doctors could prescribe up to seven days for acute pain exceptions. It does not place medication limits for trauma cases, chronic pain, cancer and terminal illnesses". I hope this answers the question about opioid medications being prescribed on Florida.

Source: "Florida Legislature Passes Bill to Combat Opioid Epidemic". usnews.com. Web. March 10th, 2018.

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Re: Dan (# 1)

Sorry to tell you Dan...but she did sort of lie to you. You need to read the new CDC "Guidelines". I put quotes around guidelines for a reason. These "guidelines" have now become the Law of the Land. States and Doctors are taking these suggestions as LAW because of the DEA.

Even though the Guidelines were meant for primary care doctors ONLY, pain management clinics are either shutting down, or cutting ALL their patients down to 90 Morphine Milligram Equivalent doses, or offering injections, spinal stimulator or pain pumps ONLY...NO MEDS.

Everyone, doctors and some pharmacists, are cracking down to EXTREMES on prescription meds of EVERY kind.Pharmacists are calling doctors if they think you are getting to much meds...threatening to stop filling the doctor's prescriptions...OR EVEN turning doctors in to the DEA. The DEA is cracking down HARD on ANY doctor even suspected of prescribing too many meds! The DEA gets a monthly report from each state's Prescription Monitoring Database, broken down by DEA license number (Doctors ID# basically). If a doctors numbers are too high, they "audit" them. This audit is the DEA immediately suspending a doctors right to prescribe, shutting down their practice immediately, and dropping all his patients onto the street to find another doctor.

The extremes the DEA, CDC, FDA, Doctors and pharmacists are going to is INSANE. It boils down to nothing short of War on chronic pain patients. We are the collateral, expendable victims on this War on the made up Opioid Epidemic that THEY CAUSED in the first place.

They all have effectively made prescription opiods practically illegal for chronic pain.

If your state has not cracked down like they have in Arkansas...you're lucky. However, it is COMING to your state quickly. If you have ANY meds right now...use them as little as you can....and be prepared for them to continue to cut you down to NOTHING! Count yourself lucky if your pain mgmt. hasn't just dropped you cold turkey, with NO taper, like they are doing RIGHT NOW, by the thousands, here in Arkansas.

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Re: Sissy (# 12)

Thank you for this info. This is why I especially love this site. I joined a chronic pain forum and find it so darn sweet, saccharine really. Only good, happy clappy info available. Straight talk not allowed. Bad mojo, I guess, lol. Just give it to me straight. Facts please, I am a big girl. That's what you do for us, Sissy and others, and administration does not interfere and censor.

My state, so far as I know, and in my case does not interfere with your GP treating chronic pain on a monthly basis. I was told I have to be seen 4x a year at which time they will do a U/A. No pill counts. Just show up with your med in your system, and no other, except that which you are prescribed. I'm not so optimistic about this remaining this way, but if it gets no worse, I'll be ok.

Now about my Rhodes Pharmacy brand 10mg. oxycodone. They are definitely weaker than what I used to get. No way 10mg. But that's what everyone is dealing with! What I find helpful is the week-10 days I have to wait between scripts. A hard week, but each time my med fills, though weak, it still works. Downside is I have to use 1 1/2 for same relief I could get with just one. My 20 day supply is 1pill, 6x a day. Really should be lasting the entire month, and would if it were the expected 10mg. So, it only lasts my 20 days taking it 4x a day instead of the six recommended. I use no more than the daily amount prescribed. Pretty sure care in my state is gonna go the way of other states, don't see why it wouldn't. But in the meantime, I'll limp along with RHODES. They don't make me sick, at least. And....yep, changing pharmacies is not allowed unless authorized. That would make me a SEEKER. And seekers suck now. Funny, I used to be a shopper. Now if I shop, I'm a seeker.

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Re: Sissy (# 12)

I have been trying to warn LONG TERM CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS that this situation of opioid pain medications is going to go downhill and downhill FAST. I do a lot of research on the internet and I read an article just today that said that opioid pain medications are NOT necessary for chronic pain patients because there are so many negatives that the positives do not offset them. The article said there are only "a few" chronic pain patients that have any real need for opioid pain medications. The writers of this article listed exercise, over the counter pills, and other innocuous things as being the real answers. NOT prescribed pain medications. This article was so hateful of LONG TERM CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS that it made me livid. When the article stated "a few" chronic pain patients they made it sound as if there MAY be a few hundred people deserving of pain medications. The article was condescending and just plain mean spirited. All of that being said, it reflects how the people that can actually do anything about this actually feel. It is so ridiculous that NO long term chronic pain patients were even interviewed and they were not allowed any input on this article. EVERY person or entity that was quoted has never (or was never quoted as saying they ever had a problem with prescribed pain medications) had any issues with prescribed pain medications. As far as I could tell from reading this article the people quoted in this article has never taken a pain pill in their lives. Get ready people. There is going to be a mass number of people that are going to be left high and dry without any notice or warning about having their pain prescriptions cutoff completely. Of course, this goes against all medical advice but many of these Doctors could not care less about any problems caused by the pain medications being stopped cold turkey. The writers of the article I read falls within this group.

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w john (# 13) --

Sissy, w john, keep posting. Not happy news, but what we need to know. Easy to live in our bubbles, but when they pop, at least we will be prepared, thanks to you. I appreciate every scrap of relevant info you pass on. I may get mad, but is that bad? I think not. Something has to kick us out of our comfort zone. So we can be prepared for change to life as we know it. Thanks again. JMJ

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w john (# 13) --

Once again w john....you have NAILED it!! I'm just wondering how they are gonna spin the increased suicide and overdose deaths?!!

I would bet my LIFE they (suicides AND overdoses) are going to DOUBLE!! Alas, they really don't care.

I read an article about an ancient philosopher (cannot for the life of me remember his name) that basically said "the measure of civilization can be measured directly by the way they treat the LEAST of their society". Sorry to say, civilization in the USA is not looking too good with how we are treating almost 76 million chronic pain patients. Basically, shut up and suffer!

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JMJ (# 14) --

My father used to use the old saying "don't pee on my head and tell me it's raining". We can all kid ourselves and think "NOTHING will ever happen". "There is nothing to worry about". If someone would have told me back in 2014 that we would be in this spot I would have thought they were crazy. It would be so easy to just ignore where we are. It pisses me off that everyone is being put through this but this is exactly where hysteria and ignorance leads us. Remember the total ban on alcohol? Before that happened most would never believe that it would happen. As much as I hate to post this EVERYONE using pain medications needs to prepare themselves right now before it actually happens and we are all stuck with no pain medications and no real answers to what now. Thank you for the encouragement. We need to deal with the real possibilities and what will probably happen.

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Re: Cactus Arizona (# 7)

Well I haven’t posted in a while but I said in my last post I was taking Oxycodone for pain well I’m back to Norco now I don’t know why the people who suffer on a daily basis are being punished by this opioid epidemic. The meds I’m on DONT cut it anymore. The Opana and now the Oxycodone have been taken away from me. No quality of life from all this left for me. I wish we all could stand up to the FDA but guess what? That wouldn’t be fair for people in pain hurt to much to even stand up against this nonsense. Well like I said they took me off of Oxy and give me one Norco for breakthrough and to me it’s a smack in my face because the doctors I have 100% know I’m still left with a lot of pain. I’m also speaking for you all as well. I’m pretty sure you all are also going through more pain than before. God bless us and I pray for a solution. It’s other people who abuse this stuff. Chronic pain patients are the ones who this is totally hurting. ??

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Re: Cactus Arizona (# 18)

Cactus, I agree. Well of course I do. I am chronic pain and will be until I make my great journey to the next world. Alleviating our pain is the least of our politician's concerns. Opioid crisis. The next election. Chronic pain patients....BOOO! If we didn't exist, there would be no oxy/ opiates for abusers to abuse. After all, those evil substances were created for comfort, quality of life. We are about as popular as the proverbial turd in the punchbowl. Hey, could be worse....they could put us all out of our misery and call it mercy.

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Re: JMJ (# 19)

What do you think the're trying to do NOW? Richard lamm, the former governor of colorado said back in the 80's that old people had a DUTY TO DIE! It was a stupid thing for him to say and he was vilified for it. Now, they are trying to remove all prescription pain medications from the manufactures and they will sacrifice all receivers of chronic pain prescriptions for their "cause". They could careless about how many people may die from this hysteria. Remember, as far back as the 1980's they said elderly people had a "duty to die".

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Re: w john (# 11)

And these are Guidelines they want Drs to follow, not LAWS, like so many doctors claim to their patients.... Hugsss...

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Re: Sissy (# 16)

Yep I agree..people in chronic pain that can't get their Meds are going to give up on life because they can't take the pain anymore. The DEA will blame it on the opioid addictions. What a sad situation.

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Re: Chris (# 4)

This is more than likely a result of the CDC guidelines. It has sent health care for pain patients into a crisis for many.

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Re: Dan (# 1)

Dan, there NEVER was a law only a recommendation letter from the almighty CDC! Isn't it quite appalling how a medical doctor who took an oath to help people is so scared of the CDC and their recommendations? There sure are some weak a** doctors out there. I have a whole list of genuine issues that cause severe pain and all proven by an MRI and the SS disability that I was approved for as soon as I applied and they sent me for an Xray. I am not a drug seeker but can't get any relief from constant agonizing pain. I have a vertebra slipping towards my spinal cord that causes my legs to lose all feeling and have to physically move them w/ my hands when rolling over during sleep. I also have scoliosis, stenosis, a fracture and arthritis and one 10 mg. Hydrocodone is supposed to help this kind of pain taken every 12 hours??!!! Also I am prescribed 10 mg. of methadone, a joke, that stuff does nothing for pain!! When you're actually punching your hips and lower back trying to get relief there's something terribly wrong with this whole situation. My doctor had me come in every 3 mos., which is 75 miles one way because there are no doctors in my city who will RX, now wants me there every 2 mos. Right now I have absolutely no way to get there and they won't electronically send my RX's to my pharmacy til I can get a ride. My ride is working out of town for the next 3 weeks and no one and I do mean NO one is going to drive me 75 miles one way to take me to my dr. How can this be legal? They normally send it elec. anyway so what would it hurt them to do it one time? Been a patient for 4 yrs and have never done anything wrong. I just wished I didn't have any pain so I wouldn't have to deal with any of this ridiculous B.S! Nothing but a rigamaroll.

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Re: Mare (# 43)

I go to everything where I hope to comment and add to the document to get help it is again closed .

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Re: Dan (# 1)

Get a copy of this so called memo & find out who sent it. It may be just an excuse to stop perscribing them or the dr is being watched on how many patients he or she is writing scripts for. It also be the government sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. Lastly, find a new pain manager.

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Re: Mike (# 9)

Please tell people to go to this site and tell their story. I'm not only fighting failed back surgery but colitis... some days I'm afraid to leave the house and others too drained from the restroom use.

They can tell their story here: regulations.gov/docket?D=FDA-2018-N-1621

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Stop interfering with Doctor Patient relationships ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS GOVERNMENT.

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Re: Jd (# 39)

Walgreen’s is not unable to order all of the oxycodone/aceraminophen they need. They do this on purpose. They have been instructed by their management to tell anyone that presents a prescription for ANY opioid medication to tell the presenter of the script that they are out of this particular pain medication. I used to fill my scripts there for over 20 years and they never had any trouble filling my scripts. Then all of the pharmacy holdups started and the major pharmacies just started telling everyone that they were out of whichever opioid medication the script was written for. If a person came through the drive through and asked if they had any__________pills they always said they were out. They figured if they said they had the pills that the person would say “thank you” and drive off and tell one of their cohorts that the pills were there and then the “cohort” would come in within a few minutes and rob the pharmacy because they would know the pharmacy had the pills available. I know they told me that they were out several times, even though they knew me and had filled my prescriptions for YEARS. Miraculously, they would always send me a text a few hours later saying they could fill my prescription even after they told me they would be out for a few days. Walgreen’s has proven to be an abusive group of liars and all at managements direction. They figure that f they can offend and runoff all of the people that try to fill opioid prescriptions then they will not have to deal with the issue. If Walgreens never filled another Schedule 2 prescription then that would make them happy. If they are known to NOT have medications on hand then I guess they figure that they will not have to deal with robberies and other problems that could potentially come with filling these scripts. Walgreens needs to lose every insurance company contract they have although that will never happen. If they are 2 cents cheaper the insurance company will make this a “preferred” pharmacy thereby making it difficult to get any Schedule 2 scripts filled.

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I live in So. Cal. All the Walgreens in the Inland empire are out of oxycodone/acetaminophen, on back order they say. Do you believe these people? Maybe next week my wife is in terrible pain and walgreens wants to save a buck and deny their patients their medication by going to suppliers who can't supply. This company's gone to hell since switzerland buyers took it over. Terrible people and management.

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