Doctors Who Will Prescribe Pain Medications In Florida Along The East Coast

I have "Idiopathic Small Fiber Peripheral Neuropathy" and have been fighting this HORRIFFIC PAIN since Jan 24,2012 and it took till April meeting with my Neurologist (I lived in Atlanta) to have an EMG and then a Biopsy to verify my illness. Then they ran it felt like a million test over and over and I passed all so they could not find the underlying cause so it's spreading quick and PAIN is HARSH!

My Ga Family Practice WROTE ALL MY PAIN MEDS!

I needed to leave Atlanta due to the weather and I chose Ormond Beach next to Daytona BUT AS I TRY TO FIND DRS. DOWN HERE IT IS A NIGHTMARE!! Family Practice DO NOT WRITE SCRIPTS AND IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET IN WITH A 'Pain Mgmt' Dr. Who prob WONT WRITE YOUR SCRIPTS??

I worked up to these for two years and THERE IS NO CURE FOR MY ILLNESS BUT THESE DOSES HAD MEE GETTING UP AND STARTING TO ENJOY LIFE? PLEESE... I SEE VAGRANTS HANGING OUT AT FLAGER STORES SELLING MY SAME PILLS SO SOMEONE IN FLORIDA HAS TO BE WRITING THEM AND I NEED THEM DESPARATELY FOR MY LIFE AND PAIN!! Please HELP!!

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you may well be screwed. With it being Florida and the new laws and from what I can tell of your diagnosis, you're probably going to have a hard hard hard time. I say this because USUALLY the term idiopathic means "we don't know why" and though I don't know what the rest of your illness is, I KNOW that in FLorida when a pain doctor hears "we don't know why" it USUALLY goes bad.

My suggestion to you would be RECORDS RECORDS RECORDS, and LOTS of them. WHEN you do go see specialist be VERY prepared to make a case and prove that you DO suffer LONG TERM. You have previously taken X medication at X strength. I pray you have not increased dose too much over time. The FLA pain doctors will look down on that.

I lived in FLA 10 yrs, NO ONE treated my pain well. I was FORCED to get every stupid nerve block epidural etc and would get help sometimes then they would stop when a diagnosis could not be found. The entire time I lived there I either lived in constant pain with NO meds OR I got pain treatment for a few months only to have it end when they couldn't find cause.

I left FLA and moved to Canada. Once here NOT ONE DOCTOR has EVER treated me like a drug seeker. I got pain meds right away and started living a FULL almost normal life! It took 5 yrs here to FINALLY get my diagnosis. It turns out I have a congenital deformity in my leg cause by birth defect in leg and AMPLIFIED by 1970's doctors deciding to put corrective shoes on my FEET to correct a crooked LEG! The doctors say my shin is turned out 30 degrees causing my hip to be turned out 60 degrees! They all agree IT SHOULD HURT and will only increase my disability with age. NOT ONE DOCTOR OR SPECIALIST IN FLORIDA EVER NOTICED OR EVEN SUSPECTED MY LEG. And i asked every single one if my wearing corrective shoes was relevant!

The bottom line is FLORIDA is notorious for crappy doctors and pill mills. So with that in mind I would surely SERIOUSLY consider going BACK to Atlanta EVERY 90 days to see your old doctor. They CAN legally write you rx's for 30 day supplies fillable on certain days. I know the drive is a HARD ride, but if it makes life livable .... it would be worth it.

DONT SIT AROUND IN Ormond Beach waiting for a Pain Mgmnt doctor to care about you because I used to live in Cocoa.... so, I know, the doctors there either DON'T care or are too afraid of the DEA OR now the state to do anything so EVERY ONE differs to a Pain doctor! PLEASE take my advice.... DRIVE TO ATLANTA!!!!

Try to sort out something with your old doctor that you can drive up every 6 months and have a friend pick up your rx every 30- 90 days.... whatever you can sort out..... but DON'T WAIT FOR A DOCTOR in Florida to fix it... go see the Atlanta doctor UNTIL you find a FLA doctor who will treat it. Maybe your Atlanta doctor MAY know someone in FLA that they could refer you to, Ask them to go back in their mind to school and think of AN doctor they know in ANY specialty near you that can see you and then help you get to the proper doctor in Florida. And OBVIOUSLY ask them to send you to someone they KNOW will help you and who WILL give you the meds.... but also maybe not.

You can Also try ratemds.com. It is the states website about doctor and their licenses. It tells you if they are holding a valid licenses and where they went to school whether or not they have been disciplined, pending legal action (though THIS section is SELF REPORTED by the DOCTOR, so I would simply IGNORE that section, as if they will say "uh yeah, I cut off the wrong leg last year and I am being sued!!!! AS IF!" However once you search a doctor, a page will open with 6 or so tabs, click the last one on right " License verification" it has a section on top right that say whether or not the prescribe pain meds or as they list it "controlled substance provider", I do not know if this means they do not give a SINGLE RX for narcotics, but I KNOW it means they will not give it to you for more than a SHORT AMOUNT of time. Also that tab lists SOME dicipline info... if you see and click it but also look at the below info.

Also while there check the tab marked "financial responsibility" it will tell you IF they carry malpractice INS or not. I KNOW that sounds scary! I have been gone a while but i HEARD that FLA put a cap on Medical Malpractice legal suits about 6 or so years ago, If I am not mistaken it is LOW like $300,000 or LESS! This is due to a LOOPHOLE in FLA law that actually ALLOWS any MD to perform SURGERY in FLA without being certified as a surgeon... just have a medical license and you too can perform surgery was the motto! I KNOW that is scary, but due to that there was a HUGE problem of unqualified doctors performing MOSTLY plastic surgery and screwing people up. (Mostly south FLA) Because of this Ins for doctors went up to the 100s of thousands A YEAR and it began to drive the DECENT doctors out of FLA because they simply couldn't make a profit AND pay for malpractice ins as well. So now a lot of doctors are actually practicing without Malpractice INS! They are supposed to declare it there AND have signs posted in the office..... Just do your research.

Also you can check another FLA govt website for info on doctors that makes LESS sense than the last one! The link is:
apps.fldfs.com/PLCR/Search/MPLClaim.aspx

Good luck and let me know if I can help at all... I am a GA peach by birth myself! Used to go to Grady for medical treatment. I am Very old friends with a VERY reputable NeuroPharmaPsychologist OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT HE HA S SO MANY LETTERS AFTER HIS NAME IT IS EXHAUSTING!.who practices at Emory hospital, in Atlanta I am HAPPY to call him as him to see you and refer you top someone in FLA to help you. He actually got me a doctor in Toronto he knows to help me as well. This guy is SOOOOOO educated, that when I was 19 he was in school when I turned like35 he was finally in residency because he took on SOOO many specialties, Neuro, meaning brain, Neurology, Pharmacy, meaning he is a Doctor who specializes in chemical reactions of meds in you neurological make up and psychiatric meaning HOW THE MEDS AFFECT YOU BRAIN AND OVER ALL HEP! HE IS very very COOL AND i KNOW HE WOULD DO IT FOR ME, HE IS THATÀ GOOD OF AN OLD FRIEND!

when I went to FLA it was a SHOCK how they worked. NOW n Canada even GA looks backassward to me! Good Luck!

PLEASE GO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO SEE THE ATLANTA DOCTOR TILL YOU GET A FLA DOCTOR WHO WILL contiinue your treatment... I am more than happy to help JUST LET ME KNOW..... YOU NEED THIS.... I will do anything i can to help. Don't rush to a decision and DO NOTHING WITHOUT ALL YOUR RECORDS IN YOUR HANDS. BUY a good LASER black and white and send a records release to EACH doctor telling them you are moving out of state and you need all your records, including ALL diagnosis results, reports, doctor notes imaging reports and you want them faxed to the FLA OUT OF STATE FAX... the Doctor CAN NOT CHARGE a fee when you move out of state. Get the records in your hands. NEVER SEND RECORDS to the new Doctor ALWAYS get them in YOUR hands. Once you getYOu have N CLUE what is in there SO get the NOT charge for that, and if they do try to fight them if it,

I gotta stop posting now.... O I am very tired so if you enndadvice its: {edited for privacy}

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Can your doctor help me find a Dr. in Florida who will prescribe Oxycodone. I have been on Morphine, Tramadol, Vicoden, Tylox Percoct, etc etc and only Oxycodone doesn't require me eating all day so my stomach wont be sick. I was almost 600lbs in a wheelchair and I moved to GA. Doctor there prescribed me 80mg of oxycodone a day and I went down to 120lbs. I was riding a bike for the first time in my life. I went out of the country to get plastic surgery for my body and I married and had a baby overseas, still 120lbs, I came back and moved to Florida.

I begged the doctors here to help, within 2 years without pain meds, Im 400lbs almost back in the wheelchair and they sent the Sheriff out already trying to find a way to take my little 3 year old away. I will never have the money again to redo my surgery and I can't lose my son. Please someone help me. I waited 15 years to walk again and now I can barely walk.

I have my records from overseas but I had a fraud mortgage from countrywide and they took my houses and all my records, family videos and photos, everything, so my USA records are lost and the doctor I went in GA is dead or retired because I can't find him. All my little boy has is me. I am in so much pain. I just move to care for him and stay still whenever I can.

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Wow,I was thinking about moving to florida, I was injured by a pain management clinic. To many cortisone shots. I had epidural lipomatosis. 7 levels of my spine had to be cleaned up from the tumors. And decompressed. I have a great Dr here in PA. But the winters are harsh. 7 levels! You would think I could sue? Nope. This country needs to change the way they treat chronic back pain. Cortisone is Poison. There needs to be legal cases where people injured by these dangerous procedures can sue.

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I was 600lbs in a wheelchair until I was given oxycodone. I came to Florida with my baby. I thought I would play with him and we would run together & ride bikes together. That was 2 years ago when I was 120lbs. Now I am 400lbs. I never will run with my child and all my restructure surgery is ruined. I would KILL MYSELF if I did not have a child to worry about. I am a MONSTER again and Florida doctors dont give a damn. I have no life, nothing & I would buy from the street at this point but I can't afford to. I can't sit for 30 minutes to play with my child. I can't stand for more than 5. This is not life. I am educated and I can't do anything.

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I have scoliosis, neuropathy, bone spurs, nerve entrapment, disc degeneration, and other conditions for which I am also prescribed oxycodone 30mg 4 per day, as well as a 15mg for breakthrough pain. I know my doctor sees patients from all over central Florida. Located in Tampa, his name is Charles Mclaughlin.

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May God Bless you always for this

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You should probably worry about seeing a psychiatrist or addiction counselor. I see you posted a month before with a different name but similar story. I hope the state takes your child away so he can be safe. You obviously have some sort of mental problem, not chronic pain.

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Dear WOW. You have to be the most inhumane piece of crap on this planet. Do you have any idea what it is like to be in chronic pain when you can't move or exercise? My Father was in the military fighting for your life and mine when he was exposed to chemicals that caused him degenerative bone damage. He also was not medicated properly and became wheelchair bound for many years. Because he could not exercise or move like before, he gained weight which made the condition worse. He was incredibly depressed as he was very active and able bodied before.

You should be ashamed of what you wrote to that person and pray that God our Father won't treat you the same way so you can understand that person's suffering.

My Father also struggled with suicidal thoughts because when you can only sit day after day imaging walking again, suicide is the choice to end your suffering rather than allow inconsiderate, and nasty sociopaths who have no empathy.... like you decide whether he would be able to enjoy all the basic things you take for granted.

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To the Psychotic person...please don't project your drug dependency issues onto me. I have been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis and I have chronic pain along with 3 other serious medical issues. Your comment is abusive and I have reported you. I am sure you will have your IP blocked soon.

As well, anyone who attempts to touch my child without lawful reason will meet my gun. The constitution gives all Americans the right to defend themselves and I will do just that. Do not attempt to contact or harass me again.

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Yeah, most snowbirds kee the doctor back in the homestate and bring a winter supply with them. Otherwise, if you are coming to Florida, you read my post.... RECORDS RECORDS RECORDS! If you have lots of them you may get through ok. But, I would suggest you do the research and do not come down until you have a lot of meds hoarded. I would say have 3-6 months worth set aside to give you time to see a couple pain doctors and maybe get one who will continue your current treatment. I have found no matter the quantity of records, most pain doctors want to try their own way of treating pain first... which means MORE cortisone! LOL I am sorry you have suffered and I agree people should stand up together and fight... you gonna lead that fight?

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i meant for the below post I wrote to be directed @ Howie in response to the below post from him... keep scrolling his is down there!

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I AM MOVING TO PA SOON,, WHO DO YOU SEE IN PA? WHAT ARE PA DR LIKE?

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My Aunt goes to an old doctor in Wilkes Barre and hes not a narcissist about pain meds and pain. He cares about others.

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I just came back to Fl, there are still legit pain clinincs one in which has not changed its name. The laws have changed they are more strict, but now they even take more insurances. Now GP and hospitals have been jerks to me even with an mri of the cyst in my brain but they are here just do a search

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Try finding one with an HMO and yes there are pain clinics that will give you nerve blocks and cortisone shots and acupuncture etc. I want meds. I went through the guinea pig stage 12 years ago. I would rather take a pill and keep going. Its my life and it should be my choice not to be forced to be tortured. I really think the doctors here want to keep me down until I die because if I ever am able to get my medicine again, I will hold meetings and gather people to overturn the system here and instead of chronic pain patients being treated like criminals the drug addicts will be in Prison, not rehab. I would opt to give them legal injection if it were up to me. They took my life away the same as if they murdered me and I hate ALL drug addicts.

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There are many pain management doctors here in Flordia, they are both understanding and sympathetic. Obviously you have Internet access, a simple Google search for pain management along with your county will provide a complete list, or a phone call to to your medical insurance provider will provide you a list of doctors that accept your insurance. This issue with Florida doctors being unwilling to prescribe pain medication is the vast number of people seeking medications that are either far stronger than their condition should require, and those seeking pain medications for conditions that have no indications they actually exist. Normal X-rays, MRI's, CAT scans, PET scans, records of previous injuries or other definitive diagnosis, a doctor can not ethically or legally provide a patient with powerful medications on their word that they are in pain. As a person with osteogenesis imperfecta, a leg three quarters of an inch longer than the other, the cause of moderately severe scoliosis, a history over over 150 bone breaks and fractures, a catastrophic injury to my right arm at age 17 that required 13 operations, leaving only four bones in the wrist, the epicondyle or "funny bone" removed resulting in 40% loss of function, a complete break of T 12, Crohn's disease that has required multiple operations with removal of large sections of both small intestines and bowel. Now I could go on as those are just some of my physical problems. When I moved to Flordia, I located and was seen by a new doctor before the month of meds from my doc up north ran out. I have moved several times up and down the west coast and have never had difficulty finding a doctor. It sounds to me as though you want the doctor to find you, or you do not have the disease, illness or condition that would warrant the kind of medication you are seeking. Advocate for yourself as you would advocate for your child. I am pretty much alone in this world but I don't own a pity pot.

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So what do you do on medicaid? ALL the pain management listed on my HMO do Interventional only. Thats no meds, just torture. Cortisone shots, acupuncture, nerve blockers & risky invasive surgery. I was about to become employed and now I am disabled again. From weight gain and Osteoarthritus because of these malpractice Florida Doctors, I now have 5 heel spurs I DID NOT HAVE before I moved here. It feels like walking on 5 knives. The lousy doctor I go to, referred me out of network and the pain management refused to take me with my insurance. So what do I do?

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Cortisone shots??? Really? Not approved by the FDA, the destroy bone and ligaments and ruined 7 levels of my lumbar spine. People, do not take these shots. I am no addict. I suffer from chronic pain or pain that will be forever. There should be a way to go after the cortisone injectors.

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If your in the pocono area.I think there is only one that is good.Kenneth Zahl PA PAIN CLINIC east stroudsburg pa

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Trust me on the cortisone shots.Not approved by the FDA.I pay 250 dollars for two month of pain medication.Most of the pain caused by "the interventionists" Call your insurance carrier maybe???But you will regret every injection you take.I am doing so much better,after almost being unable to walk due too steroid induced epidural Lipomatosis.7 level decompression surgery from these injections.

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Re: Chris (# 93)

I know you did not leave this for me but I have done everything and then some to find a solution after I was titrated downward by more than 50% I could take no more and finally had a pump implanted but that sadly has not helped me either. Now it seems I am just screwed. I am no spring chicken. I am 62 and was successfully treated for about 15 years with opioids .. I consider success to be able to move about once in a while. I have never failed a urine, no record, no problems ever with the medications that once helped me! I am however suffering like a dog without an owner or one that does not give a damn. If I were an animal I would have received compassionate care! Please just let me say Thank You. Even if I get no help it has given me hope!

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Re: Charles (# 87)

I do not know if you can respond but I to had a horrible injury with screws etc.. I never got better and they finally found I have broken screws in my cervical spine about 2004. They are C5/6 and they were deemed too risky to do a revision unless it is to save my life! I had been treated with opioids probably a little longer than you. I would tell you all I have been though trying to find relief and keeping it but I would need to write a book. Of course I have lived in Florida where all this started and we are still in the midst of addiction and now doctors are just too afraid of DEA to us. I did finally have an implanted pain pump installed in hopes of finding a lasting solution but it has not helped me. I do not know what anyone can do to help me at this point but I would like to know if nothing else that you found help since I am so desperate that just knowing there was some sort of hope would help.

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I would research states before you move.
FLORIDA is a vomit bag when it comes to pain meds.
Most RED STATES are like that.
I am staying in Connecticut.
High taxes but I can get my pain meds and I'm in the medical mj program.
The combination is working out perfect for me.
I wish you all the luck in the world, but I know many who have moved away for the reasons you just described.

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How do you view stories/posts that you've responded to?

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Re: travelinman2269 (# 89)

GOTO DR BENNI.. RUSKIN Fl. I hear he is good. Good luck!

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I live in North Carolina, go to a pain clinic I live in North Carolina, go to a pain clinic. My family doctor was writing my meds until the federal government jumped in and put all these rules down. Here you need a referral for Pain Clinic at the doctors are good to talk to you they work with you it’s awesome I’m so glad I don’t live in Florida and warm best of luck to you

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Sorry to hear about your situation but the government here in Florida have no sympathy for pain patients, between the Government and PAM BONDIE IN Tallahassee they think that they should dictate to we the people of Florida what the Doctor’s and the pharmacies are able and to whom they will fill any pain meds. I for one don’t believe this is in people’s of Florida best interest. So good luck with your predicament. A word to the pain patients, please resist the urge to buy anything from people trying to sell so called legitimate pain meds on the street, this is coming from a family that has lost a loved one to the Fentanyl. They cut their heroin with this stuff and the laws and the government would blame the so called opioid epidemic on pain meds that were either stolen from friends and/or family, rather than worrying about the most potent drug made and smuggled into the good old U S of A from South America or crack down on the poison that China seems to have no problems shipping cargo ships of unregulated crap that is and has made many of our kids, family, and even our pets with cancer containing chemicals.

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Re: David (# 27)

I've been in pain management for 23 years post MVA where I was in a coma followed by being paralyzed on the left side of both upper and lower body. My last P.M. physician of 6 years has suddenly retired and I'm in an essentially bed-bound state as I haven't been able to replace him as of this date. If you could please forward me the name or names of the Dr's you speak of in the Central Florida East Coast area I would greatly appreciate it. I have very detailed records going back many years and my records are completely clean and clear of issues and I've never been to an office that was even loosely considered a PILL MILL. I thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Thank you.

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I have had both hips replaced at 48 and have herniated discs in lower back from limping and overcompensation. First in 2013 and most recent in late March 2018. In CT, where I had my first full hip done my doctor’s approach was to stay ahead of the pain and I was able to function very well. I waited so long to have it done (eight years since I was diagnosed) I had severe atrophy, spasms and tendon damage that I had to remain on somewhat heavy doses to suppress pain in order to perform my job. I moved down to Florida in 2016 thinking that with my records from the three years prior of compliant medication regime that I would remain on the medications and dosage I was on. Well this is not the case and since 2016 I have been struggling with a pain management doctor that has cut me back by more than half. Now I have had my second replacement and I am in some pretty constant pain and work is very difficult. I really need to find a doctor that is not afraid to prescribe what works for the patient. I really need to be back to how I was, but I don’t know where to turn in Florida.

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Hello, my name is Charles and I'm a permanently disabled ironworker. I became disabled from a serious construction accident in 2006 when I fell 2 stories working on the new World Trade Center Freedom Tower. I had a compound break of my left femur, requiring a rod from left hip to left knee, a totally rebuilt left knee with cadaver ligaments and meniscus, only to have a total knee replacement with artificial knee last fall of 2017. But in the accident, I shattered my right elbow requiring 7 operations just to regain a somewhat functioning right hand and I have Plates and screws That make up my right elbow and if that's not enough I also broke my collarbone in 2 places. From accident until I moved to Florida because the cold weather finally became too painful I was on the same dose of pain medications have every surgical report of the 12 operations I've had, my complete prescription history from the date of accident to now, all the physical therapy and alternative treatments I've tried to know avail.

Before my accident, my true love was playing golf with my father. Since moving to Florida I can not find a doctor to prescribe me anything close to what I was taking for years in New York, my dad is 73 yrs old and I don't know how much more time the good Lord is going to give me time to play golf together with him. I was taking 2 oxymorphones er 40mg pills in am and 2 in pm and was prescribed 6 hydromorphone 8mg pills for breakthrough pain. Like I said I have so much documentation for everything I've included in this post. All I'm looking for is a doctor in mid to south Florida (I'm living in Port Saint Lucie) that can help me to be able to enjoy life again and by enjoy life i mean be able to play golf with my dad again. If someone sees this post and can help me by giving me some information about doctors that can help me you would answer an old man's prayers and make me his son eternally grateful. If you can help me and do not want to post it please send me an email to: {edited for privacy}. Thank you.

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