Rant

Shadow01

Rich221976 could you get your doctor to give you a short term script for 30mg with the intent to cut the pills in half as an emergency stash?

Rich221976

Shadow01

Can't cut the ER in half, since they are slow release. That would release all of the medication right away.

I got a script for Morphine 15 IM. The main difference between the two for me is that the IM release doesn't work as well. If they were out of the IM, then we could do the 30 mg and have me cut them in half.

We also didn't cancel the script for the ER since I am on the waitlist and once they get it in stock they will mail those to me. Just don't know when that will be.

I'm just waiting on Walgreens to fill the script. They take forever.

px_eliezer_

Rich221976 Can't cut the ER in half, since they are slow release. That would release all of the medication right away.

For readers who don't know, ER is Extended Release, and in this case (as with most other slow-release tablets) it is indeed dangerous.

Just as background info, for some other medications of the extended, modified or prolonged release type, names such as "SR" (Slow-Release) or "XL" (eXtra-Long) are used.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified-release_dosage

Rich221976

So it looks like the mail order company is starting to process my script finally. Almost most a month. At least less time then last time.

Rich221976

It started to process but then went back to back order. Maybe by the end of the month or next month.

Heat84

When I was in the hospital for appendicitis complications about 7 years ago, I was given Dilaudid for a pain reliever. I was back in the hospital a year later because of a complication(An adhesion had formed in my intestine and blocked it where they opened it up to remove a blockage the first time). In between my stays, the hurricane in Puerto Rico happened and the hospital's Dilaudid supply was shipped there, so they gave me Morphine during my 2nd stay. I guess Dilaudid and Morphine is pretty much the same thing? Is there any chance you can get Dilaudid? Or get Morphine from Canada? Some people get prescription drugs from Canada because it's cheaper.

px_eliezer_

Heat84

These shortages tend to affect many medications, and many countries, unfortunately.

Recent commentary on policies in the USA:

The DEA’s 2025 quotas for opioids will leave seriously ill patients in pain
https://www.statnews.com/2024/12/27/opioid-medication-production-quotas-dea-pain-patients/

Heat84

px_eliezer_
That's like anti software pirating measures(That never work because software pirating is a cat and mouse game) making it hard for paying customers to use the software.

Rich221976

px_eliezer_

I liked that article. She is right on that last part of the article. However, I do agree that the DEA is fighting the wrong side of the drug battle. Because of this people that legit need the medication are getting harmed in the process. I wish we could have two different drug categories when it comes to opioids. Like, call it opioids when it is prescribed legally. If it is illegally obtained call it something different.

Now I haven't looked this up for any type of proof but I feel like we made improvements in the system now for patients. I know that at least in Florida, you can't doctor shop. The prescriptions are all available to any doctor that needed to pull the records. You would be able to see it. Plus the pharmacies can see that as well.

I remember one time in the past, probably around 2014- maybe 16, when I was getting oxycodone 5 mg twice a day 60 pills. I remember that the pharmacist stated that she was compling a report on me to provide to the DEA. Not sure why she said that. Now If that was true, I wasn't concerned at all since I take my medications properly. Just was interesting that she was saying that.

px_eliezer_

Heat84

Right.

In a somewhat similar vein, high taxes on cigarettes simply encourage bootlegging, and encourage smuggling of cigarettes between states.

Somewhat-Reticent

px_eliezer_ The lesson of Prohibition.

Somewhat-Reticent

Rich221976 Could be SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for all oxy recipients.
Next time consider asking if the prescribing medic also has to be "reported".

px_eliezer_

Somewhat-Reticent Could be SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for all oxy recipients.

National pool of monitoring, run by the group representing all the individual State pharmacy boards.

NABP PMP InterConnect: The Only National Network of PMPs

NABP PMP InterConnect® facilitates the transfer of prescription monitoring program (PMP) data across state lines. It allows participating state PMPs across the United States to be linked, providing a more effective means of combating drug diversion and drug abuse nationwide.

https://nabp.pharmacy/members/programs-services/industry-information-networks/pmp-interconnect/

HooRU

I'm getting the runaround for two health issues myself but not pain.

Rich221976

HooRU

Depending on the health issues, some of them have steps that you have to go through in order to get the health issue under control.

My diabetes has been going out of control for a while now. My sugars are slowly getting a little better. I am still getting from time to time over 600. However, just like any other condition, there are steps. I had to go though all of the different meds that I could take. Now I am taking insulin . I am just taking long acting insulin.

My sugars have improved but I am not there yet. I have been increasing the dose by 4 units each day. I am now up to 64 units a day, but I gotta call the doctor and find out if they want me to keep increase and if so I need a new script for the higher dose since I will run out of insulin soon.

Hopefully no new issues comes up because it seems like when we get one condition under control, either a resolve one acts up or a new one shows up.

Rich221976

Lastest update:

https://www.ashp.org/drug-shortages/current-shortages/drug-shortage-detail.aspx?id=1121&loginreturnUrl=SSOCheckOnly

Not really much of an update as a we don't have it, we don't know when we are going to make it and we are sure as hell not going to tell you either.

Luckily I can switch between a few different meds if needed with the approval of my pain doc, but I do feel sorry for the ones that really have to stay with the same medication because I know this is happening with others besides just Morphine.

Hopefully this won't get as bad as around 2019 or possibly 2020 when almost every type of medication was out of stock.

Edit: Hopefully this will make the news again. Because in that one year many cancer patients couldn't get there meds. It seems like a year after that everything started to go smoothly again, until this past November of 2024.

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