How do you received pain meds on the road my husband has chronic back condition

[The Adams]

We full time RV. My husband has a chronic back condition and gets a prescription that’s good for 90 days but can only be refilled a month at a time. We have to return every three months to our Dr in Louisiana for prescription but don’t want to return every month to pick up prescription. Any one else dealing with this issue, or have suggestions. Thanks Jim & Rory Adams

[SWharton]

Why don't you have the subscription with Walmart, Walgreen's or CVS. They are all over the place and should be able to refill the prescription if it is in their database.

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, SWharton said:

Why don't you have the subscription with Walmart, Walgreen's or CVS. They are all over the place and should be able to refill the prescription if it is in their database.

While that is true for most medications it is not always true for pain medication depending on what class drug it is. I suspect one that requires a new prescription every three months may not be so readily available. I hope someone who has to deal with that answers soon.

Linda Sand

[agesilaus]

3 hours ago, SWharton said:

Why don't you have the subscription with Walmart, Walgreen's or CVS. They are all over the place and should be able to refill the prescription if it is in their database.

Ditto, we went with Walmart since they seem to be more common. However, at least in Florida, if you are talking schedule 3 drugs, then you have to see the physician every 30 days. I had to drop Tramadol which is a very weak narcotic since it was impossible to travel and see the doc every 30 days/

Walmart and U assume the big drug stores will transfer the script around tho it will lead to confusion.

[SWharton]

Have you thought of mail order from Canada? Or a trip to MX and stock up?

[Jaydrvr]

24 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Have you thought of mail order from Canada? Or a trip to MX and stock up?

You typically can't order pain meds from Canada. Mexico might be an option, but obviously not for everyone. Pain meds are problematic enough at one location - I'm not sure there is a workable solution for those who travel. Jay

[Kirk W]

Drug Schedules

The issue is probably what schedule the drugs are. Schedule II drugs can not be refilled. Some (possibly all) schedule III drugs have a limit of 30 day supplies with 3 to 5 refills and may not be transferred between pharmacies or across state lines. You need to start by talking with your pharmacist to see what schedule your drugs are and what sort of restrictions you are dealing with. Once you know that you may want to discuss the issue with his doctor to see if there is an alternative drug which he could prescribe. 

[TXiceman]

Kirk is spot on with the drug schedule.  The pharmacies have been pushed to this dispensing protocol due to the abuse of pain killers by many people.  It makes it hard for someone that truly needs the medication.

Ken

[hemsteadc]

Since the DEA is in the medical business, they make it tough.

[LiveWorkDream]

Ease of access also depends on your medical insurance. We have Kaiser Permanente, which has facilities in several states. It takes a couple of phone calls to get prescription meds from our home base to our current location. But as long as it's a location where KP has a presence, we eventually get them. However, I'm not sure if pain meds are as easy to get. Probably not is my guess, since KP really cracked down on dispensing opioid medications a few years ago.

Sorry you guys are dealing with this. Ongoing medical issues are a huge challenge for a lot of full-timers.

[JimK]

Two words:  medical marijuana. 

There are all sorts of formulations and choices.  None are addictive by typical definitions.  Some are strictly for pain with little or no high associated with them.  Ideally you can find a doctor who knows what they are doing; otherwise, a bit of experimentation should do it.

[agesilaus]

38 minutes ago, JimK said:

Two words:  medical marijuana. 

There are all sorts of formulations and choices.  None are addictive by typical definitions.  Some are strictly for pain with little or no high associated with them.  Ideally you can find a doctor who knows what they are doing; otherwise, a bit of experimentation should do it.

Just a guess but I would think that would greatly complicate state to state travel. y son, a LEO, tells me that the material is very pricey in FL. Does insurance cover it? And is it legal everywhere?

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by agesilaus

[lappir]

On 4/11/2023 at 2:37 PM, The Adams said:

We full time RV. My husband has a chronic back condition and gets a prescription that’s good for 90 days but can only be refilled a month at a time. We have to return every three months to our Dr in Louisiana for prescription but don’t want to return every month to pick up prescription. Any one else dealing with this issue, or have suggestions. Thanks Jim & Rory Adams

As a Health Care Professional since 1981 and a RN since 1989 I have worked as a Travel Nurse. I started doing ER, but in the 2000's I went to the OR so my info on pain prescriptions are mostly related to the OR setting and most certainly short term. Not really what you are looking for. 

Pain medication was at one time one of the "Vital Signs". Does a patient have pain and how are we making it better. Most of the time an Opioid was the answer and as we now know that was the WRONG answer. A prescription Opioid was a legal way  to make money for a while and a lot of folks got on that bandwagon. Dr's, Nurses, Pharmacist's, Physical Therapists and of course the CFO, CEO,  other administrators  in addition to all of the insurance companies.  They ruined it all.  Now an honest person who has a pain has to jump through multiple hoops to gain relief and often it's still the opioid, but it's a lot harder to get. 

My suggestion is to have a frank discussion with your primary care provider and find out if you have other options. 

Have a discussion with your travel partner to determine if you can make it work if you want to travel far and wide you may need to have your partner stay at your desired destination for a couple days while you "Fly Home" to refill your meds. It will be a lot more difficult and more expensive, but much safer than the alternatives.  I would not recommend visiting an Emergency Room, Urgent care setting, but If you have just a couple locations you visit like a winter spot and a summer location, adding a Primary Care provider in each  area might make it easier. 

 

Good luck, 

 

Rod

 

[agesilaus]

My own experience is that I had a work related back injury and have been on workman comp for the treatment. I've been going to a Pain Specialist for the last ten or 12 years and saw a neurologist before that who used Botox injections. They slowly became less effective and I switched over to the other doc.

He went thru a lot of different meds until we settled on the Tramadol and Lidoderm Patches. The Tramadol was a minimal dose that I took only at night. When this crack down began to clamp down he was going thru everything he could think of and could tell skating on the edge to keep giving me 90 day scripts. We started using teledoc visits at the end but that was a special dispensation during the plague.

Finally I just decided to do without rather than let him get in trouble. Actaully ibuprofen works pretty well for me but I have to be very careful about taking it with food.

The DEA makes no effort to distinguish whether you are on Morphine or Demerol or on a weak opioid like Tramadol. Nor do they look at the dose. It's all the same. There has been a lot of abuse of the opioid system  and the ham handed government  does care who the catch in their net.

Video visits might be an option for you tho. Or you might look at Botox shots, they did a good job for me for years. Think they lasted 90 days or so.

Edited April 13, 2023 by agesilaus

[JimK]

11 hours ago, agesilaus said:

Just a guess but I would think that would greatly complicate state to state travel. y son, a LEO, tells me that the material is very pricey in FL. Does insurance cover it? And is it legal everywhere?

 

Your guess would be wrong. 

Medical use has been approved in 38 states and that number continues to grow.  Additional states have decriminalized it and I doubt any state is aggressive in enforcement of past restrictions.  Also consider mm is not the same as years ago traveling with a key of plant material.  Now it is highly processed, compact with oral doses typically in a capsule or something like a gummy bear.  The legality may be questionable but there is no risk even traveling domestically by plane.  Many of the products contain minimal amounts of THC with the major ingredient being CBD, which is not banned.

I have no idea about the cost in Florida but it is typically not very expensive and a lot cheaper than dealing with opiate addiction.  No, not covered by insurance.

BTW, I do not use any mm products, but my wife has chronic pain issues and does.  She has worked with her physician to use a formulation that helps the pain without hallucinogenic effect.

[2gypsies]

10 hours ago, JimK said:

  The legality may be questionable but there is no risk even traveling domestically by plane.  Many of the products contain minimal amounts of THC with the major ingredient being CBD, which is not banned.

 

Here's a good article:   https://www.surterra.com/medical-cannabis/traveling-with-medical-marijuana#:~:text=Can I Fly on Commercial,to bring on a plane.

[Ray,IN]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:54 PM, SWharton said:

Why don't you have the subscription with Walmart, Walgreen's or CVS. They are all over the place and should be able to refill the prescription if it is in their database.

I agree. My wife has chronic back pain and is on Hydrocodone. Since she must call the Dr. and order the medication monthly, when she calls she give the Dr. the name, address and phone number of the CVS where we will be the next stop. The Dr.  calls in the script, and it is waiting for us when we arrive. This happens regardless of which state we are in at the time. DW has been taking that medication since 2016 and has never encountered problems having the monthly script filled.

Even my TRICARE for life/Express-scripts will ship a monthly supply to her in the USPS mail to our home address.

This happens with all major chain stores like Kroger and with Walmart/Sams Club this happens the same way at them all.

The only requirement is a photo ID to pickup the prescription.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ray,IN

[Tulecreeper]

On 4/11/2023 at 6:20 PM, agesilaus said:

Ditto, we went with Walmart since they seem to be more common. However, at least in Florida, if you are talking schedule 3 drugs, then you have to see the physician every 30 days. I had to drop Tramadol which is a very weak narcotic since it was impossible to travel and see the doc every 30 days/

Walmart and U assume the big drug stores will transfer the script around tho it will lead to confusion.

Not exactly true.  I have been taking Norco for 15 years for a cervical spinal injury, and although I can only get a 30-day script at a time I only have to see my doc about every 6 or 8 months.  And it is a Schedule II drug.

[Tulecreeper]

For those with a CCW, I would research the state regs regarding taking marijuana - medical or otherwise.  There may be a caveat that if you test positive for it you can/will lose your permit.

 

I am retired LE and I have a federal (LEOSA) concealed carry permit allowing me to carry in all 50 states, and US possessions - Guam, Puerto Rico, etc.  I also take a Schedule II medication for a spinal injury.  Since I have a script for that drug I have no problem if I were to test positive.  However, since the federal govt does not recognize MJ as a legal drug in any form, if I were to test positive for it I guarantee I would lose my license to carry.

[lgehring]

On 4/12/2023 at 7:03 PM, lappir said:

Have a discussion with your travel partner to determine if you can make it work if you want to travel far and wide you may need to have your partner stay at your desired destination for a couple days while you "Fly Home" to refill your meds. It will be a lot more difficult and more expensive, but much safer than the alternatives.  I would not recommend visiting an Emergency Room, Urgent care setting, but If you have just a couple locations you visit like a winter spot and a summer location, adding a Primary Care provider in each  area might make it easier. 

I have the same concerns. If I need pain meds or something else that can't be transferred out of state, I hope my son can pick up the prescription for me and mail it to me. I've talked to my doctor, and there doesn't seem to be a good way to solve this dilemma. 

[Tulecreeper]

6 hours ago, lgehring said:

I have the same concerns. If I need pain meds or something else that can't be transferred out of state, I hope my son can pick up the prescription for me and mail it to me. I've talked to my doctor, and there doesn't seem to be a good way to solve this dilemma. 

Your son cannot legally mail opioids through the mail.