Patient Abandonment

[pansycritter]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York

My husband has been on 240mg of Oxycontin for over a year because of severe pain. He has hypertension as well. His physician gave him his medications monthly and never hesitated. The physician's wife is his office manager and she had a problem with the prescriptions and often tried to interfere by changing doses, holding the Rx back, etc. We recently changed insurance companies and his medications needed to have a pre-auth done. To make a long story short, she held off so he would have to go a week without his medication. I called the office and pushed to have them complete it with Urgent marked on it.

The next day we received a letter and the doctor dropped us both. They won't refill his prescriptions and within days he will be suffering pain as well as uncontrolled Oxycontin withdrawal. We have searched for a new doctor but no one can get him in for another month. What are our options? He gave us 30 days as required by NY law but has refused prescription refills within that 30 days.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

The law does not require he write you prescriptions. You need to find another doctor that will continue treatment.

 

[ecmst12]

And really, after a year on narcotics, he should be going to a pain clinic.

 

[lealea1005]

The physician's wife is his office manager and she had a problem with the prescriptions and often tried to interfere by changing doses, holding the Rx back, etc.

Since Oxycontin cannot be called in, that would mean she would have to be stupid enough to actually change a written Rx and risk going to jail and her husband's medical practice/reputation/income. Highly unlikely.

I called the office and pushed to have them complete it with Urgent marked on it.

Was it authorized and did he get that Rx?

You were not abandoned. You were given the required 30 days notice to find another Physician. Within that 30 days he is required to treat your husband on an EMRGENT basis only. Narcotic refills are not considered emergent.

 

[pansycritter]

And really, after a year on narcotics, he should be going to a pain clinic.

The doctor never recommended a pain clinic. The doctor was controlling the pain his own way.

 

[pansycritter]

Since Oxycontin cannot be called in, that would mean she would have to be stupid enough to actually change a written Rx and risk going to jail and her husband's medical practice/reputation/income. Highly unlikely.


Was it authorized and did he get that Rx?

You were not abandoned. You were given the required 30 days notice to find another Physician. Within that 30 days he is required to treat your husband on an EMRGENT basis only. Narcotic refills are not considered emergent.

Highly unlikely.

Well you are wrong so to be blunt, screw you too.

Was it authorized and did he get that Rx?

Why does this matter given your response?

 

[pansycritter]

Screw you

It appears the reply posters are sympathetic to the doctor and the patient is nothing but a common street druggie. Thanks for the information and thanks for your help. You can keep your snarky BS to yourself and not bother with further replies. Try waking up once in a while.

Pain meds were made to help people. My husband never asked to have them increased, raised concerns about them many times with the doctor (not his secretary wife) and the doctor kept saying that when the time came, he would help him off them but that it would be years down the road. Now after addicting him, he tosses him out because his wife is upset. That may be legal and as such, nothing can be done. That's all the information I need. Keep your personal comments to yourself.

 

[ecmst12]

It wasn't a personal comment. A pain specialist is the best place for chronic pain patients to be treated.

If he starts going through acute withdrawal symtoms, it is appropriate for him to go to the ER. It would of course be better if he already has the appointment at the pain clinic before this happens.

 

[lealea1005]

Well you are wrong so to be blunt, screw you too.

Well, that was mature.

Why does this matter given your response?

The answer to that question is an important piece of information.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

OP, Being in pain is not a free for all reason to risk an addiction. I have been prescribed Oxy and know how it works. It does not stop the pain, it makes you so stoned you do not care about it. I made the choice to use lessor pain relievers and alcohol, which I can add to the mix to ignore the pain on a segmented basis. It was hubbys choice to accept addiction and being stoned. I have over 20 years experience with intolerable pain. He created the situation. Doctors are increasingly being called to the table for prescribing Oxy. Their solution is to protect their license and cutoff those who they feel have become addicted.

 

[pansycritter]

Well, that was mature.

As mature as your response and you are the supposed expert. Try keeping your personal BS to yourself. You don't know a thing about this but you are willing to give snarky comments. Try helping this person in the middle of the night when he wakes in tears from his pain. You try that for several months then you have a slightly more right to be so callous and so snarky. And I'm sorry, I don't find silly faces all that mature so again, you're preaching something you don't practice. You must be a liberal.

 

[TheGeekess]

Well, that was mature.

As mature as your response and you are the supposed expert. Try keeping your personal BS to yourself. You don't know a thing about this but you are willing to give snarky comments. Try helping this person in the middle of the night when he wakes in tears from his pain. You try that for several months then you have a slightly more right to be so callous and so snarky. And I'm sorry, I don't find silly faces all that mature so again, you're preaching something you don't practice. You must be a liberal.

She wasn't snarky. You, on the other hand, are seemingly throwing a tantrum.

I'd suggest looking for another physician. There is no other option. And if you acted this way to the doctor's office, I can see why they dropped you and your husband. They don't have to put up with your attitude.

 

[lealea1005]

Well, that was mature.

As mature as your response and you are the supposed expert. Try keeping your personal BS to yourself. You don't know a thing about this but you are willing to give snarky comments. Try helping this person in the middle of the night when he wakes in tears from his pain. You try that for several months then you have a slightly more right to be so callous and so snarky. And I'm sorry, I don't find silly faces all that mature so again, you're preaching something you don't practice. You must be a liberal.

....and you still did not answer my question.

 

[pansycritter]

OP, I made the choice to use lessor pain relievers and alcohol, which I can add to the mix to ignore the pain on a segmented basis.

I have no problem with alcohol. It's my drug of choice until they legalize Marijuana.

It was hubbys choice to accept addiction and being stoned. I have over 20 years experience with intolerable pain. He created the situation. Doctors are increasingly being called to the table for prescribing Oxy.

Again, wrong. My husband did not create the situation. He went to the doctor because of several things. Something was seriously wrong with his back, he has bad arthritis in his knees and later fell off a ladder and broke his ankle. To this day the ankle swells and the doctor chose to slough it off. After a back surgery, the pain was even worse and he is nearly crippled. He has a bone birth defect called for short "olea's disease. (SP?) This was the doctors way of helping him deal with his pain. At some point you rely on your physician to know something.

Personally, I don't trust them and think for the most part they are not at all very bright. They are after your money, you're just a slab of meat on their table.

Their solution is to protect their license and cutoff those who they feel have become addicted.

He caused the addiction. My husband wanted help getting off. He understood the problem. The friday before the rude letter, the doctor and patient had discussed a plan of getting down off the narcotic. All I can guess is secretary wife didn't like that and took matters into her hands. We're a small rural community and it's known who wears the pants. This doctor has already made a bad reputation at the local hospital. So as much as you all are trying to blame my husband, I still blame the doctor. He's a coward and he abandoned his patient. My husband is in need of care and should something happen, I will find the lawyer I need. Here, I expected nothing, I paid nothing and I got nothing. You get what you pay for.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

I refuse 10 to 20% of the prescriptions my doctor wants to give me. If we agree on a substitute I take it. If we don't, I deal with the complaint. If he did not accept the responsibility for taking the meds, he was free to consult another doctor for treatment, that agreed with his beliefs. It is a question of taking responsibility for your own medical care.