Maybe Restrictive RX-ing is GOOD for Pain Specialists?

[drusso]

It seems the more bad news gets out about the opioid crisis, the longer it is to get into see a pain specialist. Judging from the referrals, it seems like PCP's can't discern when or how to RX, are just completely overwhelmed by it, or just don't care. And no PCP wants to write for Suboxone because they don't want Addicts in their waiting rooms.

Is anyone else seeing similar trends?

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[Tapspatellas]

It seems the more bad news gets out about the opioid crisis, the longer it is to get into see a pain specialist. Judging from the referrals, it seems like PCP's can't discern when or how to RX, are just completely overwhelmed by it, or just don't care. And no PCP wants to write for Suboxone because they don't want Addicts in their waiting rooms.

Is anyone else seeing similar trends?

Yes. Everything under the sun is getting referred out in our area. Signing up more and more 5-10 MED folks with reasonable pathology and stable for years that got the boot from the PCP. Funny thing is that I’ve had a few I wouldn’t rx a couple years back who have followed up recently and the pcp had started or escalated dosing on them, some to doses above CDC guidelines. Weren’t sent for meds either.

 

[willabeast]

The experiment (PCP's prescribing opioids for chronic pain) failed. So it makes sense that things might go back to the way they were in the mid to late 90's.

 

[emd123]

It seems the more bad news gets out about the opioid crisis, the longer it is to get into see a pain specialist. Judging from the referrals, it seems like PCP's can't discern when or how to RX, are just completely overwhelmed by it, or just don't care. And no PCP wants to write for Suboxone because they don't want Addicts in their waiting rooms.

Is anyone else seeing similar trends?

Yes. All the PCPs in my area are spooked and have been for a while. They're telling their patients, "It's not legal for me to prescribe this to you any more." Which is actually fine, because they're sending me a lot of low risk people they definitely could continue prescribing to and are easy for me to take on. On the other hand, the PCPs who aren't spooked are blissfully unaware of the buzzsaw they're walking into and are either keeping their megarisk people, against all good sense, or are sending them elsewhere because they know I won't prescribe umpteen-thousand-MED-soma-xanax.