Pain meds on the road

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Olroache

If you have a good relationship with the doctor one workaround is increasing the quantity prescribed within the 30 day period that can allow the trip to be extended for however long. The insurance company limits the length of the prescription, the doctor determined the quantity needed.

A good doctor wouldn't do that!!

[UFO Pilot]

Originally Posted by Olroache

Often it’s the insurance company dictating the the 30 day restriction

Your Dr "might" be willing to increase your dosage (from 4 per day to 6 per day?) if you explain why you need a 45 day supply?

[UFO Pilot]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

A good doctor wouldn't do that!!

A great Doctor might!

[capnkirk4]

CVS Pharmacy is very accomodating with any other CVS. We forgot a pill and were able to have one CVS contact another and get enough pills for the trip.

[MDFiver]

Originally Posted by okmunky

Last summer I switched from Fentanyl patches to generic Butrans patches. Fentanyl is schedule 2 and requires a monthly Dr visit and a hard copy Rx. Butrans is schedule 3. Your doctor can call it into the pharmacy and you can buy a 12 week supply.

My doctor prescribes the 20 mcg patch knowing that I am cutting them in half. I apply clear Tegaderm over it to keep it dry. I found a deal on the 20 mcg patches thru Good Rx Gold. Four patches (1/week) cost $163 plus $6 monthly for Good Rx Gold membership. My insurance won’t cover them. The Fentanyl patches were only $32/30 days.

To transition from Fentanyl to Butrans I had to use Hydrocodone for about a week until the Fentanyl was out of my system. The only thing I don’t like about the Butrans is that antihistamines will negate them. No more benedryl to help me sleep.

Use Tylenol PM if it doesn’t interfere with your medication. It knocks me out in 15 min.

[Bahamaniac]

People just don't know how hard it is to fill pain meds in this day and age. It's difficult just to get them filled in your own hometown. Schedule 2 narcotics require a hand written paper prescription from a local doctor. Here, they must contact the doctor and verify every piece of information on the prescription. Nowadays the pharmacy is requiring a signed plan of care from the doctor before they will fill schedule 2 pain meds. 1/2 of the pharmacies will NOT fill pain meds if you don't fill any other medications on a regular basis. That is not law but company policy due to the scrutiny of filling pain meds. And that is just for filling locally! I understand the laws for filling them. My wife wrote the laws! But with all the abuse and media hype pharmacies just don't want the extra hoops to jump through or the extra scrutiny. It just makes folks like us who actually need them hard to fill.

[kenginn]

Those who have never had to deal with serious chronic pain and only hear about the "dangers of opioid abuse" on their evening news will never understand what it takes for some to maintain a moderately enjoyable lifestyle.

[Bahamaniac]

Originally Posted by kenginn

Those who have never had to deal with serious chronic pain and only hear about the "dangers of opioid abuse" on their evening news will never understand what it takes for some to maintain a moderately enjoyable lifestyle.

Well said!

[Bamaman]

We've got an appointment at my wife's Pain Management Clinic Wednesday, and from there we'll be heading to our fifth wheel in the Northeast Georgia mountains. If we get the meds filled locally, the P/A or CNP can sign the prescription. If the M.D. signs, we can get it filled out of state.

One issue is finding the Class II meds my wife's been on for 15+ years in pharmacies. CVS usually carries it. Sometimes we have to drive from town to town if we're not at home to find a pharmacy stocking the meds. A large grocery's pharmacy is accommodating usually. We've never had any pharmacy verify any of the prescriptions over the years.

Although we're not full timers, we still have to schedule all vacations and our annual European trips to correspond with the Pain Clinic visits. It's just how it is. And no relief is expected with politicians getting tighter and tighter on opioid prescriptions in the future.

[Planodad]

Yes every trip I plan I do is after the day I see the doctor. Then I can go again for 29 days. Yes it is a pain because there are some places I want to go that will really be longer than a month like Alaska! Only thing you can do is go into Mexico and see a doctor there and they are allowed to give you a six month supply at one time. This is completely legal in the US, but just a pain going into Mexico.

[okmunky]

Originally Posted by Joneshd

I don't believe you will get opioid refills beyond 90 days max.

I use pain patches that can be cut and have a PCP that trusts me not to abuse them. She prescribes a higher dose so I can get 24 weeks of patches instead of 12. If I can, I wait an extra day before putting on a new patch. That gave me an extra week last year and saved $ too.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Planodad

Yes every trip I plan I do is after the day I see the doctor. Then I can go again for 29 days. Yes it is a pain because there are some places I want to go that will really be longer than a month like Alaska! Only thing you can do is go into Mexico and see a doctor there and they are allowed to give you a six month supply at one time. This is completely legal in the US, but just a pain going into Mexico.

You can't get them in Mexico and can't bring them into the U.S.

[Planodad]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

You can't get them in Mexico and can't bring them into the U.S.

Ok I guess I just didn’t get off a cruise ship two weeks ago that when I was in Progresso Mexico I went to a drugstore just to get stuff for my allergies (no prescription needed), so just for the hell of it I asked the pharmacist about hydrocodone and he said that I would need to get a doctors prescription and they can give a six month prescription. And of course the doctor’s office is part of the drugstore and I saw the doctor right there. I told him what Strength I was on And he wrote the orders. Now what makes them legal to bring into the US is the label on the bottle. Name of drugstore, doctor and mine! No problem with customs when I claimed them at the end of the trip. Total cost was 1912.11 pesos ($100.00)

[Joneshd]

Originally Posted by Hetken1

Last month I asked my pharmacy how I can get my meds "on the road" The answer was if you are registered with a national company (I am with Rite Aid), just go to a Rite Aid location and it is the same as going to my local location.
Ken

This has absolutely nothing to do with getting opioid class drugs beyond 90 days, and that is only possible with pain management clinics.