Dr shopping?

[kgirl29]

Hi All -

new to the forum.  i have a question about what constitutes Dr shopping.  i have been taking pain meds for sometime for cancer and recently i had surgery.  The Dr (who is different from my pain Dr) that discharged me prescribed me the same pain med I currently take but a different mg.  The Dr in the hospital knows that I take pain meds and was aware of that.  My pain Dr does not know I recently had surgery.  In order to deal w/the post of pain, I would have to double what I currently take which will probably result in me having to contact my pain Dr earlier for refill.  With all the new regs I'm afraid to take the prescription to the pharmacy.  Please advise

[Wobby65]

I should also add...ask your PM dr if they want you to double up on the meds they prescribed or if they want you to fill the script from the surgeon. Because of the narcotic laws you might run into trouble filling the script if you already have one. Your PM doctor would be the best resource on how to proceed!

[Wobby65]

The same thing happened to me last year...I called my PM doctor and told them I'd had surgery and the surgeon had prescribed pain meds. I was instructed to take what the surgeon gave me as long as I was under his care; once my post-surgical pain was gone, I went back to the meds the PM doctor had give me (I called again at that time to let them know). Things happen and they get that. As long as you're upfront and honest with your doctors you should be fine. Good luck and I hope you have a quick recovery!

[db0704]

It is crazy, isn't it?  It really is too bad things have gotten so out of hand, thanks to bad doctors and bad people!  Now the good people and good doctors must suffer!  I guess you could try calling the doc who prescribed them and tell him your situation and if you can't get him, call the surgeon and tell his nurse and if you get nowhere, call your pain doctor and tell them the truth. Or just call your pain doctor first and make sure you will have the amount you need. That's probably the best anyway. They have to be responsible if they prescribe them for you.  You cannot run out!  They know that too!  If you are having to take too many meds to control your pain, you might want to seek out another pain doc.  Believe me, there are many things you can take that work great.  I am a hospice nurse and am always amazed at the patients we get from doctors that have been "supposedly" managing pain!  It's a joke, to be honest with you!  So if you have to take meds all day long or you feel you take a lot of pills daily and your pain is still not 100% controlled or what you feel it should be, you definitely should seek out another doctor.