pain management/urine screen results

[bobbiecat1]

I have been seeing a pain management dr now for aprx. 2 years.  Every urine screen has come back with good results.  My last visit, I was issued a screen and left with my scripts.  I have a 2nd rx which is post dated.  I received a cert. letter from my dr. terminating me from her practice.  My question is do I request copies of my records and test results and then schedule an appt. to discuss the findings??  or say nothing?  Her letter stated that over the next 30 days she would be available on emrg. basis only and that she would provide my case history to another physician if needed.  I must have come up thc pos.  Is she obligated to make that info known?  or will she allow me another chance with a new dr.???

[bobbiecat1]

And Yes ChristNonsense,  I like the 180, and I believe you are right.  It's better to face your fears straight on that to hide behind them.  It was a mistake, that's what it was... a Mistake.  I believe that because she can't risk losing her license, she had to do what she did, but is allowing me a 2nd chance with someone new.  Also, time is of the essence.  I have less than 30 days to find a new dr., and set the record straight.  Hopefully, I will be able to continue with my management.  Ps.  also... I believe I will go ahead and request own personal records just to have for my own peace of mind.

I'm glad I signed up for this forum.. and if anyone has some light to shed on the subject, please don't hesitate to add your comments.
thanks

[bobbiecat1]

I am not upset, well... kinda I am, but, it is what it is, and she is obligated to adhere to the law.  I was a very good patient for a good length of time.  I don't really know what happened.  I have a brother in law who is a very explosive smoker and I was very much around him and other relatives who wish they lived in Colorado.  I can't change the atmosphere I have been exposed to, except to avoid it all together from now on.  It was an unfortunate mistake, and I am paying for it now.  However, reading my letter I received from my dr., I believe I am getting another chance.  I just hope that is the case.  My worst thought is, is that this got reported in the system, but I don't think she took it that far. I don't have a problem with my prescribed medication. As a matter of fact, it was working perfectly!  I just want to continue with everything the way it was, and if the new dr,. has to test me every wk for 6 months for trustworthy sake, I will do it, and pay for it too.  That's how important pain management is to me.

[ChristNonsense]

Weathergirl21, very, very well stated.

In fact, I'm "doing a 180" and now think perhaps THIS may be the best way:

Get a 'copy' of all of your records, go through them, and pull out the *negative* ones (the ones where the doctor wrote how you did this or that, was grumpy, you know....'negative stuff'), and actually show THOSE to your new doctor, and intelligently address THOSE issues.

My goodness, I think that would go a LONG way to show what an upstanding person you are. See, most people would want to 'hide' those records, so it will be extremely unique to bring attention to those, rather than try to bury them.

So, perhaps a "Here, Doc, here are the bad things I did.... and here is what I will do to FIX them," sort of approach may be the best!

Face all that stuff head-on.

I sure learn a lot from this forum. No one likes to be wrong, or to be corrected... but I tell ya'.. if I can "set my ego aside" and actually LISTEN to what others say, I sure do learn a lot, and it teaches me to be humble. Thank you, all, for that!

Peace.

[Weathergirl21]

By law,each practice owns your records and by law, you have the right to get a COPY of them. They also have the right to charge you for this fee per page but it is Federally regulated how much they can charge.

Every new Dr. will most likely want that copy of records directly from the previous Dr. because it would be too easy for someone to "remove" anything they didn't like for the Dr. to see.

It sounds like you are not upset about the actual testing positive for something...did you illegally take someone else's medication or use something  like pot? Please keep in mind (for all those reading) that it is their license on the line when a patient does something illegal because if they condone these actions, and someone overdoses or kills someone else with their name on the prescription bottle or having you (generic you) as a patient, they will reap the havoc. Let alone what could happen for the patient themselves if you wound up in the ER or driving and killing someone. It is a Felony when taking medication that isn't ours or giving it to someone else.

Your best bet is to truly evaluate the issue on what happened, stop the behavior, and then go to a new Dr. and be 100% honest with them and see what happens. There are so many other ways that a Dr. can help you with chronic pain besides opiates so I would just be open to something new.

[bobbiecat1]

Good point!   Yes, these are good questions.  I know that I can personally go get my records, and that when I find a new dr. tht dr. will probably request those records directly from the previous dr.  Because, I imagine this is a "legal" issue.. I'm sure there is some type of compliance issue.  But, say I go ahead and get them,  read them, and address the negative points ahead of time with the new dr.?  Not that I have excuses, except she has allowed me a 2nd chance to start over.  New test, new results.  She is not going to risk her license trying to solve the issue. regardless the reason(?)  

[ChristNonsense]

Good point (mentioning records). Usually, when changing from one doctor to another, the old doctor will transfer your records to the new doctor (either electronically, or through the mail).

Bobbiecat1, if I were you, I would physically take possession of your records.

Then, when you find a new doctor, you can present your records.

Obviously, by taking possession of your records (and being in charge of personally handing them to your new doctor), you will be able to see what the old doctor wrote about you. I don't know about the legalities of omitting incorrect records, but if it were me, and the old doc wrote a whole page of negative derogatory nonsense, I sure as heck wouldn't be giving those to my new doctor.

I do wonder, though... (other forum members might know the answer to this) if a patient walks in with a stack of their records, do the new doctors go ahead and electronically request all the records from the previous doctor? If they did, and saw pages missing, would this look bad? Or, when a patient presents their old records to the new doctor, does the new doctor say "Oh, thank you. That saves us time having to order your records from your old doctor!" Or, is a patient bringing in their own records "out of the ordinary," and therefore suspicious? This hasn't happened on any of the TV shows that I watch, therefore, I don't know the answer to this  :-)

[philnoir]

Get your records -- they're yours.

Do not waste your time with her, but seek out another pain doctor. The clock is running.

Your current doctor cannot interfere with your continued treatment (and why should she?)