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Broken Contract

Ok, I have a sensitive question and I'm hoping I won't receive a ton of negative feedback, just helpful suggestions...

My husband has been under the supervision of a pain management doctor for severe lower and upper back pain. He signed a treatment contract saying he wouldn't receive medications from another doctor (I'm not sure how specific the definition of "medications" is... whether it refers to narcotics or other drugs). My husband spoke with his doctor about decreasing his pain meds and he agreed but he then began getting awful withdrawal migraines and his doctor refused to prescribe him Suboxone, which has helped him with withdrawal symptoms in the past. The pain was so awful that he resorted to refilling an old Suboxone prescription from his last doctor (not a PM doctor) not thinking that it would affect his contract since it was for migraines and not the back pain he was seeing the PM for. He then received a letter from his PM stating he had broken the contract and that he could no longer recieve treatment.

My first question is, was he right in thinking that the prescription refill shouldn't affect the contract since it was for his migraines that his PM refused to treat?

My second question is, if he was discharged, how much does this affect things such as taking required drug tests for work and even more important, for eventually finding another PM that will agree to treat him?

I would appreciate any suggestions. My husband is so devastated and feels like his situation is hopeless.
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Avatar universal
This issue just blows my mind...I'm thinking get a Lawyer as well as other victims gather together...some rules need to be adapted
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Avatar universal
Sorry to hear about that....I live in PA too and my mother in law was just booted from her contract due to her son stealing her medication and in embarrassment, lied about it after a clean drug test.....she then came back a week or two later for another drug test in which not only did it come back that she was taking the meds as perscribed.....she also came clean about her son (who no longer lives with her)

Even though she has been on her pain meds for close to 10 years, they cut her off cold turkey and so far no other doctor will touch her (atleast when it comes to pain meds)

I was wondering if you had any luck....yet?
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Avatar universal
And, please don't waste time, every day counts, you don't want to run out of your medication and stress your body with withdrawals, just to get back onto the medication. Unless, of course, you decide to quit all the narcs because it is a hassle -- actually, speaking of this, some folks feel when situations such as your's happen, it's the 'universe guiding you away' from the rigamorole of pain meds (maybe good ol' fashioned Advil ain't such a bad way of life).... but that's another matter :-)

If you don't mind, please post back and document what happens. A quick search of this forum will yield *countless* people in your shoes -- false positives, and false negatives, and dismissal after dismissal. I don't recall ever reading the 'finale' or 'sequel' / punchline of whatever ends up happening with people that have been dismissed, and subsequently face their doctor to 'get back in,' so I'm thinking if you post back, you might very well help a lot of people.

...if you're up to it.

Either way, best wishes, and good luck!
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your advice!!I never been in a situation like this. Yes I will do whatever it takes to clear my record of this BS.. Thanks again
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Avatar universal
I would contact your Family Doc, and explain the situation, and THEN ask your Family Doc to contact your Pain Doc.

You would want your Family Doc to "vouch" for you -- to tell the Pain Doc what a good, trustworthy person you are, etc., and that you are WILLING to pay, out of your own pocket, for WHATEVER expensive tests (e.g. hair sample, etc.) there are to PROVE that you never took the methadone! (That is, of course, if you are WILLING to pay, etc.).
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Avatar universal
I know people wont believe this but its honest to god truth. I live in PA. I've been going to same PM doctor for 20-months now and I'm on 15mg Oxycodone and 15mg MS Contin ER. My doctor said METHADONE showed on my urine test and said he couldn't prescribe my meds anymore. I pleaded with him I've never took it before and was floored!! Talked to family Doc about it come to find out the only other medicine I took at the time was BENADRYL and he explained it could show a false positive for METHADONE like it was no big deal and happens alot. My PM Doc told me that I still need to find another doctor!! IM SO SCARED NOW BECAUSE OF CHRONIC BACK PAIN!! WILL IT BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANOTHER PAIN MEDICINE DICTOR WITH THIS IN MY RECORDS?? Please help anyone that has experience
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Avatar universal
I'm sorry you and your husband are in this situation.

Unfortunately, it definitely was a breach of his pain contract when he filled the old suboxone script.  It doesn't matter what the meds are prescribed for, when you are under a pain contract, you are not permitted to get any pain meds of any type from a doctor other than your pain management doc.

A couple of things that I would suggest:

a) call his PM doc and tell them the same as you've stated here - that he was unaware that, since his PM doc had refused to treat his migraines, that it was going against his contract to fill that old prescription and ask if they would consider taking him back as a patient.  Offer for him to bring in the suboxone script to them so they can destroy the meds or do whatever they need/want to with them.

b) follow up that phone call - no matter what the outcome is - with a letter to the doctor, again stating that he was not aware he was breaking the contract.  Not that this letter will get them to take him back, but it will have to be put in his records and then it will be there if and when he's able to find another PM doc - it might help him find another PM doc that is willing to treat him.

c) His work drug tests may or may not be affected by this - if they ask him what meds he is on and can provide them with not only a list of them, but also show them the prescription bottles, then there may not be an issue.  However, if he does not say anything to them, and the suboxone shows up in his test - and they don't know he's on it, then there may be an issue.

d) As far as finding another PM doc, it may be difficult for him because of being discharged.  However, if you write that letter to his current doc explaining the situation, it may help.

I wish you both the best of luck.
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