piggyback ? from Sensations post

[desperatetostop]

I saw that persons post regarding going to two docs for the same pills...

My question is this...while I was on my rx for vicodin (and of course ran out before the next refill) i had gone to my primary dr regarding something else and she also gave me vicodin...albeit just five days worth (which was when my refill was due anyway)...

Should I be looking over my shoulder? Did I do something illegal and not even know it?

thanks

[kolo13]

Oh good. I'm sure that if there is no deception there is no crime. People do  have to be careful, however, that they do not break the rules at their pmc. They often enforce their rules quite rigidly and they will often include a requirement that you not receive narcotics from anyone else for any reason. I have heard of people being denied future treatment for pain because they got narcs at the dentist after getting a tooth pulled or even after treatment for an injury at the emergency room. Things that you would think would be justified. This kind of control is enough reason itself for me to deal with my pain without the meds.

[rligh09]

When my husband went to the pain clinic he had to sign a contract saying that he would not go to any other doctors for pain meds, not even a dentist without first informing the pain specialist.

[kmb22]

my roomate is sooooooo screwed if all this i have been reading about dr. shopping is true.

[desperatetostop]

Thanks for the answer...yes, the doctors both knew about each other...in fact my pcp even asked me if I was still seeing the pain doc and i said "yes, but my appt is five days away" which is why she gave me five days of vic. She didn't know that I should've still had some from the previous rx that the pain doc gave me...
I don't think anyone is going to come knocking on my door. Thankfully, the stories I've heard about others' with scripts and doctor shopping kept me from doing that. :)

~Amber

[kolo13]

Well it is tricky and sometimes people do break these laws without intent.  Does your primary know that you have another doctor, I assume a pain management doc or something like that? If your doctors know what you are doing it is not doctor shopping. What people more often get caught up with in these situations is that when their pain management doc sees on the pharm report that they got narcotics from another doc ( or even dentist, this can happen with no intent to do anything wrong ) they will be required to stop your treatment. The best thing to do is never accept a narc scrip without making sure that your doctors know all the facts of your situation so it never looks like you are trying to get extra meds. It is just in the last few years that the states have come into compliance with the new reporting laws and these pharmacy reports are now well compiled and distributed and so things that would have flown under the radar in the past are now red flagged and confronted. I don't think you need to stress over five days worth of vicodin. But everyone should be aware that every scrip they fill goes on a report that is distributed to all their doctors as well as law enforcement. I'm sorry if I scared you, but "sensations" plan was exactly what they look for and prosecute and there are people in prison right now who had no idea how seriously these things are taken these days and how thoroughly watched we all are. Good luck.