Tpapn dentist

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2019

In my program, they ask for these kinds of things also. They also ask for your pharmacy name. I suppose that it’s because if you were to submit prescription info from a doctor not on file, it would throw up a red flag. Supposedly you are to, I don’t know “warn” your healthcare providers that you are in a program and that they should not provide you with controlled substances. Personally I think that kind of stuff is none of thier business. I’m not telling every doctor I see about this. I went to an urgent care once because I had muscle spasms in my back. All I wanted was a muscle relaxer and maybe a toradol shot. I seriously doubt the NP that I saw cared or had the time to listen to this. I was offered something stronger. I declined, not because of this mess, but because pain meds don’t help me on this.

All I know is that I am not telling these people every time I get my teeth cleaned or my lady parts checked.?. If I am engaged in something that may produce a questionable result on a drug test, then we’ll talk.

We do still have a right to privacy, thank you very much. I have long felt that these programs “require” more info than is necessary to monitor my nursing practice.

Besides after the obscene costs for all of this, who has the money to go to the dentist anyway??

chadprepton, ADN · Mar 4, 2019

I would check with Tpapn in your state. From my experience I learned to assume nothing and document all communications with them.

Big Blondie, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN · Mar 5, 2019

I never gave my dentist name. Never told dentist about program

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2019

I should clarify, I don’t think my doctor/dentist names are thier business as in not the program’s business. If I were an individual with addiction issues and I choose to have such a discussion with my physician regarding prescribing of controlled substance, it is my business. The program drug tests us regularly and that should be a sufficient means of monitoring a person’s use (or lack of) of verboten substances.

Recovering_RN · Mar 5, 2019

I never gave my dentist’s name, and although I gave my PCP name, I never told her about TPAPN. If you follow the rules to the letter, then you are supposed to tell your doctor and if you get ANY prescription from them, like even antibiotics for a bladder infection, you’re supposed to have them fill out that stupid prescription form! Yeah, no WAY was I gonna do that! I was humiliated enough, I never saw the need to humble myself even more. And that form was awful, it asks if the doctor feels that I’m complying with the program and safe to work? Like my dentist would know that?

At first I was convinced that TPAPN was all powerful and they’d know that I’d seen my doctor, and I hadn’t had my doctor sign that form, so I quit going to my doctor! (Btw it’s been awhile but I’m pretty sure there’s no form for your doctor to sign UNLESS a prescription is involved, so you don’t have to tell your doctor, even if you’re following all the TPAPN rules exactly, unless they’re prescribing something). Foolish to quit seeing my doc I know, but I just couldn’t face it. I quit my hormone replacement, my blood pressure pills, everything, because I was sure as soon as I had a prescription filled, some transmission would go out to TPAPN. (In the end I found my BP came down in its own, maybe the lack of stress I’d discovered when I quit diverting ?)

Eventually I realized that there was no way that TPAPN would automatically know of a visit to a doctor, and even a prescription that was filled, as long as that script wasn’t for a narcotic. So after about two years I went back to seeing my doc. New doc, btw, the PCP that I’d told TPAPN about moved, and I never bothered to tell them about my new one. I just kept using the same name/phone number from my old PCP on my reports, because a new doctor would’ve flagged something where they’d insist I notify my new doc about my enrollment in TPAPN.

RecoveryNurse2015 · Mar 6, 2019

It's to account for prescriptions and such.

RecoveryNurse2015 · Mar 6, 2019

On 3/3/2019 at 6:39 AM, catsmeow1972 said:
In my program, they ask for these kinds of things also. They also ask for your pharmacy name. I suppose that it’s because if you were to submit prescription info from a doctor not on file, it would throw up a red flag. Supposedly you are to, I don’t know “warn” your healthcare providers that you are in a program and that they should not provide you with controlled substances. Personally I think that kind of stuff is none of thier business. I’m not telling every doctor I see about this. I went to an urgent care once because I had muscle spasms in my back. All I wanted was a muscle relaxer and maybe a toradol shot. I seriously doubt the NP that I saw cared or had the time to listen to this. I was offered something stronger. I declined, not because of this mess, but because pain meds don’t help me on this.
All I know is that I am not telling these people every time I get my teeth cleaned or my lady parts checked.?. If I am engaged in something that may produce a questionable result on a drug test, then we’ll talk.
We do still have a right to privacy, thank you very much. I have long felt that these programs “require” more info than is necessary to monitor my nursing practice.
Besides after the obscene costs for all of this, who has the money to go to the dentist anyway??

Just for your info, a reg flag is also raised for other medications that can and do pop up in urine. Not just narcs. 100% transparency on the part of the program participant saves us from being placed under any undue scrutiny. Also, if I did what you described I would be in violation of my monitoring contract.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Mar 6, 2019

That is your choice and that is fine, however we are all medical professionals and are provided with an exhaustive list of what is and is not acceptable to take (I will leave my personal opinions out of this). Based on that list, I know what I can and cannot take for things like a cold.

While we are expected to be “100% transparent”, in my own experience, that has not been reciprocated on thier part. If I am dumb enough to take something that will produce a problematic result, without having run it through the program then that is my own fault.

My argument is that there is no need for every. Single. Healthcare provider to know that I am in a monitoring contract. Perhaps I feel this way because my reason for being in this prison has nothing to do with addiction issues.

As far as “undue scrutiny”, sorry but My own opinion is that they are up in enough of my non-nursing related business way more than is necessary already. I call that undue scrutiny.

Should a questionable item be prescribed to me (or given In the ER, for example) then there are appropriate channels to go through to inform the program. My point is that I feel that there is no need for them to know my personal medical, (and non nursing) related information.

RecoveryNurse2015 · Mar 6, 2019

23 minutes ago, catsmeow1972 said:
That is your choice and that is fine, however we are all medical professionals and are provided with an exhaustive list of what is and is not acceptable to take (I will leave my personal opinions out of this). Based on that list, I know what I can and cannot take for things like a cold.
While we are expected to be “100% transparent”, in my own experience, that has not been reciprocated on thier part. If I am dumb enough to take something that will produce a problematic result, without having run it through the program then that is my own fault.
My argument is that there is no need for every. Single. Healthcare provider to know that I am in a monitoring contract. Perhaps I feel this way because my reason for being in this prison has nothing to do with addiction issues.
As far as “undue scrutiny”, sorry but My own opinion is that they are up in enough of my non-nursing related business way more than is necessary already. I call that undue scrutiny.
Should a questionable item be prescribed to me (or given In the ER, for example) then there are appropriate channels to go through to inform the program. My point is that I feel that there is no need for them to know my personal medical, (and non nursing) related information.

Maybe your story is different than mine. I actually discovered I needed help for a substance abuse disorder as a direct result of board intervention. I'll yell it from the rooftops, if I think it'll save me from potential relapse. For me, aside from making sure I'm following my contract, it's just something I've made a habit of doing.