In a previous post I tried to explain why I would not sign a contract for pain medication. We had a nice debate about the contract and some folks even suggested I must be a druggie for not signing the contract.
Well it would be quite the opposite if one has any commonsense at all because a druggie will do anything to get their Buzz!
I have not had ANY form of pain medication now for quite some time, yeah I'm stubborn and in pain now, and have been threw the withdrawals of these harsh opiates all because I WILL NOT and I never will sign a contract that the Doctor/Government can invade my private life at their will, and at any time they want.
I found a copy of the standard contract that the Doctors can/will require you to sign, so I ask...... Would YOU sign it, or would you give-up your freedom of private life for a bottle of pills?
The quotes in red is what I object too.
Medication Contract
I, , _____________have agreed to use the following medications as
part of my treatment for chronic pain.
I understand that these medications may not eliminate
my pain but may reduce it and improve what I am able to do each day.
MEDICATION DOSE DIRECTIONS QUANTITY PER MONTH
I understand the following guidelines for continuing pain treatment under the care of
1. I understand that I have the following responsibilities:
•I will take medications at the dose and frequency prescribed.
•I will not increase or change how I take my medications without the approval of this
health care provider.
•I will arrange for refills at the prescribed interval ONLY during regular office hours. I
will not ask for refills earlier than agreed, after-hours, on holidays or on weekends.
•I will obtain all refills for these medications only at pharmacy
(phone number: ), with full consent for my provider and pharmacist
to exchange information in writing or verbally.
•I will not request any pain medications or controlled substances from other providers
and will inform this provider of all other medications I am taking.
•I will inform my other health care providers that I am taking these pain medications
and of the existence of this contract. In event of an emergency, I will provide this same
information to emergency department providers.
•I will protect my prescriptions and medications. I understand that lost or misplaced
prescriptions will not be replaced.
•I will keep medications only for my own use and will not share them others. I will keep
all medications away from children.
•I agree to participate in any medical, psychological or psychiatric assessments recommended
by my provider.
•I will actively participate in any program designed to improve function, including social,
physical, psychological and daily or work activities.
2. I will not use illegal or street drugs or another person’s prescription. If I have an addiction
problem with drugs or alcohol and my provider asks me to enter a program to address this
issue, I agree to follow through. Such programs may include:
•12-step program and securing a sponsor
•Individual counseling
•Inpatient or outpatient treatment
•Other:_____________________
If in treatment, I will request that a copy of the program’s initial evaluation and treatment
recommendations be sent to this provider and will not expect refills until that is received. I
will also request written monthly updates be sent to verify my continuing treatment.
3. I will consent to random drug screening to assure I am only taking prescribed drugs. I
understand that a drug screen is a laboratory test in which a sample of my urine or blood is
checked to see what drugs I have been taking.
4. I will keep all my scheduled appointments. If I need to cancel my appointment, I will do so
a minimum of 24 hours before it is scheduled.
5. I understand that this provider may stop prescribing the medications listed if:
•I do not show any improvement in pain or my activity has not improved.
•I develop rapid tolerance or loss of improvement from the treatment.
•I develop significant side effects from the medication.
•My behavior is inconsistent with the responsibilities outlined above, which may also
result in being prevented from receiving further care from this clinic.
Signed: Date:________________
Provider: Date:_________________
Click this link to the actual contract
http://www.ohsu.edu/ahec/pain/med_contractlf.pdf
If you don't sign this contract does that mean you can't get your medication?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't sign it either......for alot of reasons. Most of it is common sense and should be already understood by the patient and alot of it infringes on a persons right to privacy!
Do all doctors have this form for patients to sign? Most patients probably do sign it though. That's alot of reading for people to do in a doctors office and most people that sign it have NO idea of what they agreed to.
No you will not get your meds, although after I was presented with this contract and decided not to sign or ever go back to that Dr, he sent me a letter telling me "not to come back and he will not treat me again"
ReplyDeleteMost ALL Dr's have some kind of contract now stating that you wont go to another Dr or pharmacy for narcotics (which I have no problem with) but this was the first piss test AA/NA meeting contract I have seen.
I did some more reading today on "pain medication contracts". Some articles that I read went back to 2006 so this is not new.
ReplyDeleteThis contract portects your doctor NOT YOU! Since the sale of prescription drugs on the streets has become so easy to obtain this covers the doctors a**.
If a doctor makes a mistake and cannot judge for himself who is in chronic pain and who isn't how can that be a true suffering patients fault? It can't. But like everything else honest people must face this is another obstacle.
You are not the only patient that never signed the contract. There are thousands..........many are military.
Quite interesting. I'm still trying to determine who came up with this bright idea.
jmmb
I did some more reading today on "pain medication contracts". Some articles that I read went back to 2006 so this is not new.
ReplyDeleteThis contract portects your doctor NOT YOU! Since the sale of prescription drugs on the streets has become so easy to obtain this covers the doctors a**.
If a doctor makes a mistake and cannot judge for himself who is in chronic pain and who isn't how can that be a true suffering patients fault? It can't. But like everything else honest people must face this is another obstacle.
You are not the only patient that never signed the contract. There are thousands..........many are military.
Quite interesting. I'm still trying to determine who came up with this bright idea.
jmmb
JMMB said;
ReplyDelete"I'm still trying to determine who came up with this bright idea."
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from all that I have researched on this, my guess would be the insurance companies or the DEA came up with the standard contract posted, Dr's can add to or delete any of the contract to fit their own concerns.
I had signed the Dr's contract about 6 months ago, my last visit is when they asked me to sign this 'new' one and I refused.
Whine, whine, whine, if you got nothing to hide....why not sign? HHMMMMMM.
ReplyDeleteThat is always the self righteous liberal answer isn't it Anon?
ReplyDeleteNot self righteous, not a liberal either, haha, a republican tired of some living off of welfare, food stamps, med assistance, pain meds and desparately in need of a job!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Amy and this is addressed to Anon, and anyone who thinks like this person.
ReplyDeleteYou may be a republican but how dare you!!!! We of the chronic pain class have had Dr.'s that have broken us!!! I am a good example. I am trying to go to school to better myself and my family. To get out of this hole. But the Dr.'s think that getting me hooked on Morphine and Klonopin and whatever muscle relaxer they want is just fine. Could YOU function on these meds? Have you ever been in SEVERE PAIN anon? My guess is NO. Because if you had an INCLING as to what SEVERE CHRONIC PAIN was, you would not be feel this way. And you definately WOULD NOT be able to WORK!!! A lot of us want to work and are embarrassed because we can't anymore. We get welfare, food stamps and medical, along with a monthly Social Security check, if we are the "lucky" ones. So what! Many of us have had strenuous hard labor jobs that have contributed to our pain and injuries, along with our deteriorating conditions.
Then Dr.'s get us "hooked". By the way, for every prescription they write, they get a pharmacutical "kick back". The local government gets a "kick back" from the Federal government, depending on how many are on certain medicines in their jurisdictions. I am angered that the Dr.'s waste tax payer dollars. They order tests and medications that we don't need. If you are angered, be angry at them. They are the ones wasting your precious tax dollars!
They get us hooked then say its not their fault. I watched as my brother in law was laid to rest. Why? Because his Pain Management Doctor had him taking 24 - 80mg Oxy Contins a day!!!!!! Thats 720 pills a month! They KILLED him! MURDERED him and got away with it!But we have to sign away our privacy? Our lives?
Would you just drop trou in front of some stranger and PEE?! For ALL to SEE?! All because they have to CUP? Would you let them take away your kids and lock you away because you took Nyquil the night before your test and it came back a false positive for METHADONE? Why don't you do some homework before spewing forth such VILE!
Do some research ANON. Then come back and maybe we'll talk!
Just a little FYI and something I forgot in my original post, ANON;
ReplyDeleteIf you do not feel like you need to take these meds they prescribe on a daily basis for fear of getting "hooked" or because you only take the meds when YOU feel you need them, you will lose your medicine. If the Dr.'s test your urine or blood and there are lower levels then what is expected, you are dismissed from the office and stripped of your meds, no matter what. If you do not do EXACTLY what the Dr. says, you are OUT!!!