I recently received a phone call from a senior citizen who has been a chronic painer for years… She lives in the NW.. in that opiophic mecca of the state of WASHINGTON.
Apparently her long time PCP decided that SHE was not going to treat chronic pain pts anymore … giving her pts a 30 days supply of medications and a “pink slip”.
Recently, I have blogging a lot about palliative care and how – IMO – chronic pain pts are entitled to chronic pain care under the label of “palliative care”.. which is exempt from the mgs/day Morphine equivalents in the CDC guidelines and many/most/all state opiate dosing guidelines.
I got the comment below on my blog TODAY.. apparently there are doctors who are providing palliative care to chronic pain pts out there.
Remember … as a chronic pain pt … you are AT WAR and if you don’t fight back… THEY WILL WIN and YOU WILL LOSE …
I just called a Palliative doctors offices. I reached one office , in Washington state, Olympi, WA. The whole staff was so kind to me. They knew what I felt. This is the first time I have been treated this kind about my chronic pain.
Filed under: General Problems
Steve- I read the CDC guidelines and at my last Dr appointment I told my Dr I believed I would qualify for as a palliative patient. This made her face reddened and I thought it had made her so angry she was going to discharge me. Could someone give me some insight as why this angered her so. I will also add I have being seeing a pain management doctor since 2006- and am in the process of getting qualified for disability.
I suspect that your doctor is telling her pts that the limits of Morphine equivalents are 90 mgs/day and that is per the CDC “guidelines” and they have adopted them as their practice’s POLICY… which is basically THE LAW in her practice. Chronic pain pts typically are complex pts and high acuity pts.. they take time.. and bring possible DEA interference with the doc’s practice. They know that fewer and fewer docs are treating chronic pain pts.. and have apparently adopted the mind set “it is my way or the highway” and pts that point out where there are less strict or loopholes in the guidelines.. that she has chosen to ignore.. and informed pts challenges her blanket excuse ‘ I’m cutting your dose because that is the law ” Of course, who would consider it unprofessional conduct to lie to pts and or intentionally provide less than adequate therapy
Money
I doubt they would just take someone with just major issues with other major problems.
Stop that pick up the phone and ask.