Pain Mgmt Clinic - Pills missing . .I MAD

I have been with this clinic for 6 months now for a cervical herniated disk with nerve compression. I am in constant pain and have been prescribed 2 x a day Vicoden Es at day. I have obeyed all of the rules with my opiod management agreement, passed all drug screens and do not abuse my prescription. I take my pills in increments of half pills, by splitting them in half. My pharmacy recently ordered a new generic vicoden that they have never ordered from.  I noticed the new brand (before even knowing it was a new company) was not as effective in pain relief and I started to develop itchy small water blisters all of my hands. I had eaten shrimp the same night as taking this new script so I blamed it on a new allergy to shell fish.  After al most 2 weeks the blisters were not dissapearing. The pharmacy informed me of the med change. I called my pain mgmt office to let my Dr.'s nurse, know and was told my Dr. was out of the office for 2 days and the nurse was in a procedure. I relayed the message to the person who answered the phone, and was surprised to see that she took this message into her own hands and instructed me that she would write a new script for brand only meds and to bring the bottle of unused pills to the office, drop them off and I could pick up a new script. I had mom husband do this for me. I had 38 total pills in the bottle, which INCLUDED 5 HALF PILLS. These were counted twice. I put the bottle into a zip lock back along with a sealed letter to the Doctor. I took the NEW script to my same pharmacy.  They were unable to fill the script because I had just filled a script 2 weeks earlier and my insurance would not cover it.  I had not taken any pills out of the bottle before dropping to off at the doctors office, so I needed my meds to get me through the day/night to sleep. I paid out of pocket with brand only and paid 43.00. They offered to fill the entire script, but at 148.00 and the fact that I didnt need that many until my cortisone injection was 2 weeks later.  Anyway, I get a nasty message from this girl who originally took my call and took the pills stating this . . .Dr. ".." has said that you will only get just the 20 pills until your next appt and he will discuss the opiod policy with you during that time" I finally contacted my doctors nurse and found out that this girl, who is JUST A "MEDICAL ASSISTANT/OFFICE SUPERVISOR" was the person handling my business. MY first question is, 1. I work in a peds office and know that a MA has not authorization to discuss prescription/Medical advice with you. 2. Last time I checked, MA's cannot write scripts.  The person who wrote the script was a name I have never heard of before. When talking with my doctors nurse. . She said that there were only 34 pills in the bottle with 1 one half pill. I know for a fact this bottle was opened and pills were taken out.  Because I counted 5 half pills. I was told that I was over taking my pills and Dr. ">>: is upset with this. I was also told that this girl, the Medical Assistant, took to the pills straight to the other Doctor in the office and they were counted in front of him.  This doctor is the one that approved the new script.  So why is his name not on the prescriber information on the bottle? I was almost in tears after trying to explain this to my doctors nurse. She said that they have a black or white policy and deal with a lot of people abusing pills. .In my mind. .I am thinking to myself, even your Employees obviously. Now I am backed into a corner, look like I overtook my script and was even told the this girl, the MA said that I NEVER mentioned the rash on my hand, she stated that I said the strength was not worling on my pain. .DUHHHH. . easy way for you to take some pills out and blame it on me. I do have the s copy of the letter that was in the bag and it clearly states I was having an allergic reaction.  I was also told by my doctors nurse that she would not speak with the practice manager about this situation but talk to the doctor. I dissagree, it looks like someone is covering or lying and my doctor is not there to deal with the petty things, he is there to treat me.  Please Help,.

[jackiehospice]

I would write all of this down calmly and have you and your mother go into the doctors office on monday if you get no resolution ask for a conference with the office manager.Somebody is stealing drugs I do not think someone  want to call the media and say someone stole your medication and you can pass a lie test go for it all you have to do is pick up the phone and tell the DEA what happened and they will be fined.On the market they can sell them for 10 dollars a pill they may be a ring in the office health care workers are slow to see it I am a nurse we trust people but I am in severe pain too.I would never cross that line but someone is taking your pills they can put a dye on the pills to catch them.Turn this around dont be a victim be proactive call the FBI or DEA or ACHA if you need help text me back i will help you I lost my job.You can have these analysed too they may be tylenlol not even pain pills you are getting hosed my dear girl. Offer to take a blood test too Dr can get in trouble too!!!!Hope this helps.Jackie In Key Largo  

[SLCPMOM]

Dear  tab1969,
If a patient is returning medication in exchange for a new prescription, it is customary to do a pill count in front of the patient.  A note should be written with the name, strength and quantity of the medication.  This note should be signed by the patient, person counting the medication and the physician.  If this was not done, the Physician should be giving you the benefit of the doubt.  I do have to say that your time line is off.  If you are prescribed medication twice a day, you should have received #60.  After two weeks (14 days) you should only have 30.  If your timeline is correct, you need to get a statement from the pharmacy showing when the old script was filled and when the new one was filled and for what quantity.  If it was two weeks, you actually had more than you were suppose to.  Nevertheless, the MA should have never taken the script out of your presence and I  would make that point to the physician.  Also, the EPA has guidelines on disposing of medications unless the office pays a company to do that for them.

[tab1969]

That's a very good point. Since my last post, I did call the office And discussed this with the practice mgr. This left me feeling like u was shoved under the bus. The 1st question was. " did you you tape or staple the zip lock bag?". This was idiotic to me because you should be able to trust the pain management clinic, I wish I had now. Lesson learned, that you cannot trust everyone. Her second statement was that this young lady is 10 yrs with the clinic and highly trusted by the doctors, and this has never happened before. Making me now feel like I am lying or losing my mind. I scheduled a cortisone injection for next week and I do not even Want to go over all of this with my doc, I am now humiliated and to boot, the practice manager mentioned something to the fact that I have not Been dismissed from the practice. Uggh.