The War on Opioids Is Destroying My Healthcare

Thanks so much lawmakers for creating the conditions and issuing mandates that have basically removed my doctor from his ability to practice medicine on me, his patient. Normally, specialist visits used to take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. it's been that way for the last 10 years. My last visit however was the strangest and most absurd visit I've ever had. Even though my doctor spent well over an hour and half in the room with me I don't think we actually spent more than 5 minutes in conversation and even that felt strained.

What changed? Now he has a mobile desk with a computer where he spent 1:25 doing data entry. Every last tiny meaningless and minute detail had to be entered over and over and over due to the new system requirements. Despite sitting only feet away from him any attempt at speaking could cause him to make a mistake which i desperately didn't want happening. The worst part of it is I don't feel like he and I ever really communicated. Every patient is being forced to reduce their medications (less is more - tell me does that work for diabetics or heart patients?) even though I had been through reductions before that resulted in me losing more weight (not good) and a slight increase later allowed me to gain 5 lbs (very good) the demand to reduce continues despite knowing it will adversely affect me.

There are also new script papers that are printed, not hand-written. Must be more accurate, right? One of my scripts says I can fill in 2008. there's more but I just wanted to rant about how these new regulations are destroying my ability to communicate with my physician and get adequate medical care. At this rate I might be able to claim refugee status in a foreign country for denial of health care.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

In the past few months my husband's diabetic medicines have
been increased.After a surgical procedure,my husband was
prescribed pain medication.He not only refused the pain drugs
he mailed the prescription back to the Dr.He didn't want to
take anything he could become addicted to.


My 8000th post!

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
Thanks so much lawmakers for creating the conditions and issuing mandates that have basically removed my doctor from his ability to practice medicine on me, his patient. Normally, specialist visits used to take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. it's been that way for the last 10 years. My last visit however was the strangest and most absurd visit I've ever had. Even though my doctor spent well over an hour and half in the room with me I don't think we actually spent more than 5 minutes in conversation and even that felt strained.

What changed? Now he has a mobile desk with a computer where he spent 1:25 doing data entry. Every last tiny meaningless and minute detail had to entered over and over and over due to the new system requirements. Despite sitting only feet away from him any attempt at speaking could cause him to make a mistake which i desperately didn't want happening. The worst part of it is I don't feel like he and I ever really communicated. Every patient is being forced to reduce their medications (less is more - tell me does that work for diabetics or heart patients?) even though I had been through reductions before that resulted in me losing more weight (not good) and a slight increase later allowed me to gain 5 lbs (very good) the demand to reduce continues despite knowing it will adversely affect me.

There are also new script papers that are printed, not hand-written. Must be more accurate, right? One of my scripts says I can fill in 2008. there's more but I just wanted to rant about how these new regulations are destroying my ability to communicate with my physician and get adequate medical care. At this rate I might be able to claim refugee status in a foreign country for denial of health care.

Not so much the war on opoids, but too many regulations and threats of lawsuits. A doctor just can't be a doctor. They have to practice defensive medicine and then also ensure they are complying with government regulations, not too mention insurance.

a reply to: Edumakated

Not so much the war on opoids, but too many regulations and threats of lawsuits. A doctor just can't be a doctor. They have to practice defensive medicine and then also ensure they are complying with government regulations, not too mention insurance.

My sister was an OB/GYN with a private practice in Colorado. After 15 years or so she got to the point she needed a front office person and 4 other people to do the paperwork.

She finally bought a restaurant and quit.

She's a lot happier now, but I have to agree with you... between compliance to regulations and liability, she couldn't run a private practice for profit any more.

I feel you on the regs being a major PITA I now have to see my MD once a month to be able to get my pain meds and thanks to new regulations I’ve gone down 75+% of the amount of pain meds I was on before along with and a quarter of the amount of anti-anxiety med. Also had to start doing UAs and had a UA come up false negative for my pain meds thankfully my doc was my former neighbor of 5 years and they had been having some strange results coming out of lab or I would have been dropped cold turkey. I’ve been using the changes to help me work off the opioids all together and have managed to make it off the heavier pain med all together which is a good thing I hate feeling like a junky physically addicted to opioids. It has been brutal coming down to the level I’m at now which is a very low dosage for my body weight but I am proud of the progress that I’ve made even if it was expedited by new regulations. As far as time in the sdocs office that hasn’t changed at all for me my doc still does paper charting while in the room with you and then does the electronic filing in between patients. It sounds like your doc would be better off doing something similar or get more efficient and the using the electronic charting system.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Home Grown

Just watch for cut worms. It takes a pair of tweezers and a bunch of flash light batteries. The government will not help us.

My daughter is going to medial school because it is obvious her calling. Only rich people can afford this type of school and we have smarter people out there with less money to spend. The whole system is a joke at many levels.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

I have to disagree with you on the printed prescription. It is probably one of the best things to happen to healthcare.
They were one of the last industries to finally go digital. They may have made a mistake on yours, and of course there will always be typing issues, but I can guarantee printed prescriptions have probably saved many many more lives over poorly written prescriptions.


It also might be time for you to see a new Doctor. I had a Dr. with the worst bedside manner, and I finally couldn't take it anymore and switched. I was so glad I did.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

I have some mild psoriasis and I go to a dermatologist for a shampoo with a steroid.
I use it about twice a week.

Several years ago I was at my yearly appointment to get my prescription renewed and he told me that he is having a hard time finding medications that insurances will cover.

He said the ACA is the cause.
That and his paperwork doubled.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

I feel for you. I think the current war on doctors is an asinine way to tackle the opioid epidemic. It mostly just destroys the lives of people who were using their medication responsibly. Addicts are still going to find their drugs regardless.

If you can, try Kratom. It’s a plant from SE Asia that’s in the coffee family. It’s helped a lot of people in your position reduce or even stop their doctor prescribed painkillers. And it’s legal.

Hope this helps.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Asktheanimals

I have some mild psoriasis and I go to a dermatologist for a shampoo with a steroid.
I use it about twice a week.

Several years ago I was at my yearly appointment to get my prescription renewed and he told me that he is having a hard time finding medications that insurances will cover.

He said the ACA is the cause.
That and his paperwork doubled.

Docs were not happy at all with the new mechanisms. Let me guess your med for psoriasis is olux? If you don’t mind sharing, I’ve got a mild type of psoriasis that effects my scalp and facial hair and I was paying out the nose for olux foam until they finally got a generic of it, the stuff helps me tremendously.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Three letters my friend, ACA

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Most of the specialists here have someone with them who is taking the notes and filling out the information while the doctor chats with the patient.

My husband has said before he is reluctant to say certain things to his doctor because of this third person in the room.

After the appointments we get the notes either mailed or given after the appointment on what was discussed. Many times the notes are wrong, so it is back on the patient to contact the office to make the corrections.

It can be very frustrating.

originally posted by: Fools
a reply to: Asktheanimals

Three letters my friend, ACA

You’re right about the three letters, but the ones you’re looking for are DEA.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

My heart goes out to you, ATA -- and everyone in a similar position.

I can't add much of value here... But I can wish you good luck and brightest blessings.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Generic clobex

The once a month requirement to see doc for prescriptions is annoying as are the UAs. If you have 96 clean UAs without an issue as I have, at what point do they say we trust you? NEVER! The trend here in WA state is to get patients completely off of morphine, oxycodone, etc. and put them on Suboxone or better yet, nothing. Pain medication can give certain patients some semblance of a life, and denying this relief is cruel, and can have unintended consequences. My personal opinion is that many "legitimate" patients have given up on receiving pain management from their docs and have turned to the streets for their meds. When the pain clinic I went to for years was shut down, there was a waiting list of 6 months to a year (or longer) at other facilities. What were the patients supposed to do in the meantime?

originally posted by: underwerks

originally posted by: Fools
a reply to: Asktheanimals

Three letters my friend, ACA

You’re right about the three letters, but the ones you’re looking for are DEA.

Well what the OP described is a definite ACA issue. DEA is cracking down on opiods, but not in the way you are thinking. As far as a doc having to keep track of every stupid thing you could imagine. That is ACA. And I have had 3 doctors tell me that now. 2 in the hospital and my general practice physician.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: BigDave-AR

Generic clobex

Yeah same stuff just another “brand name” for Clobetasol, stuff stings petty good if I neglect to use it for a while and start letting the psoriasis get a foothold but boy the stuff works wonders.

a reply to: Fools

DEA is cracking down on opiods, but not in the way you are thinking.

They’re imposing crazy guidelines on doctors that prescribe opiates and opioids. Which is what the OP is talking about. That has nothing to do with the ACA or any insurance companies. That has to do with the DEA continuing the broken prohibition model.

And as usual, it’s the patients who use their medication responsibly who are hurt by it.