oxycodone refills

[SheldonKittelson]

How many (monthly) refills can a doctor legally prescribe?  My doctor has led me to believe that she can only prescribe one month at a time with no refills, but the doctor (dentist) that I work for recently told me that a doctor can give a RX for oxycodone with 2 refills, equaling a three month supply.  I live in Minnesota.

[Tuckamore]

Hi Cathy,

You are so right. Why is there are war on GOOD physicians that follow the "rules" along with we CCP (Chronic Pain Patients). Your physician should have been able to provide you with a RX for the next month. She's just frightened and being overly cautious. As you know she can't give a refill but again she could have written a new RX, post dated it as she has done in the past. Maybe she's unsure of the regulations and feels better safe than sorry.  

This War is officially titled "The War on Drugs."  I totally understand there were shady practitioners out to make a buck that ran Pill Mills. They should have been ran out of business and lost their licenses. Large quantities of Opiates were handed out like candy. In most instances you paid cash for an MRI IN THEIR OFFICES and then paid cash for these large quantities of opiates. Drug dealers caught on quickly. Diversion was rampant, some sales actually occurred in these Pill Mill parking lots. Our youth were quickly addicted and dying from over doses. This was a terrible situation - even I, a chronic pain patient admit something had to be done.

But the government in all it's wisdom decided to get involved. DEA put their fighting gloves on - and quickly the "War" became the War against CPP and All Physicians - even the good ones that had followed the laws for years - and a few that only "tweaked" them when appropriate.  

So here we are! Fighting for our right to have some quality of life. Suicide rates among CPP are rising. Addicts, as should have been expected have found a new drug(s) - Heroin for the most part. Now instead if prescription drugs they are over-dosing in larger numbers from street drugs. Where there's a will there's a way. I cannot believe the things addicts abuse. I have to show my ID when I buy spray paint. Really?  Come on!  

Sorry I got off the subject a bit - but many of these new rules and regulations are just hurting the CCP. I don't think I'll see a change in my life time but I hope for that someday CCP will not have the hoops and hardships that have been imposed upon us.

As Phil said, some great physicians go to prison. Often they are forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend themselves, win or lose - with that happening physicians are not about to risk their licenses. When you think about it - who can blame them. Sadly we suffer and to a lesser degree so does the physicians.

That's my rant for the day! Sorry. I hope your PCP will prescribe what you require - if not I hope you can find a good substitute - or a physician that will help you.

Please keep us posted - and please remain active in our community. You're a good asset and we all learn from one another.

Peace,
~Tuck

[philnoir]

Yes, prescribers are allowed to issue post-dated CII prescriptions, not sooner than 30 days, and for not more than 3 months.

We're talking about refills. There are no refills on CII medications.

As far as the war on doctors, visit the website of a great man, compassionate pain doctor who also suffers from chronic illness, pain warrior, and dear friend, Dr. Alex Deluca, MD, MPH

www.doctordeluca.com

[cathy5841]

Hi Tuck, I am surprised that's not a common practice. My Dr here always gives me my monthly script and a script for the next month, unless something has changed with my meds. I assumed that was standard practice. Ya learn something new every day.   I've had this Dr for years so she knows I abide by all the rules. Not sure if it makes a difference or not but I'm in Louisiana.  She's been  prescribing me one benzo a night for sleep, the strength stayed the same but she told me my last visit she was no longer prescribing any benzos since the laws had changed. She did say she would prescribed a 2 month supply and then I would have to stop using them or get them from my PCP.  Why don't they leave our Drs alone?!?

[Tuckamore]

Phil is correct. The law changed when hydrocodone was upped to a Schedule II. Foolish move in my opinion but just another example of the war on Chronic Pain Patients - instead of the War on Drugs.

However some physicians will give you a script for the next month that reads, "Not to be filled till X date." That practice is not a common one but it does happen.

~Tuck

[philnoir]

You're doctor is correct.

- No refills on oxycodone or any other Schedule II medication.
- No phone-in prescriptions -- must have paper Rx every month.
- No more than 30 day supply at a time

Pharmacies may have their own policies, for example, presenting official photo ID, no early refills.

Your dentist is thinking of the old rules for hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco). This was a Sched III medication until April of 2014, when the FDA reclassified it as a CII medication.