monopoly

[grampyhiltz61]

Are pain clinics a monopoly?

[namnam46]

In case I miss understood what you were asking, there is also the fact that many states have regulated it so that ONLY PM Clinics can give out the Opiate meds and NO other Dr's., no PCP's, etc. At least not the "Big Dog" meds.

Again sorry if I misunderstood your question.  :)  Sherry

[namnam46]

Hi grampyhiltz61,

I'm sorry I don't really understand what you are getting at? Do you mean are they all connected together?

If that's what you are asking the answer is DEFINITELY not. Some are more lenient than the others. The rules that they have to go by are regulated by the state and the DEA. Each state is different. Almost all of them require you to sign a contract and you MUST follow their rules. If you don't you are in jeopardy of losing your PM (Pain Management) Dr. The reason for that is because the DEA checks up on them and checks their records of the urine and blood tests that they do. If they continue to treat 's a patient that has failed a test, they can and do pull the Dr.'s Medical License and they can also and have shut down the Clinics themselves. It is NOT a game. Unfortunately for the legitimate pain patients like us it has been ruined by the people that have gone to these clinics and lied and received prescriptions and then gone out and sold them, or abused them (took too many) because they are addicts and not CP (Chronic Pain) Patients or have shared their medicines with other people or taken other medicine that wasn't prescribed to them. Then there's also the Dr. shoppers that go from Dr. to Dr. to get more and more prescriptions than they have been prescribed by their PM (Pain Management) Dr.'s. You have to get your drugs from ONLY your PM  Dr. and NO ONE ELSE. The pharmacies are all connected these days and can tell when a patient has been getting prescriptions from more than one Dr. and also if they are abusing their meds by refilling them too early. They will let Insurance com.'s and Dr. know and if the pharmacies don't the Insurance Co.'s will pick up on it.

It is a sad set of circumstances that the PM Clinics and Dr.s have to go thru these days to help all of us CP Patients.

But in answer again to your question NO they are not a monopoly. The DEA is the ones that have made the rules concerning who can give prescriptions for the Opiates that we need for our pain. It is such a shame and I gather from your posts that you have been put into a rather difficult position.

I'm so sorry that you have. But the reason you have is because of the people that put the PM Clinics in the position that they are in.

Again I hope that you will pst what has happened so that we might be able to give you some suggestions.  :)

I'm sorry for what you are going thru.....Sherry

[Sarajmt]

I'm not sure exactly what it is you're asking.  Could you maybe expand on your question with specifics?

I'm really sorry that you're in pain but without a few more details, we won't know how to reply.

Sara