The best thing since sliced bread. New York state started keeping close eye on patients who bum miltiple practitioners for narcotics. Our doctors and PAs began to get written notifications to their home regarding individuals who seek drugs. The letters list their names, who they've seen and what scripts were filled.
One of our doctors created an alphabetized binder with patient's names and records. Now we actually have real evidence on grounds of which we can refuse prescriptions, not just "the hunch".
I'm sorry if I sounded insincere what I meant is there is two sides to every story and I just don't understand why they would treat you the way you say they did--I know me or my co-workers would never treat a normal person badly. It would be different if you were always there and you were allergic to all px meds except Dilaudid or Demeral.
No , I guess you are truly at a loss as to why I was treated in such a manner, so am I. I do know the ER resident did direct the staff to try to haul me up and walk, even before I had Xrays done, I really shouldve had an MRI done , it would've shown a ruptured disk and an HIZ, which is is a true indicater of pain that shows up as a very bright spot in an MRI. Actually if I wouldnt have been so drugged I wouldve demanded an MRI. If he wouldve just given me Flexeril instead of stupid Valium, the spasm would have released sooner than 5 hours and I would'nt have needed all the other narcotics.
At my old job......we once had a book....they took it away because it violated the patient's right to fair treatment and they felt that our ER docs would consult the book rather than the patient.
This of course occured after a lawsuit where a person's name was *in the book* for repeated drug seeking behaviors and the patient eventually died from a missed Dx.
I find it strange that someone would die from a missed dose of a narcotic, it is usually the other way around.
Specializes in ER,Neurology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology.
Guys, you definitely bring up a valid point regarding treating a drug-seeker for the ailment, not for the behavior. It certainly is a dangerous ground, and I am happy to say that in my ER patients do not get dismissed as seekers. We work them up fully and still give them some sort of pain medications, refer them to our clinic to see a specialist, we try to do everything we can to make sure the person is healthy - our hospital does a lot of charity and we give and help find insurance for those who don't have it as well as we pay for their medications.
I think the drug seeker-file is there because it keeps a record of when the person had lortab or other narcs filled last. If the person comes for back pain (the same reason they were seen at another hospital 5 days ago and left with a script) and they say that they need more lortab to last them for 30 days, I think we are justified to do all the test and then refuse to give out lortab.
I feel it was a terrible way to treat someone who could not walk and deem them as a drug seeker. A good neuro assessment helps tp determine if a person is having a nerve problem - it is very hard to "fake" certain types of pain and sensations.
But also, It makes me really upset to see how a narc-seeking mother comes in exactly at 11 pm with her daughter on weekly basis to c/o ankle, shoulder,arm, etc. pain, get x-rays and then ask for narcs. This week she actually brought her 11 year old daughter as a patient for atraumatic "ankle pain" and then asked the doc for narcs for the daughter.
Thank you so much to all for replying and bringing in such valuable info to this discussion!:redpinkhe
Batman, this is one of the links I saw, maybe you will find something more useful.
The best thing since sliced bread. New York state started keeping close eye on patients who bum miltiple practitioners for narcotics. Our doctors and PAs began to get written notifications to their home regarding individuals who seek drugs. The letters list their names, who they've seen and what scripts were filled.
One of our doctors created an alphabetized binder with patient's names and records. Now we actually have real evidence on grounds of which we can refuse prescriptions, not just "the hunch".
Nat
In Tennessee we now use a internet program that keeps track of all narcotics a person fills anywhere, for any provider, giving us the ability to say no to someone who should have pain meds already.
The software we use in our ED tells us right away how many previous visits a person has had, over the past several years, and we can pull up the main dx and stated reason they came in for those visits. If the previous visits number is flagged in red, they were seen in the previous 48 hours. Many, but certainly not all, of those are narc seekers.
I'm new to the ED, so I must say I'm still learning what a lot of the pts will do and say, but sad to say, even after my short time there, some stories I've heard over and over.
I find it interesting that a decade or so ago drug-seeker lists were removed from ERs and deemed "discriminating" to the seekers it listed, and now with the wonders of EMR's, the best, most accurate list ever is available for the doc to read!! And to have the STATE GOVERNMENT list the seekers in a database is over the top! Our little rolodexes could never have matched up to this.
I find it interesting that a decade or so ago drug-seeker lists were removed from ERs and deemed "discriminating" to the seekers it listed, and now with the wonders of EMR's, the best, most accurate list ever is available for the doc to read!! And to have the STATE GOVERNMENT list the seekers in a database is over the top! Our little rolodexes could never have matched up to this.
Simplepleasures
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