- Recent Revisions to CDC Guidelines
- Rate of Prescriptions
- Insurance Companies No Longer Cover Certain Pain Relievers
- Increase in Monitoring and Flagging Patients
- Changing Standards for Pain and Pain Management
If you suffer from chronic pain, you know how important it is to incorporate prescription pain relievers into your treatment plan. While these pain relievers are highly effective at managing pain, physicians are becoming hesitant to give out these prescriptions for a number of reasons. Following are five of the most common reasons why your doctor may reduce your pain relievers, as well as how to receive adequate pain management assistance when you need it most.
1. Recent Revisions to CDC Guidelines
One of the main reasons your physician may taper you off your pain management meds is due to changes in the CDC guidelines. The opioid crisis has become increasingly problematic, especially in certain parts of the country. Many who fall victim to addiction may have started out with legally prescribed medications for legitimate health reasons. Unfortunately, these same pain relievers can become highly addictive, especially to those who are more susceptible to developing addictions.
Therefore, many physicians have found it in their best interest to taper down prescription pain relievers for their patients. Some physicians may simply stop prescribing them altogether and suggest an alternative approach to their patient’s pain management treatment plan.
2. Rate of Prescriptions
Physicians are facing increasing pressure to withhold prescriptions for stronger pain relievers for many reasons. Over the last decade, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have increased their vigilance over physicians who are suspected of overprescribing pain relievers to their patients.
If flagged, physicians face the possibility of license revocation and legal ramifications, which could result in jail time. For these reasons, doctors are more hesitant than ever to prescribe pain relievers. If you are wondering how to ask the doctor for pain meds, chances are that you will be unsuccessful in your efforts because of this.
3. Insurance Companies No Longer Cover Certain Pain Relievers
While many insurance companies will still cover common pain medications such as Tramadol, Codeine, Hydrocodone, and Morphine, some insurance companies are beginning to drop coverage for these highly effective medications. If you are on Medicare or Medicaid, there is a good chance that they will stop covering your pain medications at some point in the future. Just as physicians are worried about misuse of pain medications, many insurance companies are too.
4. Increase in Monitoring and Flagging Patients
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have become increasingly aware of some patients’ misuse of the medical system in order to receive more pain medication. For example, some patients engage in a practice called “doctor shopping.”
In this practice, patients will schedule appointments at various hospitals in order to find one or two who will prescribe them pain medication. More often than not, these patients are identified, flagged for misuse, and are no longer able to receive prescriptions for these medications.
5. Changing Standards for Pain and Pain Management
You may be asking yourself, “how do pain medicines work?”. Pain medicines work by binding to the pain receptors within the brain, allowing for fast and effective relief.
Unfortunately, physicians are now changing their standards for pain and pain management, and are more likely to say that you do not meet the criteria to obtain a prescription for pain medication. This can be extremely frustrating, especially if you found that a particular type of medication worked well for you. Due to the changing culture around pain medication, many doctors are now prescribing lower doses of pain medications and shorter courses of treatment. Not only has this negatively impacted your ability to find effective relief as well as your ability to know how to get painkillers, but it has likely lowered your quality of life as well.
If you’re in pain and you need fast and effective relief, Sapna pain clinic specialists may be able to help. By reaching out to Sapna pain clinic specialists, you can discover new and effective ways to keep your pain levels under control and significantly improve your quality of life.
Sources
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007489.htm
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/pain-you-can-get-help
- https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/index.html