"Fired" from Pain Management Doctor

[HezWag]

This is my first post here, but I really need some advice.  I am upset and angry.  I have been going to see my PM doctor for over a year now due to a sternotomy surgery that was done in April 2010.  The bones have never fused together and continue to shift causing great pain.  I have also recently been injured at work causing a disc herniation at L5.  Anyway, my PM doctor has refused to help with my back pain because of it being a work related injury.  Two weeks ago I was in so much pain that I had been lying in bed all weekend crying because of my back pain.  The medications had just been recently changed and they were not working.  Finally by Sunday I had enough and went to the ER.  The doctor there called my PM doctor and he told her to give me a Toradol injection which I refused because I was already on a Medrol dose pack which was already a pretty strong anti-inflammatory.  So long story short I didn't receive any treatment in the ER.  So fast forward one week and I had an apt with my PM dr.  He "Fired" me because I went to the ER for my back pain!!  He said that the ER doctor said that I told her I was not on any pain medication which is a LIE!!  I told her I was on Percocet and Opana but that they were not working to get the pain under control.  

He got an attitude with me and said "why would she lie to me?"  I asked him "why would I lie to you?"  I have always been compliant with everything he asked me to do.  I have undergone several injections in my chest and have had multiple xrays and other tests done.  Have passed every urinalysis and have only had him give me my medications.  He did not believe me when I told him that the Opana was not working.  He made me feel like a drug addict and questioned my ethics and my honesty.  My question is now what do I do??  He is moving out of state anyway and this is his last month here.  I kind of got the feeling that the other doctor he practices with just wanted to "downsize" because the nurse told me that she also got terminated because they did want to make the practice smaller now.   But is this going to go into my chart as breaking the contract??  I thought that even when you had a contract with your doctor you could still go to the ER for an emergency???  Otherwise what is the point?  

Sorry for the long post.  I am just very upset and angry!!  Where do I go from here?

Thanks for taking the time to read my rambling post!

Hez

[tennesseepain]

My Primary care Dr sent me to Another Pain Managment DR. Because they where flexuating my medications up and down for the last 3 months.I just recieved(What I Know Is Termanation letter even though he didn't write me any meds)" Estabablishing a positive patient-physician relationship is very important to me.Unfortunatly,this relationship has been compromised and we will not be able to continue your care here or at any of our facilities.Please be incouraged,this is not a personal issue.Reason for dismissal: Unfortunatly I Am unable to extend the courtesy of the patient/doctor relationship. My office is glad to forward your medical records to another physician of your choosing ,once you complete the records(THEY DIDN'T EVEN SEND ME A COPY OF)release that's included in this letter. I had all my medications and was on count(called his office and his nurse verified this and lied and said it wouldn't be held against me)I also took a urine sample which his nurse said I passed and when I called my primary Dr. She said that her records showed that I bad mouthed her(I only said I didn't want to have another surgery to her because the success rate is 10%) and he also said I was bad mouthing the pain managment center I currently go to(and know I will be cut off from when they receive this information) and I only told him my next appointment date he asked and looked at there card and he said they where flexuating my medications on a regular basis and I had been going there a year.He lied and I know it's in my records because my primary care Dr. Told me that my insurance company would also get a copy.IS THIS LEAGLE and who do I contact here in Tennessee about this.I have never not complied with my DR's HELP I have next appointment at old Pain Managment Center next week? what should I do?

[cornishrex13]

If I were you I would keep two copies of my medication list with me at all times, that way if you need to go to the ED you can ask them to officially staple it onto your intake sheet and have them write med. list attached . then ask them  to make a copy of it with a signature by the Dr. who saw you in the ED to put his signature on your copy and his original on the med. list with the date.he saw you in the ED. This is a simple request and a Dr. will not say no to putting his name and date on your med. list. This should keep everything clear. I honestly think they sometimes get the patients and the meds sometimes confused with the last person they saw when they are looking back on a situation. That is why being proactive in protecting your self with documentation is so important.........Good luck with your new Dr................cornishrex

[HezWag]

Sorry it has been so long since I updated.  Things here have been bad pain wise.  The records show that the ER Doctor said that I did not disclose that I was on any medications.  It flat out lies and says that I said "nobody would give me medications because of insurance" ??  I have had the same insurance for years.  I dont understand why this would happen because if I lied like that why would I give her the name and number of my PM Doc??  I have an appt tomorrow with a new pain doctor.  Now I am just worried that he is going to think I am a drug addict.  Which I most definately am not!  I am also worried that he isn't going to want to continue the meds that I need for my pain.  It is a very stressful time here!!

Hez

[Totie]

Now a days YES they do charge you if you want copies of your records. You won't get the actual hard copies that I know of. Now if they forward the records to another doctor THEN you won't be charged.

[Ghilly]

I don't understand how it's legal for him to charge you for your records!  Those records are your property!  If YOU had left HIM, then I could see him having a case of sour grapes and making life difficult for you, but HE told YOU that he wouldn't see you any more, and then to charge you $50 for your records on top of that, that doesn't seem kosher to me.

As far as what you are supposed to do if you are in pain and your meds aren't working, according to MY PM doc and the contract I have with him, I am supposed to go to the ER and then have the ER contact HIM.  He will then instruct them what to do with me.  It has happened ONCE in the past, Now, of course, that doesn't mean that the hospital is going to do what the doctor asks them to do, but at least they are supposed to contact him and not just take the patient at their word that this is what they take.  I had been taking 15mg oxycodone tablets and liquid oxycodone for breakthrough pain.  There were only two companies making the liquid and one of them was closed down, so the remaining company DOUBLED the price of the medication, literally overnight.  I couldn't afford to pick up my whole scrip and had to forfeit one whole bottle of liquid.  Because of this, I ended up having to take the tablets for breakthrough as well as for frontline of defense medication and I ran out three days before my scheduled visit.  Because it was NOT my fault that I ran out of meds early, my doctor instructed them to put me on a Fentanyl patch and give me 20 of the 15mg tablets to hold me until my appointment.  The doctor at our illustrious hospital decided she was going to second guess my doctor that I've been seeing for TEN YEARS now, and would only give me the patch.  At least it was enough to keep me out of withdrawal until I could get in to see my doc, who switched me from the 15mg tabs to the 30mg tabs to make sure I have enough meds each month from here on in.  But at LEAST the hospital helped me out for the most part.  

I would just flatly refuse to give them my new doctor's name no matter what.  It's none of their business.  Maybe contact an attorney just to pick their brain a bit and see if it's legal for them to hold records for randsom?

Ghilly

[HezWag]

Thank you for the advice.  This is exactly what I did yesterday.  The nurse keeps trying to get me to give her my new doctors name, but I don't have one yet.  The bill is $50 for the records and I will go pick them up tomorrow.  I am so angry still because this is a flat out lie that the ER doctor told my PM dr.  I also called the ER for a copy of my records because I want to be able to defend myself to a new pain management clinic.  It is just so unfair because it is hard to find a doctor that you can trust, especially when dealing with such strong medications.  I appreciate your response!

[Caryopteris]

I would call the office and ask for a copy of your records.  When they try to tell you they will forward them directly to another doctor, tell them you don't know what doctor you are going to yet, so you want to have them handy because you hope to get in on short notice.  They may charge you, but it's worth it to see what your records show.